Wrapping Up Our First Year

Although I didn't start living in Paris until November of 2012, my husband's five-year tour here began on July 1st so with my return to Alaska tomorrow for the summer, my first year in Paris is coming to a close.

I wanted to share a few more photos from Normandy.

The neighbors...

Taco, the Dutchman who teaches us French, with his lovely wife, Natalie.  

Dinner our last night at the chateau...Farmer's Lamb Stew. It was so delicious. Carrots, peas, potatoes, turnips and onions with the lamb in the most wonderful broth.

Back in Paris...more flowers to see on my walk.

I will miss the cheese! Comté, Roquefort, P'tit Basque and Gouda Cumin.

Just a little info to share...most of the old buildings are made from Limestone and are constantly being covered up in scaffolding for cleaning. The end of this building has yet to be cleaned...

The other side got finished about a month ago...great improvement.

Last night we had a friend in town and tried out a new restaurant with excellent reviews, Semilla. My main course was asparagus with egg, polenta on the top left and a yummy butter sauce at the bottom left. I licked the plate and bowls clean.

Our friend had a fish dish...wish I could tell you what the ingredients were.

And this was my husband's Osso Bucco...what? I know...not the kind of Osso Bucco you are used to...it was fish...not veal. The waitress told me many of the terms we read on the menu referred to the cooking style. It was not a classic French restaurant per say. We think they had a Basque influenced menu. (The Basque region lies between the border of France and Spain along the Atlantic shore to include part of the Pyrenees mountains.)

We are definitely going back to this restaurant and reserving the elevated table that sits in front of the cooks so you can watch everything they are making. The menu changes daily. Yes...very small portions compared to the U.S. but I'm pretty convinced this is the key to the low obesity rate here.