PINAY FRANCOPHILE

    

(Cross posted in Pinaynewyorker.com)

No, that is not a typo up there — I meant to say “buzz” not “fuss”. 

People who are not familiar with the Pinay New Yorker’s being a Pinay Francophile as well will probably get lost in the thread of this conversation, but if you ever get the chance to sample Macarrons (NOT Coconut macaroons) — it is well worth the expense.  They are pricey not because they’re French but because making them takes some expertise and a whole lot of love.  (Believe me, I’ve tried, and they are not as easy as making your regular choco chip cookies.)

I got my Laduree fix when Alan brought home a box over the weekend (which are all gone by now of course) — the macarrons don’t keep long and are best eaten fresh for two reasons: the texture of the cookie is best when it is fresh and your teeth will literally sink into it when you take a bite.  Secondly, the filling is usually buttercream (unless it’s a fruit variation although that is rare.  I have seen this only with the Laduree varieties)  – in which case you have to take into consideration how long the egg component stays fresh, usually 3-4 days.

Heavenly!  Everytime I come across a French pattiserie, I watch out for this delicacy.  I am so sad that Fauchon closed their Park Avenue shop where they had quite a good selection of flavors.  There is still Payard which I had passed last Sunday on the way to Whitney with friends Gedd and Jelaine (and they actually ship!), and Bouchon Bakery over at the Time Warner Center over at Columbus Circle.  Recent discovery: Le Maison du Chocolat over at Rockefeller Center offers them as well albeit a little too pricey at 6 tiny ones for $30. (! — And I just discovered they have two other branches — on Madison Avenue and down at Wall Street). 

Even during the Christmas 2007 trip to Brussels, I had to stop by a branch of PAUL when I saw a branch in one of the streets around the Grand Place — they were the mini-sandwich size macarrons and available only in 2 varieties but hey, a macarron is a macarron is a macarron.

Each bite brings me back to Paris — and makes me want to go back again.  Hopefully soon. 

Thanks to Luc Van Braekel who gave me the heads up that Brussels has finally opened its first Starbucks!  Tracking back to his website, I saw a reference to the Moodie Report which gives the details and location of the first ever Starbucks at the Brussels Airport as being at the landside Departures lounge.  Autogrill, the local Starbucks partner, (link will open to the French version of the announcement of the Starbucks opening) is hoping to open additional branches.

After our visit there in December 2007, one of the most popular posts which has elicited quite a number of comments (mostly unsigned, though =( ..) was that one about there being no Starbucks in Belgium.  Finally everyone (including Alan) can rejoice as they can now have their favorite brew in Brussels.  Looking forward to getting a mug from this one!

I haven’t been “here” for a while now because I just came back from a trip to Manila — so the Francophile in me has been “sleeping”.

But I have my French lessons to go back to.. And maybe a quick trip sometime. “Quick” is a little difficult to pull off, though, because there’s Angelo to worry about. Taking him makes it economically difficult to make it just a short trip because of the cost implication.

We’ll see…

Manila has me preoccupied so I haven’t had the chance to write anything here.  But I am here…

We’re currently planning our 2008 trip home and Alan and I are counting days. Between a definite plan to return to Disney for at least 5 days and the trip to Manila (where my 3 weeks will eat up 14 vacation days in all) — I will have very few days left. It might still happen — but it’s our third priority after the two big trips. Of course there will be the long weekends to destinations that are driveable from New York. We’re hoping to explore more of the New England Coast in the coming summers and fall.

Paris will always be there… And I’ll take a trip home to Manila anytime over a trip to my dear Paris.

It’s been more than a month since I last stepped on European soil, and just like my previous trips there, I feel a deep longing to return. That’s how much I enjoy the experience. To me, it is always what a real vacation should be.

So here are the things I liked about Belgium:

1. English is spoken practically everywhere. I don’t know if their being bi-lingual has reinforced the need to for a common language in English, but we certainly had no difficulty getting around as most were conversant when we moved about. It was true that everything was translated in both French and Dutch — but I didn’t get any lost looks when I uttered “Excuse me…”

2. Chocolates, chocolates, chocolates galore.

3. Lace

4. The light show at the Grand Place. Truly breath-taking. Every time I passed it as it was going on, I felt like I was seeing something new for the first time each time. I was being hypnotized to stay and watch.

More to come.

Taken December 28 after visiting
BASILIQUE KOEKELBERG
to view the EXPO DA VINCI.

I have started working on my Belgium scrapbook and one thing I like about it is that working on my layouts helps me relive the memories somehow. It’s like being there again in a different way. Writing the captions and doing the journaling also help me put the feelings associated with the whole experience to words.

As always, I tried to get at least two of each brochure, flyer or literature. (Yes, even the ones I had to buy like the Brugge map which went for €.50 each.). But for the magazines or newspapers, I weeded out the portions I didn’t need at the hotel instead of carrying the whole thing with me to New York. (They can get heavy…)

I saved the tickets and receipts, and brought home one “branded” napkin from the restaurant we ate at in Brugge. Others, I took a business card.

I am already in “scrapbooking mode” as I go around when we’re on vacation, so I pick up mementos and “scrappable” items like shopping bags that might make for a whole or partial 12×12 background layout.

More details to come.

I’ve been writing about this holiday trip in my other blog, Pinay New Yorker and am all excited about the rest of the trip. Our first day was rather muggy and cold but we absorbed as much of Brussels that we could. We walked around and Alan showed me Grand Place which was surprisingly deserted at around 9am. (We later found out that Brussels woke up a little late today considering it wasa Christmas week.). Alan also showed me the famous Mannekin Pis (more details and pictures later) and we rode the Brussels City Tours bus to the Atomium. We went back to Grand Place at the end of the day where we witnessed a most spectacular light show.

I’ve sampled the authentic Belgian waffles, and tomorrow, I plan to try out some of the sinful confections that the Belgians are famous for: chocolates! My body is still in New York mode but I have to get some sleep now. More to come!

For a moment there, Alan and I were seriously considering cancelling our trip to Brussels on Christmas day.  However, when I called the doctor this morning to request for a medical certificate for the airline in connection with our cancellation and request for a full refund of our non-refundable fare, she toldus that he might be well enough to travel come Tuesday.  Hooray for that one!