French Woman Wins Rare Three Stars in Latest Michelin Guide

by Neil Woodburn on

Despite the horribly sexist comment that a woman’s place is in the kitchen, there exists a disproportionate number of world class female chefs.

On Wednesday, the legendary Michelin Guide awarded its maximum three stars to its first woman chef in 50 years. Only three other women have ever earned this highest accolade.

The talented chef is Anne-Sophie Pic, a 37-year old who runs La Maison Pic in the French town of Valence. And, her specialty is fish. Yum!

The decision to award Pic with this top honor has caused a bit of controversy in France where male chefs dominate the gastronomic circles. So, three cheers for Pic for taking on the boys and kickin’ some butt! Next time I’m in France, I’m certainly seeking her restaurant out.

Oscar Settings: Best Films for Scenery

by Neil Woodburn on

Motion pictures often take us to places we cannot go ourselves. Unfortunately, the Academy Awards does not have a category honoring “Best Location.” We can, however, speculate as to which films might win such an award if one were to exist.

Gretchen Kelly, writing for the New York Post, has put together her own list of nominations with a bit of background where each was filmed and also information on how to visit.

The Queen: Filmed mostly in Scotland and also Brocket Hall just outside of London. Guests cannot stay in Brocket Hall but can eat at its classy restaurant.

Pan’s Labyrinth: Filmed at Aguas Vertientes in Spain’s La Garganta region near the city of Segovia. Some pretty wild scenery here!

Little Miss Sunshine: I liked this movie but I felt there was nothing too spectacular about the road trip scenery through the Southwest.

Marie Antoinette: Filmed in Versailles. Enough said.

Babel: My personal favorite for scenery but not for Best Picture. One of four interweaving stories takes place in Morocco’s rugged Draa Valley located in the Taguenzalt region.

In a Bag Cities: Toy Blocks for Travelers or the Kid Inside

by Jamie Rhein on

At my dad’s house is a bag of wooden blocks. They are vintage Playskol-a present given to my brother way back when but still fun to haul out just the same. I use my son as an excuse. The Japanese company MUJI makes blocks in a bag that are so adult friendly a kid isn’t needed for a reason to play.

Taking the term, “city blocks” to a new level, MUJI’s wooden blocks cross generations by representing the world’s most famous cities. You can own New York, Paris, Tokyo or London-or buy them all to mix it up. The Eiffel Tower joins Big Ben perhaps? The Empire State Building next to Senso Ji?

If you’re looking for a present for the world traveler in your life, these might be it. Or use them as a creative way to drop a “Let’s go there” hint. Or when you’re sitting at your desk wishing your were heading somewhere exciting you can build your destination and pretend. If you live in a city and wonder how suburbia might feel, you can build that too. Suburbia comes with trees.

You can buy In a Bag, New York at MoMA (Museum of Modern Art) in Manhattan. All of them can be ordered on-line from the MUJI website.

Paris Writing Workshop, July 2-27

by Willy Volk on

Let’s see…live for a month in Paris, write, learn how to be a better writer from Rolf Potts, drink French wine, and generally enjoy the most beautiful city on earth. Sounds awesome. If, like me, you want to pretend you’re Hemingway during his Paris phase, you’ll be interested in the Paris Writing Workshop, to be held July 2-27 of this year.

In addition to building your writing portfolio and taking “nonfiction storytelling classes” (that’d be travel writing, to you and me), attendees will participate in one-on-one critiques with professional writers, give readings in Parisian bookshops, and receive “survival” French lessons. Mon Dieu!

However, much like college, it isn’t all about class time. Happily, there will be ample opportunity to experience the city, attend cultural events, visit museums, take day-trips to the countryside, read books, hang out in cafes, and even go on a chocolate tour — all of which you can write about during your free time.

Free time?

[Via Written Road]

Free Entry To Louvre While Guards Strike

by Jonathon Morgan on

If there’s a country where workers know how to strike, it’s France. When truck drivers strike, they position their vehicles across major highways, so no one can travel, and when security guards at the Louvre (the Paris museum that houses the Mona Lisa) take strike action, they block the ticket booths so no one can pay.

In response, the museum waived it’s admission fee. Score!

So should you jump on a plane right now to get in for free?

Well, no. For starters, the fee ranges from only $7.87 to $17, and by Wednesday afternoon, the striking guards — who, incidentally, only made up 5% of the museum’s 1,100 security staff — had relinquished their hold on the ticket booth.

Semi-related jaw-dropping fact: the Louvre registered 8.3 million visitors last year alone. No word on how much the museum lost by temporarily allowing free admission.