Afternoon Wanderings

Well, it's almost exam time again, and y'all know what that means...my apartment is spotless, my laundry is done, and my internet surfing is at an all-time high.  It's amazing how much you can get done when you're desperately trying to avoid studying.  I have my written pastry exam on Tuesday...eek!  I can't believe the session is almost over!!!!!  Be on the lookout for many more posts as the I get closer to finals because, well, procrastination is kind of my thing.

Mom was in town last weekend...and you know what that means!!

It was everything I thought it would be and so. much. more.  Chick-fil-a gets it right every time. 

Somehow in my insane schedule, I managed to have a three day weekend, so Mom and I were able to spend a lot of time together!

On Friday, we played around the city and enjoyed the incredible weather.  The clouds took a day off, and it was gorgeous! It was almost warm enough to take off our jackets.  Spring is in the air, my friends!

See?  The sun was actually shining in Paris!

Sidenote:  The fabulous weather didn't last long...this is what I've been working with all week:

And there is no end in sight!

5-Day Forecast for Paris (courtesy of Weather Underground)

Saturday, 19

8 | 5° C

Rain 

Sunday, 20

9 | 2° C

Overcast

Monday, 21

9 | 5° C

Partly Cloudy

Tuesday, 22

9 | 4° C

Partly Cloudy

Wednesday, 23

9 | 0° C

Chance of Rain 

How do people live like this?!  I am officially vitamin D deficient.  

Anyway, I'm off my soapbox. Back to Mom's visit.  My never-ending quest for good Mexican food in Paris continued as we tried out a restaurant called Rice and Beans for lunch.  This place has taken the number one spot as far as relatively inexpensive "French" Mexican goes (I use the word relatively quite loosely because everything is expensive in this city).  We heard them speaking English in the kitchen, so I'm assuming that's why it tasted like home.

I had chicken, pork, and homemade chorizo tacos.  Mom had wild boar, chicken, and veggies

I have a surprisingly long list of other Mexican joints to try, so I'll keep y'all posted on how they match up.

After lunch, we headed over to the Maille mustard shop.  They make the most INCREDIBLE mustard, and I always wonder why people buy it in the grocery store when you can get it fresh right down the street!  At the shop, you can buy a crock of mustard and they fill it there with fresh mustard from kegs, and then you bring it back for refills when it runs out.  Brilliant!

My crock

Leah and I at Maille when she was here.  Everyone visits the mustard shop when they come to Paris!

The picture below is a huge mural we saw on the side of a building.  Pretty cool, huh?

Anyway, after Maille, we headed over to La Grande Epicerie Paris.  Translation: the most incredible grocery store.  Ever.

It is an amalgamation of every little corner bakery, butcher, fish monger, fromagerie, wine shop, and everything in between in one place.  A foodie's dream!  It is a little on the pricey side, so it would be expensive to do everyday shopping there, but it is definitely fun to look around.

I saw this crepe making kit the first time I was there.  When I went back with Mom, it was gone :(  My crepe making dreams have been shattered. 

Isn't it adorable??

The rest of the day was spent running a few errands around the city, and getting ready for our big trip to Luxembourg on Saturday!  Stay tuned!

- a tout à l’heure!