Exploring Burgundy and Champagne

Following non-stop rain in Paris during the whole August, a weekend escape to Burgundy and Champagne proved to be like a sun ray in the grey sky. On the way to Beaune, a Burgundian wine capital, the clouds started clearing out and the town met us with sunshine and warmth. Beaune charmed us with its stone houses, flower embellishments and wine stores where one can taste various wines. It must be interesting when the yearly wine auction takes place in its historical l'Hotel Dieu, a former hospital with impressive design.


Driving along Cote d'Or we saw many wineries and stopped to enjoy a refreshing glass of Chablis in one of cafes in Nuits Saint Georges. Wine tasting in wine houses there is quite expensive since the area produces a lot of grand cru wines.
It took us some time to find the Chateau de Pont Bernard which I reserved for a night from Gites de France. The fairy-tale mansion was well hidden in the Burgundian countryside. A young family who owns the house renovated it over twelve years and now it looks like a castle from the past. The owners were very hospitable and made us feel at home, especially when they served us coffee and tea with home cooked bread and le pain d'epices, a traditional cake with spices, in a sun kissed terrace by the swimming pool. Besides le pain d'epices, other traditional food to try in Burgundy is boeuf a Bourguignon and Escargots a la Bourguignonne and cheeses, brandy-soaked Epoisses and Bleu de Bresse.

On the way to Champagne, we visited a secluded UNESCO world heritage site Abbey de Fontenoy, one of the oldest cistercian monasteries, founded in 1118. Located in a middle of a forest, the nicely renovated abbey radiated the spirit of tranquility and holiness.

The champagne route across vineyards was especially picturesque. Another lucky discovery in Gites de France was a bed and breakfast in the middle of champagne vineyards. It is owned by a family running Champagne Rogge – Cereser business. The stone house with modern design bedrooms and bathrooms started running about a year ago. It was an amazing feeling to sit back and relax and drink champagne while looking at the vineyards from which this fizzy drink was produced. Next morning we had a tour with a passionate account on how the family produces their small scale champagne. Now I will appreciate drinking champagne even more when I know how many various stages and processes go into its production.

In the end of our trip, was a visit to the renowned Reims Cathedral, a crowning place of French kings for many years. From Reims, we brought back light rose biscuits to be had with champagne. We also stopped by Epernay, a capital of Champagne region, where major Champagne houses like Moet and Chandon are located on the avenue de Champagne. The town did not impress us much since it did not have a quaint atmosphere of Beaune.

The Magic of Buenos Aires

Attending the meeting on debt swaps for education provided me with a perfect opportunity to finally visit Buenos Aires. The vibe of the city made me wish that the visit lasted longer. It is strange how many parallels one can find between Paris and Buenos Aires. No wonder the city is called Paris of Latin America. I could easily see that Buenos Aires in Latin America is what Paris is in Europe. Both cities have diverse neighborhoods, beautiful architecture, great shopping, gourmet food, café culture, cultural opportunities as well as fashion conscious and proud inhabitants.

Most of Argentinians have strongly European, including Italian, German and East Europian jewish, origins. Portenos, Buenos Aires inhabitants, like Parisians, are proud, individualistic and stylish but friendlier. Young people follow most recent trends and older people exhibit class and style from old times. Ladies wear fur coats and elaborate hats and men - cashmere coats, silk scarves and sombreros. This pre-war elegance does not exist anywhere else.
Portenos and Parisians are crazy about dogs so there is the same problem of dirty streets. One can see many large dogs around Buenos Aires. It is much easier to afford keeping a large dog in Buenos Aires than in Paris since it is possible to hire a special dog walker. I saw many of them walking ten dogs or so on a leash at the same time! I am not aware of such service in Paris so maybe that is the reason that Parisians tend to have much smaller dogs.

Both French and Argentineans are passionate about soccer so it was interesting to watch the final game of the Latin American Cup between Argentina and Brazil at a local bar. For Argentineans, it was a matter of honor to win so they were cursing and slamming the table when the game was not going as they expected. As a contrast, there was a group of Brazilians sitting quietly and drinking champagne as if they knew an outcome of the game. Unfortunately, I did not get to witness Argentinean victory and see the celebration in the streets. I only saw Argentineans sulking the same way as Parisians were after the final of the World Cup 2006.

Like Paris, the best way to see Buenos Aires is to walk everywhere so this is exactly what I did. It helped to experience the atmosphere of Buenos Aires' diverse neighborhoods. Colonial architecture makes one really feel in Europe. In Palermo Soho, which reminded of Soho in New York, I enjoyed having lunch outside while watching people and explored trendy boutiques. Starting in this neighborhood, avenida Sante Fe was a long street with many shops and crowds of people stumbling out of them. An interesting sight was a huge bookstore El Atheneo (corner of Santa Fe and Callao) which was established in an old movie theater with an artwork ceiling.

Due to a recent economic crisis, shopping in Buenos Aires is "dangerous" since many things, including luxury and designer goods, are much cheaper than in Europe. In one store where I commented that clothes have similar style and quality as the ones in Parisian boutiques, the flattered owner gave me a present. Many tourists buy leather stuff in Buenos Aires, one of the better quality brands being Navarro. A taxi driver took me to a Navarro store even though I said that I have no need for a leather jacket. Apparently, leather jackets, shoes and bags are prepared for the western market so only Argentineans come there to shop. As for souvenirs, I bought mate containers with bombilla, a small metal straw used as a filter, and mate leaves. Traditional mate is a social drink, which tastes like tea and is drunk from the same mate by family/friends anytime throughout the day.

On the way to Recoleta, I tried dulce de leche flavor of the famous Argentinean ice cream El Freddo. Recoleta, an elegant district with aristocratic and luxury houses, is a home to the cemetery where Eva Peron is buried and Plaza Francia which is usually filled with craftsmen, musicians, live statues, etc. The shopping pedestrian Florida avenue with Galeria Pacifico, a shopping center I found interesting because of art pieces on display, led me towards San Telmo neighbourhood. During the weekend, I stayed there at a boutique hotel with an authentic atmosphere, called Lina's Tango House, where people have an opportunity to learn how to dance tango. San Telmo is known for its tango clubs as well as Sunday antiques fair and tango and other street performances around Dorrego Square.




For more prevailing tango atmosphere, it is also worth visiting La Boca neighborhood with its pedestrian street Caminito, the name of which was inspired by a famous tango. The houses on this street are made of metal sheets painted in different bright colors.



Good quality and delicious food is another reason why Buenos Aires reminds of Paris. The most popular meal in Argentina is el asado or parillada, a mixed grill of steak and other cuts. Traditional parillada includes meat, sausages, chinculines (lower intestines), rinones (kidneys) and morcilla (blood sausage) accompanied by chimichurri, a tasty marinade. In Argentina, some cuts of beef and its flavor are quite different from the ones available in Europe or North America.
The best steak I had was at a restaurant in Las Canitas, a gastronomic neighborhood of Buenos Aires. Lomo tenderloin, one of the best and most expensive cuts, was so tender and juicy that it was literally melting in the mouth. Argentinean Malbec wine and parmesan salad accompaniment made the meal even tastier. I was told that Argentineans themselves prefer Bife de Chorizo, which is sirloin and not as tender as Lomo, but supposedly has more flavor.
We also went to La Chacra, a typical parilla restaurant, where we tried a variety of meat cuts, however, the restaurant was more touristic since it was well advertised. Almost every day, I savored delicious empanadas filled with ground meat, olives, boiled egg and spices. What surprised me was that in Buenos Aires people eat quite late, after 10pm, then have drinks and go out to a party or dancing at 3am. No idea how it is possible to function at work next day. Maybe portenos have difficulty in falling asleep after stuffing on beef cuts :)
Also, the nightlife in Buenos Aires is so exciting that it would be a crime to sleep early. During the national day of the traditional tango instrument bandoneon, we were privileged to see the tango show at Torcuato Tasso Cultural Center performed by most renowned Argentine artists, Seleccion Nacional de Tango and musicians who played in Anibal Triolo's orchestra. An emotional atmosphere was created with older generation musicians from the tango orchestra passing their craft to the younger generation and the crowd singing popular songs along. We had an opportunity to hear Suzana Rinaldi sing, who is a world renowned tango singer and a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador.
An interesting observation is that although nowadays tango is so valued, its roots weren't so glamorous. In the end of 19^th century, tango music originated in Buenos Aires' brothels frequented by immigrants made up by sailors, craftsmen and working class from Europe who left their families in search of new opportunities. In the beginning, tango was danced by men only and women were added later. At present, tango revival is taking place in Buenos Aires. Young and old portenos take lessons and dance Argentine tango into wee hours in millongas. I was so inspired that when I came back to Paris I started taking tango lessons, which are offered for free on the banks of the Sienne in summer months. Here is another Paris-Buenos Aires connection. It was Paris and not Buenos Aires that made tango popular among higher classes.
Buenos Aires and Argentina really fascinated me so I was eager to learn more about it when I came back to Paris. I went to see a movie Buenos Aires 1977 about military junta which captured and tortured young people who supposedly were in opposition. I was really shaken because a movie, based on a real story, was mostly about what the prisoners were going through daily, their torture and final escape. Following a prosperity from 1880 to 1945 when Argentina became one of the top 10 richest countries in the world and then the presidency of Juan Peron, who tried to empower the working class, the armed forces seized power from 1976 until 1983. Opposition repression, dissident disappearance, cooperation with the US intelligence and Army, defeat in the Falkland War, growing corruption, increase in foreign debt, conditions imposed by creditors and IMF, brought by this military dictatorship caused disastrous economic problems.
Restored democracy in 1983 did not solve them. Hyperinflation, growing fiscal deficit and government policies that did not work resulted in the culmination of economic crisis, debt default and chaotic climate in 2002. Newly elected president Nestor Kirchner in 2003 took positive restorative steps, including restructuring country's defaulted debt and paying off outstanding IMF debt, which brought Argentina back on track of economic growth and political stability.

2007 NBA Championship

It was very nice to go back to visit friends in Washington, DC, where I had lived for three years before I moved to Paris. One of the special moments was that my friend had tickets to watch the game of Washington Wizzards against Cleveland Cavaliers in Eastern Conference during the 2007 NBA Playoffs and NBA Championship. The Lithuanian Zydrunas Ilgauskas was playing for Cavaliers so I was even more excited. What I did not expect was that we will be sitting right in the front! We were so close to the players that we could almost touch them and actually could be anytime hit by the ball (which happened to some spectators in front rows). Besides an amazing game where Cavaliers won and later went to finals, it was very interesting to observe what was happening during time outs and on players' bench from such a short distance (see photos taken above, including notorious James Lebron).

Amiens Cathedral

On the occasion of St. John's Day, my husband and I went to meet my sister, her boyfriend and two friends in Amiens, a quaint town about one hour by train from Paris. The highlight of Amiens is its cathedral, the tallest and the largest classic Gothic church of the 13th century in France, classified by UNESCO as a world heritage site. Recent research has revealed that its principal facade was originally painted. Using laser projectors, those surprising colors are recreated during a bilingual narrated light and sounds show. During middle ages, the materials to produce colors were brought from foreign lands so the colors were considered valuable since they were not easily available. It was fascinating to learn the symbolism of colors. For example, blue used to have the symbolic meaning of virginity or devotion to St. Mary (see more information in French on the meaning of colors).

Easter in Lithuania

Painting eggs for Easter is a special Lithuanian tradition. The egg is considered a symbol of life and rebirth of nature since pagan times. The tradition of egg dyeing is much older than Christianity and it was believed that painting symbols on eggs has magic power. In Lithuania, there are different ways of dyeing eggs. Many use a thick needle and hot wax to make patterns, including blossoms, snakes, stars, branches of rue, snowflakes, on a cooked egg. Once the egg is colored and wax removed the patterned areas stay white and stand out against the color (see photo below).

Those who have an artistic flair use a small knife to scratch marvelous designs on dyed eggs. My grandfather, an architect and artist, has turned many eggs into art using this technique. Even though I tried to learn a number of times from him, I am too sloppy and impatient to draw detailed and concise patterns on an egg.
My family uses simpler techniques to dye eggs. Dyeing eggs is an even more special experience when the whole family is participating. Since we cannot be together very often, performing this family ritual brought the family closer. We rolled eggs in different colors of a market dye until the egg was covered with bold color patches, looking like Jackson Pollock's painting. In order for eggs to have natural patterns, we wrapped around them leaves and flowers from the garden and onion skins, held in place by mesh and string. They were then released in a pot filled with onion skins to acquire the reddish brown color (see what came out of our eggs at the top). Since old times, most common dye used in Lithuania is onion skins. However, other natural dyes such as red beet, birch and black alder are being substituted by commercial dyes.
Easter breakfast began with my father peeling an Easter egg, cutting it and giving a piece to every member of the family. This was done so that peace and love would always reign within the family and everyone would live in harmony. Another tradition was that each of us took a colored egg and tested whose egg is the strongest by hitting each other's egg. The egg was held in the fist so that only its tip protruded and the other person hit it with the tip of his egg. Following eating mandatory Easter eggs, we feasted on the rest of the dishes, which were very meat based. The reasoning behind meat dishes is to recover from the fasting during Lent. I don't think many Lithuanians fast these days but the tradition is left nevertheless.
This year we did not play an amusing egg rolling game, which my sister and I loved as children. The eggs are rolled from a ramp made from a piece of wood, bark or carton with a downward incline. They aim at eggs of another player located in the circle on the ground. When the rolled egg hits another egg then the lucky player takes both eggs. In the end of the game, the one wins who has the most eggs left (see more on Lithuanian Easter traditions here).

New Apartment in Quarter Latin

Due to circumstances, I was forced to look for a new apartment. Since 15^th arrondissement where I lived previously was not very "happening" it was time to experience another neighborhood of Paris which would be more exciting. The first time I saw the lovely apartment in Quarter Latin with a view of Pantheon I knew that this was it. Now I feel very Parisian living in this ancient bohemian arrondissement which has been home to intellectuals and the University of Paris. A big comfort is that many places such as St Germain, Marais and Bastille are within walking distance.

Fontenbleau Visit

My husband's Valentine's Day present to me was a necklace from Portugal and mine to him – a trip to the Fontenbleau forest 40 minutes away from Paris. He loves nature and outdoor activities so was very happy to escape from the city. Dinner at an expensive restaurant is not his idea of a romantic time together. There was also another occasion to celebrate – the Lithuanian Independence Day on the February 16^th - so we joined a group of Lithuanians hiking in the forest. The day happened to be very warm for February so jackets were not necessary. We followed well-beaten paths across the forest until we reached the rocks which we climbed until we found a nice lookout point. As the dusk was falling, we made fire and prepared a pick-nick. After filling our stomachs and drinking strong Lithuanian liquor we sang various Lithuanian songs, flames reflecting on our faces. Going back in the dark was quite a test. One of the girls forgot her glasses and could see nothing in the dark and if this was not enough - she had blisters on her feet due to uncomfortable shoes. My husband, being used to helping out his teammates in multi-sport races, carried her on his shoulders. One of the guys from the group could not find his bike in the dark so the search was summoned until it was found eventually. Dying from fatigue, we walked to the train station to find out that the train has just left from Avon. Only my husband and I had a place to stay since that was a part of my present. Nevertheless, the Lithuanians are tough and do not get lost in situations like this - after debating hitchhiking the group managed to find a local man who put them up for a night for a good deal.

My husband and I separated from the group to relax at a local house in Avon where we enjoyed wine and cheese in our charming room which I rented by chance online from a lovely French couple. In the sunny morning, hearty breakfast consisting of coffee, fresh bread and croissants with jam awaited us. Our hostess was a good conversionist so it was interesting to find out more about her life and we were in no hurry to leave. My husband thought this escapade was a great present and I had to admit myself that disregarding the fatigue of the day before I was glad we did not have a usual fancy dinner in Paris to celebrate the Valentine's Day...

Original Interpretation of Baltic Folklore

The concert of Nympheales was an unexpectedly pleasant surprise to a large audience gathered at a church in the 16^th arrondisment of Paris. Nympheales is an unusual instrumental trio: harpist (French Cecile), soprano (Colombian Marcela) and mezzo-soprano (Lithuanian Birute). Following the classical baroque singing, more impressive was the second part – original interpretation of the Baltic folklore. Three women dressed in Lithuanian traditional clothes enhanced the audience. Birute's emotional singing of Lithuanian ethnic songs was accompanied by the sounds of "kankles", a traditional Lithuanian instrument, and aristocratic sound of the harp. Marcela enriched the performance by singing in Lithuanian and even playing Columbian drums with one Latvian song. This is a lovely example of a harmonized interplay of cultures…

New Year in the Lithuanian Countryside

I went to Lithuania for winter holidays and was keen on celebrating the New Year in Vilnius by watching a bright spectrum of fireworks. However, New Year festivities in the Lithuanian countryside ended up being much more enjoyable. At first, celebrating in a traditional summer house with no central heating and water but only a well and a fireplace did not seem very tempting. While warming up in sauna, I found out that there are no showers so the only option was to jump into the lake with floating ice. There was no way in the world I was going to do that! Eventually, a notion of being sweaty into the year 2007 won over so I rushed to the freezing lake to wash off. Cooling off after the extreme heat in sauna was really refreshing… As a result, I rushed to icy water even more than once!

Following sauna, we all dressed up in traditional Lithuanian clothes.



Throughout the evening, we feasted, danced, sang, played many games, and exchanged little presents. The game with presents started off with all of us sitting in a circle, pilling up presents in a center and rolling a dice in turn. Once someone rolled out a correct dice combination, he could choose any present from the pile. The game got quite passionate, especially influenced by drinking each time someone won a present. After all presents had owners, it was possible to steal a desired present from anyone, either leaving it to yourself or giving it away. Once everyone had a present, the game was over. On top of all this fun, I still had a chance to admire fireworks. At midnight, we went outside to watch exploding fireworks we brought and drink champagne.

Bollywood Show in Paris

Bollywood style show Bharati is very successful in Paris even though Parisians are spoiled with high-class entertainment. This music, dance and traditional extravaganza about India is one of typical love stories, which India is famous for depicting in movies. Nevertheless, what makes it especially entertaining is that hundreds of experienced performers and changing amazing stage decorations and colorful costumes illustrate India's rich diversity and customs. The show had so much energy that it permeated the audience and in the end of the show spectators did not need much persuasion to start moving, contrary to an observation that Parisians are not very much into dancing…

Gourmet food in Paris

One of my friends is giving me a tour of gastronomic Paris. It is her passion to discover best restaurants and write about them in a blog "Luxeat" where she reviews unique experiences in various eating establishments. She introduced me to Laduree, a historical French dessert bakery since 1862, where I fell in love with macarons, light meringue cookies that melt in the mouth. Macarons appeared in Europe in Middle Ages and were even offered to Louis IV for his marriage (see history). Recent movie "Marie Antoinette" by Sophia Coppola showed piles of macarons devoured during wild festivities in Versaille. The best macarons, simply divine, are created by the renowned chef Pierre Herme. His deserts are like pieces of art. In an innovative way, he merges unusual flavors, such as white truffle with hazel nut and olives with vanilla, and decorates macarons with gold, silver, chocolate dust, etc. He constantly invents new flavors and advertises them in catalogs, which a customer receives in all his stores. However, Pierre Herme's desserts are a luxury for many people since they are quite expensive.

One weekend, in Les Clos de Gourmets, my food loving friend and I enjoyed a modern bourgeois brunch prepared by a chef who worked with known French chefs (see review). On the occasion of my Birthday, we went to Chez l’Ami Jean where we enjoyed a sophisticated and modern dinner in a Basque style bistro (see review). Another expedition with my friend was to get a taste of sunny Italy at the Caffe Minnoti with a luxury atmosphere (see review). Probably one of the best dinner experiences in Paris was dining at the Violin d'Ingres, a high-end restaurant with lower prices (see review).

My Egyptian Experience

While attending the High Level Group Meeting on Education for All in Cairo, I caught a glimpse of the ancient culture but will definitely have to come back to have a deeper experience. The main highlights in Cairo were: the traditional dinner in the colorful market of Khan-Khalili, Nile dinner cruise with a belly dancer and excursion to Giza pyramids. The masses of tourists everywhere were ruining the experience but then of course this was expected.

After the meetings were over, I traveled from Cairo on a bus to join my husband at the resort El-Gouna by the Red Sea. By mistake, instead of getting on a tourist bus I managed to get on a local bus! Thus, I really stood out being foreign and blond as well as one of the few women on a bus. Later on, I heard that only few years ago no foreigners were allowed on local buses since it was not safe. I did not know any of this then so was quite shocked when at different check points throughout the trip armed men came into the bus and started checking the luggage and identity cards of the people on the bus. I was glad when a man seated by me explained that as a foreigner I am immune to any check-ups and therefore am not obliged to show my ID. The search was supposed to identify any explosives and ensure the safety of the passengers. He told me many interesting things about his country and his life. He finished university education but due to a shortage of jobs in his field, instead of becoming a teacher he had to become a fisherman working far in the south near Sudan's border. Nevertheless, since his family lives in Cairo he often has to travel a long way with many connections on a bus. There were times that for unexplained reason he along with other Egyptian men was checked in the street in Cairo and even taken to prison.
When we arrived to Hurgada, he helped me to get on another bus to El-Gouna since taxis were too expensive. However, once the bus became empty, suddenly the bus stopped and the conductor declared that the last stop is in Hurgada and if I want to go to El-Gouna I have to pay a special price. Since the asked price was higher than for a taxi and I knew that a fare for a local bus is much lower, I argued that I have to pay less. After some haggling I was afraid that the driver would take me god knows where so I agreed to pay the price. On the way, suddenly some men stopped the bus and gave money to the conductor. I was supposed to be the only one on the bus so got really scared and started asking who these men where. The conductor said that they were his friends. Then why were they paying him? Just in case, I was pretending to call my husband and stressing that he is waiting for me in El-Gouna. When we arrived to El-Gouna and the driver was taking me to the hotel, the men on the bus started shouting at the driver. Then the truth started dawning on me…. This was a bus for El-Gouna hospitality workers living in surrounding areas and they were late for work because the usual route was changed. Before going to Egypt, I promised myself that no one will be able to cheat me but unfortunately it didn't work….
After my crazy experience on the bus, El-Gouna seemed like a paradise with colorful Arabic style buildings and little bridges over numerous lagoons. However, after a few days we started missing authentic Egyptian experience. The resort is mostly full of English and German tourists, who come there for sun-bathing, snorkeling and diving. The only Egyptians are the ones working in the hotels and shops. Available entertainment is adjusted for tourist taste. Dressed in traditional clothes we had barbeque on the beach while watching African dances and, at the "oazis," a traditional beduin village in the desert, dined while watching belly-dancing and other local dances, smoked shisha and drank sweet tea and coffee cooked over the fire.

The most memorable sight was witnessing a traditional dance tannoura on a few occasions (photo above). In Cairo, the performer whirled non-stop in a circle while putting a sword on his head, making various arrangements using colorful drums. The skirts the man was wearing became full displaying the richness of colors. In the end, the top of the skirt is taken off and whirled by the hand. The explanation of the dance is that moving in circles, the dancer alleviating his wordily burdens and reaching ecstasy in a symbolical attempt to approach heaven. In El-Gouna, this dance was amazingly performed by a little boy, a growing star. The gorgeous belly-dancer who performed on the same occasion was also unbelievable – her costumes were exquisite and her moving belly seemed to make music sounds.

Opera Garnier

Attending a performance at the Opera Garnier is a beautiful experience. The building inside and out is a piece of art. While watching ballet from a balcony covered in red and gold, one gets easily carried into the past. Having a glass of real champagne over the break makes the whole experience even more complete. Just do not watch any performances from the very top rows since the seats there are made for torture. One will be crammed to the neighbors and his knees will be pressed hard into the back of the person in front. There is no way one can enjoy music and sights in such a position.

100th Anniversary of Shostakovich

Moscow Symphony Orchestra's concert at UNESCO to mark the 100^th Anniversary of Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975) was a rare treat. It was not well advertised and the audience came with invitations so as a result the sale was half empty. A pity since some Frenchmen would have paid a tidy sum to be able to listen to this homage to the renowned composer performed by the world class orchestra.

The concert exceeded our expectations as modernist, sharp contrast and grotesque elements were heard in the music. The musicians played with immense energy and encore even five times! Unfortunately, this creative work of Shostakovich was not appreciated and even punished during the Soviet times as it did not conform to the standards expected during those times. The Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians describes external influences on Shostakovich's music as the following: "Amid the conflicting pressures of official requirements, the mass suffering of his fellow countrymen, and his personal ideals of humanitarian and public service, he succeeded in forging a musical language of colossal emotional power.

Villages around Nice

Since there is a short and inexpensive flight from Paris to Nice, we decided to take an advantage of this one weekend. A lot of tourists spend all their holidays in Nice but I do not see where the attraction lies. Nice seems to be just a big city with a lot of traffic and conveyer food in uniform restaurants for many middle-class tourists outside of France. In order to have a more authentic experience in the south of France, we went 15km from the airport of Nice to stay in a villa owned by a French family, with a view of Gattieres, a beautiful village, on a hill. It was like a dream come true waking up in a sunny room and having coffee with a croissant on a terrace while enjoying a marvelous view.

The villa was a convenient location to visit many places around. St. Paul de Vence with sweeping vistas of both the mountains and the sea was quite a sight to behold. The town is filled with various art galleries if one is looking to buy interesting art. Close by, Vence is another slightly larger town where one can find many nice restaurants hidden in courtyards.


I am glad I got to see Monaco but I would not go there again because it seemed kind of commercial and boring with not much to see. If you are a millionaire and can party on one of the huge boats in the harbor then you would probably have a much better time. Eze, a medieval fortress village between Nice and Monaco, had a much nicer atmosphere. Walking along narrow cobblestone road up the hill draws you into the past. Petite cafes with a striking view on the way invite you to have a drink. The most amazing view is from the exotic botanical garden on the top of the cliff. At an altitude of 400 m, the summit of the cliff overlooks the sea. And you never know what kind of event you might catch at the village. Standing on the top of the cliff allowed us to have a nice view of a wedding party leaving the church below. Also from the village it is possible to take a path of Friedrich-Nietzsche who lived there for some time.

Loire Valley

A perfect weekend trip from Paris is to rent a car and visit famous Chartres cathedral and Loire Valley, both of which are UNESCO heritage sites. An original way to escape crowds of tourists was to stay in roulottes, old style travel wagons with modern equipment, located by the stream in a tranquil countryside, conveniently close to Loire castles.

A weekend is too short to visit all the castles in Loire Valley but we managed to see five most interesting ones: Blois, Amboise, Chenonceau, Chambord, and Cheverny. I thought that the most magnificent were chateaux of Chambord and Chenonceau. Chambord, a retreat for French kings, especially Louis XIV, has a unique architectural design with numerous fairy-tale towers and expansive hunting grounds.

Chenonceau's beauty lies in that it was built across the river with a reflection in water. An interesting fact is that the King Henry II of France gave the castle to his beloved mistress Diane de Poitiers but after his death his wife Catherine de Médici banished Diane from Chenonceau and made many changes to the caste. However, she left lovely Diane's garden unchanged and established her own garden across from it.

Madonna Confessions Tour

I paid double price for tickets to Madonna's concert in Paris but I do not regret it. It was the most amazing show I have seen! I have seen her performing on an American Life Tour in Washington, DC but her Confessions Tour was way better. No other performer puts up such a show. Everyone held their breath and hearts started beating faster when we saw a disco ball falling into the center of the crowd and Madonna emerged in a riding costume with horses galloping in the background.

As a dominotreaux, she splashed a wip at the dancers dressed in leather and then turned over in a saddle on the side of the stage. Her shocking appearance on a rising cross and the images of children around the world implied that without help these children will die. Touching messages said: "I was hungry and you gave me food, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me." Next, she went for a political implication by joining hands of two men with Palestinian and Israeli symbols depicted on their chests. Another message came about when a Muslim man started traditional singing and a woman dressed in burka struggled to get out of a cage. When she managed - a long dark haired beauty in gold decorated clothes appeared. More images of political and military leaders appeared with a message DON'T TALK. The rest of her repertoire was songs from her old albums and dance songs from the newest album, each of them accompanied by a different show theme.

The popular high-energy song "Time goes by" finished the spectacular show with words appearing on the screen "Have you confessed?

Many people do not like Madonna for her shocking ways. However, now different from before her religious, political and poverty messages bring the shock value that might do some good. Celebrities can reach their fans much better than anyone else and it is proven that celebrity advocacy is sometimes more effective in the fight against poverty than usual methods. Famous actors, singers, sportsmen and other celebrities have been effectively promoting good causes around the world and for example influencing their fans to protect themselves from HIV/AIDS. Therefore, I would not put past it that political and poverty messages at the concert reached some of the audience. In an unusual way, Madonna seems to be raising awareness about political issues and encouraging thinking about eliminating poverty, bridging cultural differences, and seizing fighting around the world.

Jazz in Parc Floral and Paris Plage

When Paris becomes deserted in August, excepted for tourists, listening to free jazz concerts in Parc Floral in Bois de Vincennes and relaxing at Paris Plage are good ways to spend a Sunday afternoon. While listening to music, you can enjoy a picnic surrounded by exotic flowers in Parc Floral.

Paris Plage is a strange idea of the Municipality of Paris for the people that cannot escape Paris to go to the beach in the heat of the summer. People sunbathe on the white sand brought and spilled by the Sienne. If one does not like sunbathing then there is a possibility to have a cool drink at the set-up outdoor café right on the bank of Sienne, observe a Hawaiian dance performance or listen to one of the concerts.

The World Cup 2006

Watching the World Cup on TV in a bar in Paris was something that I have not experienced before. Since a national game in Lithuania is basketball, this is the only sport that I have been sometimes following. However, in Paris I was drawn into cheering during many games by supporting teams of my international friends. At first, the game seemed boring to me since I have been used to constant scoring in basketball but in the end I got into the spirit of soccer, especially enjoying the times when the French team scored and there were rowdy festivities in the streets.

The night of the final we watched the game with French friends so when Zidane was sent off in extra time for "head butt" and the French team lost I could not help but be disappointed like many French people. Instead of predicted celebration with crowds of French fans acting crazy in closed Champ de Elisees, there were only scattered fans walking with heads and flags down. It was possible to catch a glimpse of Italians with raised flags screaming from cars speeding by but they were too scared to celebrate openly.

Versaille Show

A pleasant escape from Paris in July is to go to Versaille to see Les Grand Eaux Nocturnes, baroque evening entertainment to evoke the splendor of Versailles during the reign of the Sun-King. As one walks through gardens one enjoys theater, concerts, ballet and admires playing fountains bathed in light, all set in groves adorned with marble, bronze and gold. The festivities are concluded with fireworks reflected in the Grand Canal.

It is possible to get an impression how the atmosphere of opulence was at the royal court of Versailles, nevertheless there is no single place where you can escape crowds of people which seem to be everywhere. So if you think of a romantic kiss somewhere by the playing fountain, there is no hope for that. In the end of the night, you feel exhausted and have to run fast to escape the crowds in order to catch a train back to Paris.

Bastille Day Fireworks

We went to Champs de Mars two hours before fireworks were about to start to reserve a place and have a picnic. Already at that time, the whole area was so crowded that we had trouble finding space. Since the grass area was occupied we sat on one of the paths crisscrossing Champs de Mars and leant against the fence. However, as we were having a lovely picnic with cheese and wine people started stepping on us and while the time for fireworks drew nearer it even got worse. Some people came last minute and stood right in front of us blocking the view of hundreds of spectators behind us. I could not believe it when some sophisticated French ladies stood almost on top of us and saw nothing wrong in that. Is not France supposed to be a country of manners? People from behind started throwing food remnants at them… I don't support such savage activities but in this case I justified them. Some people have been waiting for half a day and here are some trespassers who came last minute and completely blocked the view! Nevertheless, it was worth waiting because we saw the most amazing firework show! Fireworks shot from the bottom of Eiffel Tour accompanied by Mozart music…. I was glad I waited but it was not possible to completely relax after the "war" of flying rotten fruit that just took place.

Coming back home was a challenge with thousands of people in the streets and traffic jams. Forget about driving… It is lucky for me that I live 15 minutes away from the Eiffel Tour. It was worth seeing the Bastille Day fireworks once in a lifetime but I would not go again since people's stepping on you made the whole experience emotionally draining. No wonder true Parisians leave the city or stay far away from the Eiffel Tour on the July 14th in order to escape the rowdy crowds.

“Overrated” Mona Lisa

The first Sunday of the month is free to get in Louvre so I used an opportunity to see celebrated Mona Lisa for the first time. Waiting in a long line while strong sun was shining on us and struggling among other tourists to see Mona Lisa was not exactly a pleasant experience. It is difficult to understand why this small picture with a bad looking woman became so famous that some people even committed suicides over it! From a close up the picture does not look impressive. I started to feel that maybe I don't understand anything about art since I was getting this kind of impression on the art object that most of the world worships. After doing some research on internet, I found out that I am not the only one who thinks that Mona Lisa is overrated and there is even analysis done on how its reputation is blown out from proportion (Overrated Mona Lisa).

What was surprising to me was that there were many other beautiful and amazing pictures by famous artists right besides Mona Lisa which nobody even looked at. It was actually great not to be bothered and observe this art without being bothered. In other museums, people would fight to see these masterpieces but in Louvre there are so many valued pieces that they are left alone for one to enjoy.

Picnics in Paris

Back in Paris, I enjoyed quite a few picnics by the Eiffel Tour. Waiting for Eiffel Tour lights to come up is quite a special way to spend a romantic evening with someone special or have a nice time with friends. You can see birthday parties, bachelor parties and even weddings around you. Here is a wedding party and a Bachelor party right besides each other in this photo….

One can find amazing picture exhibitions not only in numerous museums but even on bridges in Paris. By chance, we walked on this exhibition on le Pont des Arts of oil treated photo images taken around the world by Francis Gazeau. Many people were having picnics, playing music or just simply resting right there on the bridge.

Besides Eiffel Tour and le Pont des Arts, another place to have a picnic is by the river Sienne. One evening we were having wine with my international friends on the banks of the river, while enjoying a beautiful view of Notre Dame on the other side (my friends from Portugal, Lebanon, Paraguay and me are in the photo).

Lithuanian Wedding

I flew back to Lithuania to get married to my Lithuanian fiancé I met three years ago in Washington, DC. The unusual way we met…. At that time I was working at the Lithuanian Embassy and was asked to represent Lithuania at a Cherry Blossom Festival. My role as a cherry blossom princess was to participate in week-long social and cultural events with other cherry blossom princesses: young talented ladies from different US states, chosen by the National Conferences of State Societies, and representatives of foreign countries selected by diplomatic missions. The highlights of the Cherry Blossom Program included being escorted everywhere by police, meeting Laura Bush at the White House, attending a reception with congressmen at the Capitol, participating in a Parade and attending a Grand Ball. The latter was a reason of why I met my husband...

Most of the princesses were escorted by young men from the Naval Academy of Annapolis to the Ball. Therefore, it was arranged by my Embassy that my escort would be a Lithuanian former cadet, who graduated from this Academy. He fulfilled his “mission” properly and looking dashing in the Lithuanian Navy uniform escorted me dressed up in a white dress and long gloves to the Ball. The white dress predicted of what was yet meant to come…

We held a traditional wedding celebration with international guests. I wore a Vera Wang designer dress of my dreams, which I unexpectedly bought for a fraction of an original price at the famous annual Bridal Gown Sale at the Filene‘s Basement ironically nicknamed "Running of the brides." Our bridesmaids and groomsmen from the US, England, New Zealand, Spain and Republic of Georgia were pleasantly surprised by our celebration full of Lithuanian customs remaining from old times.

The traditional Lithuanian marriage ceremony features the so called matchmakers, who organize the rituals and overall structure of the wedding. In the past, sometimes the father of a prospective groom used to hire the services of a matchmaker to find a suitable wife for his son. At our wedding, the “matchmakers” were my eloquent aunt and uncle, who did an amazing job in organizing everything with many unexpected surprises.

The ceremony began in the morning when the groom and his attendants arrived at the bride’s home (in my case it was my aunt’s house since my parents live 215 km away). The wreath of rue, representing chastity, youth and carefree young days, was attached to my veil. Before leaving for church, my parents blessed me and my husband to be and I said good-bye to my assembled family and home.

After the church, the bridal party went in horse drawn carriages to the park and the Baltic Sea to take pictures. The bridesmaids loved the Lithuanian tradition that the groomsen had to carry them over the bridge taking example from a groom carrying the bride.

When the wedding party arrived at the reception location, we discovered that the entrance was blocked. The matchmaker and groomsmen had to ransom the way by handing out candy or bottles of “refreshments”. In addition, the bride and groom had to pass various tests organized by the guests to verify that they were well-prepared for married life.

Then we were met by all four parents, on a plate holding a slice of bread, a pinch of salt and a glass of water decorated with rue, symbols of joy, tears, and work, the three elements of a life together. The parents welcomed the newlyweds, who broke off a morsel of bread, dipped it in salt, ate it and then took a sip of water.

As soon as the wedding party arrived at their table another surprise awaited them – a fake wedding party (a man dressed as a bride and a woman dressed as a groom) has occupied their seats. Now the table had to be ransomed. The matchmakers explained that this as their table, while the pretenders argued that they were here first, were comfortably seated and would stay throughout the reception. After a while of innovative haggling, the fake wedding party gave way to the real bride and groom and after the wedding party took their places, the reception started.

The festivities were conducted by matchmakers, who entertained, invited everyone to eat and drink, especially to the health of newlyweds. Throughout the wedding feast, special ceremonies and toasts accompanied by matching songs were sung. During the meal someplace, the guests started singing a popular wedding song about bitter whiskey but if the newlyweds would kiss, it would turn sweeter so we had to kiss a number of times and the guests were asked for assistance to show us the right way.

Another custom was that our parents presented us the symbolic hearth representing the fire from their home to start the fire in the new home of the bride and groom.

Midway through the reception, the time arrived to remove my wreath, symbolizing the bride’s disposal of the symbol of her youth in favor of the wedding band.

Afterwards, modern customs followed: the dance of the bride and groom, fireworks display, cutting of the cake, and dancing into wee hours of the morning after the bride and groom were wished a good night.

Next morning, the bride and groom along with the wedding party were woken up by matchmakers and musicians. Matchmakers gave guests to try the cheese that we supposedly "pressed" throughout the night (since cheese is pressed from curd it had to be a proof that newlyweds had an good night together).

At some point during the second day the bride was stolen and the groom, matchmaker and groomsmen had to find the bride.

More entertainment for the guests was the show of the matchmaker’s trial. The matchmaker was sentenced because he was accused of lying to the bride about the groom. The whole trial was entertaining and included declaring funny accusations and reading the absurd will of the matchmaker. The bridesmaids were supposed to cry and plead since they would never get married. The culmination of the whole show was that the bride saved the matchmaker since she loved the groom and did not care that he did not own any riches the matchmaker had lied about.

We even celebrated a third day of our wedding, which was already going beyond Lithuanian wedding traditions. We wanted to spend more time with our friends who came from far away. Thus, we went to a Lithuanian traditional village location where we enjoyed sauna, swam in a pond, played games and slept in log houses.

Beginning of the New Life in Paris

Having grown up in Lithuania, studied and worked for nine years in Kentucky, Ohio and Washington, DC, as well as traveled to a number of other places around the World, I became quite worldly exposed. A move to Paris to work at UNESCO provided me with another opportunity to enjoy international environment and life to the fullest or like French say – profiter de la vie. Many days present unexpected enjoyable experiences and you never know what yet undiscovered lovely sight you could find around the corner. It has been a privilege getting a chocolate croissant from a boulangarie every morning, tasting a variety of French cheeses, pates and fois gras regularly, sipping coffee in outdoor cafes, feasting on gourmet meals in sophisticated restaurants, and attending world class performances and famous exhibitions. Paris as a crossroads city is a convenient location to get to other places in Europe. The greatest advantage is that it takes less than a three hour flight to my home country Lithuania. The shortness of a flight and amazing deals on a cheap airline Flylal seem too good to be true after exhausting and expensive flights from the US.

Here is an account of my very first taste of Parisian life when I have just arrived to this beautiful city with more stories to follow. It was not the best idea to rent an apartment in Paris through e-mail communication and without actually seeing it, especially after hearing some crazy stories about locating an apartment in Paris. However, since I received an apartment ad through my future work place, I decided to take a risk. It turned out to be a wise choice probably due to pure luck. My rental apartment furnished and decorated in Provance style with a view to a courtyard garden turned out to be more than I could wish for. I was in love with Provance influenced by a vivid description of the region in Peter Mayle's books.


On the first evening in Paris, I already had friends visiting from London and Luxembourg so we went to Hotel Costes, recommended to us as the best bar in Paris, whose ambience made me even more hyped about living in the city. It had a marvelous design, trendy people but drinks were pricy as expected for such a chic place (see World's Best Bars for a description of a bar).