Tiff and Cam Present the return of The official B*tches of Eastwick Thread- Page 446

[Ellie3]

Posted: 5/26/05 at 5:15pm

Yeah, I want to hear a full report, Tiff! Is it really like 'Oz'?

[Type_A_Tiff]

Posted: 5/26/05 at 5:15pm

Kissy!! You've got a HOT thread?? Aie, I simply have to get caught up on here! Babe, you know you're sizzling.

Addy, it was all so completely amazing. The food...the FOOD! *eyes roll to back of head* Oh my goodness, I literally gained 8 lbs. while I was there. I started to feel it by my second week. Those Italians and French know how to eat! And Paris was so divine-I got to see the Eiffel twinkling in the evening. And the men! And the shopping! *swoon*


Oh, and the cultural and historical sites were nice too.

Have you been to Europe before? I think I remember you posting on my thread about what I should see!

[kissmycookie]

Posted: 5/26/05 at 5:17pm

I've been to London, Paris, and Barcelona, and miss the food most of all from the last two... And shopping in all three...

[Type_A_Tiff]

Posted: 5/26/05 at 5:20pm

I didn't go to Barcelona but I went to London and Paris. London...not exactly a gastronomical orgasm, but I wasn't expecting much. The shopping was phenomenal...I only wish I had more time! I only had 2 hours for Portobello market, and FIFTEEN MINUTES for Harrod's!

Parisian food is just...I'm literally salivating just thinking about it! I had duck, seafood and beef/veal every night. Just divine. And what surprised me is how friendly the French were!

[NYadgal]

Posted: 5/26/05 at 5:21pm

Ellie, I never get 'hi's' from Cookie, either... I have borrowed K's invisibility cloak for a while.

Tiff, it's ALL about the food! (well, not ALL, but a big part!) I hope you took lots of pictures. Yes, I've been to Europe. I spent a year in London during college and I lived in Paris for a while. Many other trips, as well. I've been lucky. I'll be in Italy in September - Amalfi coast and Rome.

SO glad you had a wonderful time!

[Type_A_Tiff]

Posted: 5/26/05 at 5:23pm

Oh! And worth noting...the day after I came online here, when I was in Venice, en route to Rome, we were at an autostop. And for the last few months, my friends and I joked that I would come home with an Italian soccer player husband. And I'm going, "That's just silly. It's merely a stereotype."

That afternoon, a bus at the autostop accidentally clipped our mirror. Guess what that bus was carrying...

[Ellie3]

Posted: 5/26/05 at 5:23pm

Were you mistaken for an American often? Did you attempt to speak French?

Fifteen minutes in Harrod's??

[NYadgal]

Posted: 5/26/05 at 5:24pm

Did any one of the destinations stand out above the others? A particular favorite?

[Ellie3]

Posted: 5/26/05 at 5:28pm

I see, Addy - I think Cookie mustn't say hi to those he loves most. Which explains Tiff's two...

Oh, and when are you going to Ireland, CQ?

[Type_A_Tiff]

Posted: 5/26/05 at 5:29pm

Addy, you lived in Paris? I'm so envious! What arrondissement were you in? I stayed in La Defense and Montparnasse...the former was too out of the way, but Montparnasse was pretty decent. Lucky you for going to Italy! I was there for 6 days, and it wasn't nearly enough! What's the occasion?

SmEllie, I was never mistaken for an American. (A blessing and a curse, before I open my mouth, I just seem like another Asian tourist - blessing because some salespeople would treat me nicer because they think I'll be a big spender; curse because others would assume I don't speak English/French and not even greet me, even after we made eye contact.)

I did attempt to speak French - but more fluently at the restaurants than elsewhere. I think they found it endearing. I got hit on by French-speakers in Monte Carlo and Lausanne, Switzerland! Fantastic!

[NYadgal]

Posted: 5/26/05 at 5:30pm

So... did you come home with a soccer player, Tiff?? Or at least play with one for a while?

Ellie, any travels for you?!

[kissmycookie]

Posted: 5/26/05 at 5:32pm

15 mins in Harrods? That's is a crime. The food halls alone take more than 15 mins. I hope you had chocolate while in Paris, Tiff. And attempting the language is always endearing...

HI ADDY AND ELLIE!

[Type_A_Tiff]

Posted: 5/26/05 at 5:32pm

Hmm...in terms of destinations that stood out...definitely London, Paris, Venice and Innsbruck, Austria. And there were several places in Normandy/Loire Valley that I loved. Chenoceau and Chambord were absolutely magnificent. Those chateaux...words can't describe them. It's literally right out of a Disney movie. I took hundreds of photos but I don't think any of them did the architecture and atmosphere justice. I was most looking forward to Italy, but I have to admit I was a bit disappointed by Rome. While the ruins were expectedly fantastic, I found the people to be rude and the area to be so commercialized at the expense of actually getting a feel for Italian culture.

[kissmycookie]

Posted: 5/26/05 at 5:35pm

Did you get to imbibe some of the wines in the Loire? Great wines there....

[Ellie3]

Posted: 5/26/05 at 5:36pm

I'm actually going to Europe in September too, Addy! My sister is making all the plans, though. Lisbon, Barcelona and Paris are definitely on the cards. But no London!!!

How did you find the Euro, Tiff? And you must post some pictures!!

[Type_A_Tiff]

Posted: 5/26/05 at 5:37pm

Addy, unfortunately, the closest I got to the soccer players is when I walked underneath one of their members. (Literally. One of them was perched over the bus's doorway to fix the mirror they clipped, and I had to scoot underneath to get out.) And we tried to chat it up a bit, but their lack of English and my lack of Italian made the flirting a bit limited. I got one stealthy photo though - I couldn't take more than that without coming off like a peeping Tom!

Cookie, you're exactly right. The only time I had was in the food hall. And not even the entire food hall. I spent my entire time in the chocolate/dessert area. Not too shabby, but GBP8 for two slabs of fudge were a bit excessive. I did have chocolate in Paris though! And Brussels, of course. Were you the one who recommended the Madeleine's to me? I ate at some fantastic restaurants in Paris...I didn't know I could enjoy duck so much!

[Type_A_Tiff]

Posted: 5/26/05 at 5:39pm

Ellie, so is September a sure thing? How exciting! Your parents are funding it?

The Euro was expensive! Even the Swiss Franc was expensive! The traveller's cheques didn't turn out to be a major problem, but I think my credit card will give me a really unfavorable exchange rate, so I'm cringing. And did I tell you about the two gorgeous leather jackets I got in Florence?

Oh! And I saw Brooke Shields in Chicago in London. I'm in the process of constructing my review. I was underwhelmed, unfortunately.

[kissmycookie]

Posted: 5/26/05 at 5:42pm

Duck when cooked really well, is great, though I know you're used to roast duck Chinese style, Tiffy... Magret de canard ou confit de canard est manifique.....

[kissmycookie]

Posted: 5/26/05 at 5:42pm

damn double post
Updated On: 5/26/05 at 05:42 PM

[Type_A_Tiff]

Posted: 5/26/05 at 5:45pm

Mm-hmm, je sais! I mostly had magret de canard, but on my last couple of nights, I had the confit. I preferred breast more than confit though, just because there seemed to be more creativity in how it can be prepared. In Nice, I had magret de canard with this maple and nut sauce, and I swear my eyes rolled to the back of my head. I've grown to enjoy fois gras more as well, if served with the right jelly and bread. And I did stock up on my Loire wines! I got a bottle of sparkling Gratien-Meyer from Samur, and of course a Normandy Calvados. That hit my 1.5L limit. I'm on a hunt for a decent kir here though!


I didn't try any creme brulee though. My trip doesn't seem complete without it, but at the time, it just seemed like such a pedestrian dessert compared to everything else, you know? I had this fantastic tartin de pomme at Bertillon though. I think it's become my favorite dessert.

Updated On: 5/26/05 at 05:45 PM

[Ellie3]

Posted: 5/26/05 at 5:46pm

Yup, September's a sure thing!

Pity about Brooke - I saw her in Wonderful Town and thought she was great! (But don't tell anyone...)

Two leather jackets?? Beef/veal every night?? Think of the poor cows!

[Type_A_Tiff]

Posted: 5/26/05 at 5:50pm

After the amount I ate, I have a feeling it took two cows per jacket.

I actually spent 4 hours yesterday cooking a 4 course Italian meal for the family. I make pesto penne, spaghetti carbonara, veal pizziaola (sp?) and tiramisu. This weekend is going to be "French night" and I'm on the prowl for the perfect French onion soup recipe. Any advice? I'm also looking for a decent French dessert - I don't just want to serve sorbet, but millefeuilles seem too complicated. Canoli?

[kissmycookie]

Posted: 5/26/05 at 5:51pm

oh, Addy knows that you will never sneer at creme brulee and think it pedestrian should you get to NY... :)

J'aime foie gras!

[Type_A_Tiff]

Posted: 5/26/05 at 5:51pm

SmEllie darling, if I can ascertain that you AREN'T a raging psycho (well, I suppose you CAN be as long as you're dependable!), I may need to give you some cash and a list of things to pick up for me in September for when I see you in October!

[kissmycookie]

Posted: 5/26/05 at 5:53pm

berry tart? or berries with creme fraiche with honey?