angelina's

So the other day husband and I were reminiscing about how, when I first moved to Paris, we would book a hotel almost every weekend so we could discover the city together.  Since then Paris has faded into the background, overshadowed by the normal routines of daily life and reduced to the "quartiers" most convenient to us.  Paris had become familiar.  Exploration stopped and preference given to other destinations.

So when I found myself unexpectedly off for two weeks I decided to use this time to rediscover Paris.  To do the things I had always wanted to do but for one reason or another never got to, like Angelina's famous hot chocolate. The best in Paris they say.

Angelina's.  Every time I was in the area the line was out the door and I couldn't justify waiting for more than 15 minutes for a cup of hot chocolate.  But I always remained curious as obviously the majority of people felt differently.  So when I woke up today on the last day of summer to autumn's chilly welcome I thought it ideal to go to Angelina's.

But first lunch.  I had a craving for dim sum and the only decent dim sum I know of in Paris is on one of my favorite streets in Paris.  Rue Saint-Denis.  I was introduced to this street when husband took me to a restaurant called "Chez Mimi's" for New Year's eve one year not knowing how much attention he was going to get as it turned out to be run by transsexuals.  The street is a bizarre mix of clothing boutiques, restaurants (mostly Asian) and sex shops.  It's notorious for prostitution even in broad daylight.

Unfortunately when I got there the dim sum restaurant was closed for renovation so I tried my luck at the Hong Kong noodle place next door even though it was almost empty (I don't trust empty restaurants).  I was reassured by the flux of customers that came in after me most of them speaking Chinese to the waiters who could hardly speak French.  I was further assured as I ate my noodles among slurping sounds (a sure sign of an authentic Asian restaurant).

Next I headed to Angelina's and was delighted to see that the line was only halfway out the door.  Ten minutes later I was shown to my table with it's crisp white table cloth, made myself comfortable in the Louis XVI dining chair, and ordered the 8 euro "L'Africaine".

It was actually quite good.  Smooth and creamy but not too thick (unlike the chocolate syrup that is the Ladurée's hot chocolate) topped nicely with the side of Chantilly creme.

I ended the afternoon digesting the copious chocolate while lounging in the Jardin de Tuileries warmed by the sun to my right while simultaneously being cooled by the fresh autumn breeze to my left.

Paris, je (re)t'aime.  

greece sunsets

st malo + guernsey

maroc

saint petersburg

Nature's artwork

So the idea to go and see the northern lights struck me as my physical body sat in front of the computer in the office, mind and soul still in the islandic north from summer holidays.  After much research the result was clear:  The lights are elusive and in remote areas that are hard to get to. Do not go just to see them or risk major disappointment.  If you do however decide to do this, spend at least two weeks.

We had one night and paid 150 euros for the two of us so they could suite us up in protective cold gear and drive us on ice covered roads one hour west and near the Swedish border.  Afterwards we were told to march up a hill and then look north for the next 3 hours.

Yes this is what hunting for the norther lights is like.  It's sitting outside in the freezing cold staring into the darkness waiting for something to happen.  Most of the time nothing does even though you've paid because this is mother nature and not Justin Timberlake.

So there we sat on our tree stumps staring north in the middle of nowhere, snow glowing white against the slender birch tree under a cloudless black sky punctured by millions of bright stars.  It was so calm and quiet I could hear the breeze.  One of those rare moments were you sense truly in the presence of nature.

After about an hour and some false sightings (Wait, I think I see something?  What?  That!  You mean the cloud? Oh is it, it's a bit green no? No. Oh.) husband decided to take a break and roast us some sausages on the campfire set up in the tipi nearby.  I stubbornly continued to stare into the darkness.

And then it happened.  A slow greenish fog begin to appear, so slow and so gradual I wondered to myself if I was actually seeing it.  I closed my eyes tight and re-opened them to make sure and sure enough, the green was darker now and more pronounced slowly engulfing itself amongst the birch trees, it's erie light enhanced by it's reflection in the snow.

Slowly it grew and retracted and ended in a mono-colored nuclear green rainbow streaked against the pitch dark sky.

I sat enjoying the show while welcoming the warmth of the sausages and hot chocolate apon husband's return.   I felt truly lucky.   

aorura borelais (rovaneimi march 8th 2014)