This post is dedicated to my dear blog friend Kathy who will become a new cat-mommy today. She has been arduously preparing for this special moment for awhile and it's finally here! Congratulations Kathy and "meow" to Elizabeth. I am looking forward to reading your kitten posts and seeing new pictures of Elizabeth in her happily ever after home. ♥
artwork by polaris =^.^=
The apartment we rented in the 16th arr. was located in a nice residential area, about 15 minutes from most main sights by Métro. We enjoyed being in a quiet and charming neighborhood removed from the hustle and bustle of the city with easy access to many small food shops, patisseries and restaurants.
The Paris Métro is the most economical and fastest way to get around and in inclement weather; it is the best way to keep dry and warm. This is the first time in my travels that I have depended on public transportation to move about in the city (I always walked everywhere in cities like Rome and Naples.) The experience was enjoyable, the ticket price reasonable, and the trains are clean and safe. The whole operation runs very efficiently with trains arriving on time (about 6 minutes between trains).
We started our daily jaunts at the Jasmin station, a short 5 minute walk from the apartment. This is our station (a photo re-post) on the morning we left to return home.
Most of the stations we saw had a similar layout with vaulted ceilings and walls covered with white tiles and advertising.
The majority of the stations were nondescript but three stood out and made us stop and enjoy their artistic feel and particularity. A photo of the Cluny-La Sorbonne station in the Latin Quarter. The beauty of this station lies above, on the vaulted ceiling.
.
The ceiling has gorgeous and colorful mosaics by artist Jean Bazaine.
Also on the ceiling are the signatures of famous Frenchmen.
This sign on the wall of the station gave a description of the ceiling's artwork. Below is my translation of the first sentence.
"This ceiling bears the signatures of poets, writers, philosophers, artists, scientists, kings and French statesmen who for eight centuries have honored this district".
.
The Abbesses Métro station in Montmartre has a series of murals that decorate the spiral staircase that leads to Rue des Abbesses above. It is quite a hike to reach Montmartre via the stairs. I almost missed seeing these murals because there was the option of riding to the top of the station on an elevator. When we reached the door I hesitated getting on the lift and told my husband, "What’s wrong with going up a few more flights of stairs?" Well, it wasn't a few! I had forgotten that Montmartre sits on top of the highest hill in Paris; the subway station is 118 feet below street level! Luckily, I had these beautiful murals to distract me on the way up.
The entrance to the Abbesses station has some lovely and unusual wrought-iron arches. It is one of the few remaining original Art Nouveau stations.
The Louvre-Rivoli station—with its replicas of ancient art—is a wonderful anteroom to the museum.
I'll soon resume blogging about Paris but first I have to shake off this nasty head cold. Hoping to feel better by next week 'cause my French class starts on Wednesday and I'm eager to impress my teacher with some of my new vocabulary.
I took this off focus picture when we got off the Batobus. Something in it reminds me of a painting, maybe the light or the trees or maybe because it was taken in Paris.
I meant to post this entry on January 6, on the day we celebrate the Epiphany but it was our last day in Paris and we left the apartment in a hurry to try to make the most of our day.
These two Adoration of the Magi are from the Italian Collection at the Louvre Museum. The photos were taken exactly a week ago, on my second visit to the museum. The Louvre was slightly less crowded after the New Year but it was still a struggle to appreciate the works of art without having a group and their guide get in the middle.
A detached fresco by Bernardino Luini (1485-1532)
A closer look.
A painting by Pietro Lorenzetti (c. 1280 - 1348) that was part of a portable retable.
A photo of a few galette des rois (king’s cake), a cake made for the festivity of the Epiphany. It is made of puff pastry and can be plain or filled with an almond flavored paste called frangipane. We saw many patisseries selling these cakes on the days leading to January 6.
I'm way behind in making the appetizers for our Small Bites group but I'll make an effort to catch-up and make the ones I missed. I'll probably find a way to incorporate a few of the main ingredients in one appetizer.
Today's ingredient is our last of this cooking challenge and it was chosen by my blog friend Kathy (Trekcapri). Kathy wrote on her blog a cute story on how she came about choosing chickpeas. I'm glad you did, Kathy as I love chickpeas or garbanzo beans. One of my favorite Puerto Rican dishes is a delicious garbanzo and salted pork stew. I wish I could make a small version of the stew for today’s appetizer but salted pork is a forbidden ingredient in my house.
For today's Small Bite I looked for something on the healthy side after overindulging in the rich French cuisine. I chose a chickpea and olive appetizer which can be served also as an accompaniment to an entree. I made some changes to the original recipe so that I could use what I had in my fridge and pantry.
Chickpea and Olive Appetizer
Serves 4 to 6.
1 cup dried chickpeas, washed and soaked overnight in 8 cups water (I used a 15oz can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed)
1/2 cup black olives, chopped (used kalamata olives)
1/4 cup scallions, finely chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro (instead of cilantro, I added a bunch of spinach)
1 clove garlic, crushed
salt to taste
1/2 teaspoon paprika (I used smoked Spanish paprika)
1/8 teaspoon chili powder
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Place the chickpeas with their water in a saucepan, and bring to a boil, then cook over medium heat for about 2-1/2 hours, or until the chickpeas are tender. Drain; then place the chickpeas in a salad bowl and allow to cool. (Or, substitute half a 19 oz. can of chickpeas, drained.) Add the remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly. Serve immediately.
Recipe is from "From the Lands of Figs and Olives" by Habeeb Salloum and James Peters but I found it here.
