Petits Plaisirs

Feels like spring

But it isn't. Just trying to evoke the feeling of it. Copenhagen, at the moment, is rainy and depressing and the greens made my day just a tad brighter.

Sugar high on a study night

Chai tea + rice crackers dipped in dark chocolate = Survival kit on a late night of studying.

(No, I didn't learn that in my microeconomics book but I will however add that that these two input factors do create an increasing return to scale - they should keep me super productive through the late hours).

I ♥ stuffed animals

I bet that some people who are working in the touristy latin quarter of St. Michel (the less touristy is the one you will find just south of - Rue Mouffetard is the center of it.) are wearing t-shirts with print like that. A strange trend, don't you agree? These dead things surely don't enhance my desire to eat cheap 10euro menus.

These pictures are all I got before strange stares started to come my direction. But believe me, there are several safari restaurants in this area. The only reason one should go to St. Michel - if you're a gourmet like me I highly doubt the food in the picture just above will make your mouth water at least.

Rue de la Huchette, 5th arrondissement, Metro: St. Michel

La Dolce Vita

In my gap year here in Paris, I spent a couple of months working for the popular Italian gelato chain Amorino, so it may come as a surprise to you (or of the same reason maybe exactly not?) that the gelato I am about to recommend to you is not therefrom. In my humble opinion, the best gelato you will find just around the corner from Amorino's Rue Vieille du Temple branch - at Pozzetto.

Today - for once - the weather behaved nicely so as a friend and I were strolling around Le Marais, we all of a sudden found ourselves walking very determined toward la Rue du Roi de Sicile as icecream became our chatting topic. In the small seating area we decided on a cup each. At Pozzetto there is not really such a thing as sizes - instead for 7.50euro (yes, expensive - but SO worth it) you get a onesize cup but the chance to mix as many flavours as you like to. My friend Nina went for the classic Italian Fior di Latte (flower of milk), dark chocolate and le parfum du jour, coconut. I, as well, had the traditional milk-flavour mixed with Nocciola (hazelnut) and Pistachio (can you guess this one?).

As you can tell from the picture, the serving sizes are generous and the texture of the gelato.. simply amazing. When we left, the smiles on our faces were as big as they were in anticapation of the gelato as Nina demonstrates here - and our cravings were obviously more than happily satisfied.

Pozzetto, 39 rue du Roi de Sicile in the 4th arrondissement, Métro: St. Paul or Hôtel de Ville

City of Pretty

I'm orginally from Copenhagen - a city that I love from the buttom of my heart - but what I absolutely adore about Paris but I'm aware that the Danish capital lacks, is the great diversity. Therefore I love to spend my off-days discovering the different ethnic areas of Paris. Today I went to the 2nd largest China Town in Paris (the largest you will find in the area between Place d'Italie and Porte d'Ivry in the 13th) to enjoy the busy Saturday atmosphere. Belleville is the place to go to if you need a lacquered duck with its head still attached, a 7euro haircut - or if you, like me, love Asian supermarkets.

For your information, this is what 15.05euros will buy you.

(Mango and lychee juice, oyster and sweet and sour sauce, sunflower seeds, crackers, all sorts of chocolate biscuit thingys, the best caramels in the world - the ones with the rabbit on - and last but not least, marshmallows but in small, pastelcolored cones - too peculiar to not at least try them. Besides, they're very decorative.)

Bonjour Supermarché, 16 rue de Belleville in the 20th arrondissement, Métro: Belleville.

Indecisiveness

I have never been good at making important choices. Such as the ones you make when in the pâtisserie. I am not even close to being picky and I don't play favorites either. So when a friend and I decided to have a cosy night in accompanied by Sex and the City and things which holds lots of carbohydrates, this was our final choice. Petits bouchées so you can get to taste a tiny bit of everything. And I still don't have a favorite.

Qui suis-je?

Be clever. Do what Starbucks recommends: Évadez-vous quelques instants. With the new Frappuccino Framboise-Cassis.