Archive for August 16th, 2022

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August 16, 2022

Paris and the Expats !

This is something wanted to write in my blog but was put off by other posts on the bar restaurant and expats in general in Paris. However, I like to dare do it now. This is my early story working in Paris and living in Versailles, la classe indeed. Hope you enjoy the post as I.

Upon arriving in Versailles in August 2003, I was not really aware what the term expats meant and seek them out to I guess keep up with the nostalgia of lands now gone. These expats are it; their world turns around this nostalgia and comparing the two worlds. Not really good if you are planning to settle in a new country, culture etc. I guess not an expert on this sociological phenomenon, and coming from already a French family in Florida USA, making trips to France every year since 1990 not the typical expat per se. After all, I was French in 2000 before living permanently in France! Hard to believe the group started by an American attorney of which the first 4 members meeting in Au Trappiste have grown to over 9 thousands members today !! Of course, I am no longer a member for several years since moving to the Morbihan breton dept 56. Pic below from 2005……!

Expats paris au trappiste Pedro 14Dec2005

The official meetup Expats Paris : https://www.meetup.com/fr-FR/ExpatsParis/

The area of this particular memorable place was set in the rue Saint-Denis, located in the 1éme and 2éme arrondissements  and one of the oldest streets of Paris. The brewery bar restaurant Au Trappiste at 4 rue Saint Denis is closer to Place du Châtelet to the Seine river side.  There you are in Belgium with the monks; lots of good beer, simple good portions of food, moules or mussels and fries,and grill sausages. The first or ground floor is more noisy ,the second or upper floor more calm and better views! of Châtelet. There is a nice cosy terrace nowdays just perfect for people watching and be watched in Paris! Dedicated mainly to Belgian beers, the Au Trappiste, of course offers many beverages from all over the world. No less than 120 bottled beers (including the majority of Trappist beers that are brewed in the world) and twenty drafts beers. Rare beers are found here too. On the plate side, they work on classic but well made dishes such as choucroutte (saukraut), french fries, steaks, burgers, croque monsieurs (ham and cheese sandwiches), mussels,sausages, etc.

Paris-Au-Trappiste-resto-avr10

The Facebook page of Au Trappiste : https://www.facebook.com/autrappisteparis/

My fav Yelp reviews on Au Trappiste: https://www.yelp.com/biz/au-trappiste-paris

The RestaurantGuru reviews page on Au Trappiste : https://restaurantguru.com/Au-Trappiste-Paris

Now what do you think of expats groups in Paris, France, anywhere? I gave you a hint above.

There you go folks, another memorable spot in my early Paris haunts, I was last by it on November 2019 (see post) and still the great food, great service and great views from upper floor ; not to mention a wonderful terrace right on the sidewalk, I love it, at Au Trappiste, and worth the detour while in Paris me think.

And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!

Posted in Food and Wine, France, Paris | Leave a Comment »

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August 16, 2022

Boater’s paradise of La Trinité sur Mer !!!

I was back with my family today to a familiar place seeking something to do on Assomption Day in my belle France, The beaches were pack to say the least and trafic galore, we skip along to avoid as much as possible and enjoy our day in the boater’s paradise of La Trinité sur Mer !

La Trinite sur Mer wooden houses restos waterfront aug22

This is a wonderful heavens and boater’s paradise about 26 Km ( 16 miles) from my house. Weekends specially in good weather is glorious to have it as your backyard, even in winter . Not to mention the whole of the coastal department 56 of my beautiful  Morbihan in my lovely Bretagne. I have several posts on the town in my blog over the years, one of our fav areas ; however, this is new text and pictures.

La Trinité sur Mer has developed its port afloat, which is today one of the main marinas in Brittany, The port of La Trinité-sur-Mer can be admired from the top of the Pont de Kerisper which crosses the Crac’h river on more of 200 meters. A real open-air museum where sailboats, speedboats and yachts of all origins and of all sizes rub shoulders.

La Trinité-sur-Mer is the third port in Bretagne and the fifth on the Atlantic coast. Its privileged location at the bottom of an estuary allows it to accommodate moored multihulls during their preparation for races around the world. It is one of the most important regatta places in Europe. Indeed, the city is particularly renowned for its nautical competitions. Its small fishing and sailing port is a popular stopover for internationally renowned boaters and skippers who have made it their home port.  Its exceptional geographical location allows it to organize very beautiful regattas in the Bay of Quiberon as well as deep-sea races along the coasts of southern Brittany and around the Ponant Islands.

La Trinite sur Mer marina racing boats aug22

The city of La Trinité sur Mer on its ports and nautical activities : https://www.la-trinite-sur-mer.fr/la-trinite-sur-mer/nautisme/plaisance/

The official port of La Trinité sur Mer :https://port-la-trinite-sur-mer.com/

 On the subject of beaches, well here you have some of the best in all of Brittany,and one of my favorite is the beach of Plage du Men Dû.  A wonderful corner of my world , the Plage du Men-dû is a sandy beach and is shallow. It is the joy of bathers at high tide, and the joy of waders and fishermen on foot at low tide. In the center, overlooks the Ïle de Stuhan or island of. At low water, this islet is connected to the earth by a strip of sand, called a tombolo. Lots of fun indeed !!

My favorite beach site Plages TV on the beach of Men Du: https://en.plages.tv/detail/men-du-beach-la-trinite-sur-mer-56470

In city center by Cours de Quai street or D186 you have the Halle aux Poissons,open every mornings,with the best fish/seafood offering around, Around it you have the flea and food market on summers only , Right there is the Cruise terminal to outlying islands by Navix.As well as the post of the SNSM volunteer lifesaving organisation in France.

The City of La Trinité sur Mer on markets: https://www.la-trinite-sur-mer.fr/vie-quotidienne/marches/marches-de-la-trinite-sur-mer-et-de-sa-region/

If you love the sea and I do, and boating and I do and all related to the sea including scuba diving, then you must come to La Trinité sur Mer. A must for the nautically incline as I.

Ah well been in town all day, needed to eat, and on Assomption Day, which was created in 1638, Louis XIII consecrated the Kingdom of France to the Virgin Mary, thus establishing the great processions of August 15 which still take place today. I chose a new place just out of whim which is my best shots. We had our late lunch at Le Britannia brasserie restaurant right on facing the marina. Even on this day, we had no reservations, just show up 5 persons one on wheelchair and in we went to the back. I must say the place quickly filled up and service was a bit slow but very friendly and nice. I had my Salmon with black rice and stew vegetables, my tiramisubreizh or a Breton caramelise version of the tiramisu, all wash down with two bottles of brut cider Sorre. The other had different dishes all for less than 22 euros nice quality/price ratio indeed, and we will be back.  

La Trinite sur Mer Le Britannia resto front aug22

The RestaurantGuru reviews on Le Britannia: https://restaurantguru.com/Le-Britannia-La-Trinite-sur-Mer

They do have a Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/lebritannia56/

There you go folks ,another dandy road warrior ride into my beautiful Morbihan and the boater’s paradise of La Trinité sur Mer, just south of me! Hope you enjoy the post and do visit, worth the detour indeed.

The local Bay of Quiberon Tourist Office on La Trinité sur Mer :https://www.baiedequiberon.co.uk/la-trinite-sur-mer

And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!

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August 16, 2022

The Church Saint-Pierre-du-Gros-Caillou of Paris !

Walking Paris is always sublime , enormous feeling of architecture and history all around you, and beauty. This is another dear area of mine ,walked with the family several times, and voilà saw this church and why not, a wonderful souvenir of my walks with the family in my eternal Paris. Hope you enjoy the post as I.

The Church Saint-Pierre-du-Gros-Caillou (or St Peter of the big pebble) is located at 92, rue Saint-Dominique in the 7éme arrondissement. A way of many walks by yours truly coming from the port de Suffren (see post) where we always went for events and gastronomy on the Seine river , Maxim’s boat (see post). We then decided to take a walk and found ourselves passing this church.

A bit of history I like

The Church of Saint-Pierre du Gros-Caillou, is a parish church in the neighborhood or quartier Gros Caillou of the 7éme arrondissement of Paris. The story goes that when Gros-Caillou had become a fairly large neighborhood, they felt the need to build a branch there of the Church Saint-Sulpice (see post), which was the parish of this neighborhood at the times. They took care of this project in 1652, but countless obstacles successively came to stop the works. Finally, in 1733, the foundation stone of this church was laid. Which was blessed under the title of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin, and named by the inhabitants , Notre-Dame-de-Bonne-Délivrance; it is however designated in the registers of the archbishopric under the name of Saint-Pierre-du-Gros-Caillou, branch of Saint-Sulpice. It was not entirely finished when the French revolution broke out and was then demolished. In 1822, a new church was erected on the same site and under the same name, which is beautifully simple with the first stone of the present church, was laid during the reign of king Louis XVIII and completed in 1826 on a plan inspired by the Roman basilicas. This antique style has been in vogue for the last decades of the Ancien Régime The Church Saint-Pierre-du-Gros-Caillou was enlarged with a side wing in 1905, then the axial chapel known as the Virgin in 1971.

paris-ch-st-pierre-gros-caillou-front-rue-st-dominique-oct11

The interior style of the Church of Saint Pierre du Gros Caillou is quite simple. You will see , however, the presence of some interesting paintings such as the Christ holding a child on his knees, 1840. Saint Pierre released from prison, 1834. and the most prominent done by Jean-Baptiste Marie Pierre, Saint François meditating in solitude, Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament. Finally, the Chapel of the Virgin has a rarity: a Stations of the Cross made up of a long series of tangled branches and twigs which stretches along the walls and dates from 1953.  There was an organ here circa 1850 nothing attest of one before and this one was sold in 1926. The organ was sadly in bad shape. A second organ was done circa 1925, but it too was demolished. The current organ was built in 1976, of neoclassical aesthetic.   There is a second organ in the chapel built in 1972. The bell-tower shelters a ringing of 4 bells done in 1993; they were baptized on May 16, 1993. The names given are Clémence – 800 kg; Constance- 445 kg , Patience- 340 kg, and Prudence- 275 kg. In the church is placed, on the ground, the old bell: Louise-Sophie 320 kg done in 1826 and baptized on April 17, 1827.

The city of Paris on the Church St Pierre du Gros Caillou : https://www.paris.fr/lieux/eglise-saint-pierre-du-gros-caillou-19494

The official Parish of the Church St Pierre du Gros Caillou : https://www.stpierredugroscaillou.com/

This is the wonderful way to walk Paris and see these off the beaten path monuments ,and they are many.  This is a nice area off the Avenue Bosquet (see post) ,the picturesque rue Cler, and walking straigh on Rue St Dominique you reach the marvelous lawns behind the Invalides,(see post), sublime walk. Hope you enjoy the Church Saint Pierre du Gros Caillou in my eternal Paris.

And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!

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