A Taste of Europe in Utah
Don't you just love weekends in May? The sun is shining. The breeze is lightly coming through the trees. You can do whatever you like. Making fun memories=good stories to tell. Well, if any of you are looking for something new to experience right in Salt Lake City, let me share my eventful Saturday with you:
It all began yesterday morning at 9:00am. A group of us from AATF (American Association of Teachers of French) met at Bruges Belgian Waffles and Frites downtown. I had never been there before, though I had heard a lot about it. Most of us ordered waffles. You could pick a variety of rich creams, fruit toppings and/or chocolate fillings to accompany these authentic
gaufres. I chose a simple strawberries and cream. Mmmmm...every bite was like seeing the ocean for the first time! You just couldn't help but smile as you enjoyed each morsel of this authentic specialty. I only wish I had had enough room to get the fries! Belgian fries are nothing like American fries. They are so crispy and savory--I think they are fried in two different types of oil or something. Some friends from Morocco and Tunisia joined us on the terrace. They ordered the Machine Gun sandwich. This was a huge baguette filled with meat, cheeses, fries and sauce. It looked pretty exciting, but I don't know how anyone would be able to finish the whole thing. The weather was perfect as we ate our breakfast and spoke
en français.
Now that we had our sugar rush, we decided to put it to use and climb to the top of Ensign Peak! Oh, what a rough hike it was! Je rigole! It was actually pretty nice and easy and when you arrive at the top, you get to see the view of the whole Salt Lake valley! I remember hiking Timp mountain last Labor Day. Now THAT is a crazy experience that about killed me off (even though I did get a cool view at the end as well), but this is something anyone can do for very little pain. You should all give it a try!
I was with French teachers and the French love food! I wasn't really that hungry when we arrived at Gourmandise Bakery, until I smelled the scent of pain au chocolat and baking baguettes in the wooden oven! I ordered a delicious Chicken Pesto Panini with a pile of fresh berries on the side. We got to sit right under a canopy on the outdoor patio. This is living, I tell you!
Today is actually my uncle's birthday! We planned a little birthday shin-dig earlier this evening. While I was at Gourmandise, I purchased a box of 12 French macarons. They reminded me so much of the macaron shops in Paris that I just couldn't resist. I chose the varieties of lemon, raspberry, pistachio and vanilla. These little babies cost $1.70 each! In Paris, they are stored in temperature-controlled glass cases. After placing your order, the workers pick each one up with colorful glass tongs and put them in bright cellophane. You feel pretty chic, carrying those little bags out of the pastry shops. At Gourmandise, I gritted my teeth, but handed over my credit card for the $20 bill. When I got to my uncle's party, I informed all the guests of the price and said that they had better each REALLY enjoy their French macaron! I watched them intently as they took each bite. They seemed to like them until I told them the price. My mom shouted out, "I can buy a STACK of huge Paradise Bakery cookies for much less!" My dad about spit out his cookie when I told him the price as well. My family is not really used to this high-class price for an itsy-bitsy bite of heaven. Oh well. It was cheaper than bringing them all to Paris!
See--there are so many things you can visit and taste in our own Salt Lake City! What is living, if it isn't for the happy treasures we get to enjoy along the way?
sounds like so much fun Charlotte! I don't have much of a love for French cuisine- maybe you can change that for me. Also, you need to make your pictures bigger so I can see how cute you are!
ReplyDeleteYes, Bonnie! Maybe we should get together this summer and make some crepes and quiche! Mmmm!!! Oh, and thanks for the suggestion!
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