DAY 20: "C" is for Carbs

After reading this, I realized how boring my day was, so I reversed the order, starting with the evening "festivities"... enjoy the confusion...


An "intense" workout later, I did some laundry in the sink, watched Gossip Girl in French and took a shower. Decided to hunt for the one open restaurant I found on the Internet that boasts being open everyday of the week... yeah, not open. But there was Les Moules Zola across the street, specializing in mussels. Had NO idea what anything said, but saw "moules ou escargot" so I ordered it, telling my waiter I didn't want ANY cream... de-shelled mussels baked in a Le Creuset dish, escargot STYLE- butter (so much better than cream...), garlic, parsley and shallots. Served with french fries and bread- Are you KIDDING me??? They're trying to kill me, I swear. I made the waiter take the baskets away and decided that my "exotic/never tried" sampling would be a Kir- developed IN Dijon- white wine and cassis, usually served in a snifter. OK restaurant- bright lights and super modern, cafeteria style furniture and no music. Just French conversation and french eyeballs eyeing. Wondering. Whispering. "No this is not Divorcee Revelation Tour 2010. I already found Jesus. He was under the couch the whole time!" I wanted to find something special and loungey with a decent bar and good music. And open on a Sunday. Cha-ching! Le Grand Cafe had my answer... fat leather chairs with big, heavy tables, waterfall walls, French music and "mood" lighting. I bellied up with "Anthony & Borus," an espresso and a porto... Happy... until they brought over a platter of salami, green olives and swiss cheese! Good God people!


I had a carton of vegetable soup left over from Paris... not ideal at room temperature, but beggars can't be choosers. Did a little research for my day tomorrow, when Dijon wakes up again and got creative with Luigi using him as a weight... bent over rows, sit-ups and curls... can you tell I was bored? I realize I talk about food a lot, but it's so interesting!


I'm fairly certain the French eat bread at EVERY meal. Breakfast downstairs at Victor Hugo was croissants and baguette... and cafe au lait... carb overload. I just can't do it anymore! Sunny day but deceiving- went for a long run to a park-Deuce du Parc a.k.a. Poopy Park- south of the city, did a few loops and plyometrics through all the trees, on crunchy ice. Couldn't feel my fingers anymore, so back into the city I trotted to find a market- EVERYTHING is closed on Sunday. It was a ghost town, even the stop lights were being lazy. I found the tourist office at the train station and got the ol' eye-roll from two Korean girls working behind the desk because I was asking them questions... you know, making them DO THEIR JOB. They would look at each other and die laughing as if I weren't standing right in front of them. Considered practicing my punting... hostility is never the answer. Found a tiny market with a chick that was "Oh so enthusiastic" about working on a Sunday... bananas, avocado and apple juice it is.


I'm developing my own, unique rating system for dining experiences over here... My criteria is as follows:


-ATMOSPHERE: lighting, comfort, space, music, character, decor/style
-FOOD: cuisine origin, portions, inclusions (meat, cheese, bread), presentation, dish ware, variety
-DRINKS: selection, bar presence, creativity, glassware, portions, knowledge
-MEMORABILITY FACTOR: despite mood, company, weather- is it unforgettable?
I've designed little logos for scale of 1-3... still in the works...


This is just for fun, and a way for me to remember and recommend places to friends. And fulfills my passion for food and drinks from around the world... you'll see it in a bookstore near you some day. Or not, but you'll thank me for discovering it when you are here, having an unbelievable time!


If you have any other ideas, or certain "flare" you look for in your experiences, please share! I love feedback... but only good feedback. I don't take criticism well. Stop yelling!


Let's hope art takes over my appetite in Italy... Bisou Bisou!