EIFFEL TOWER & ÉCLAIRS

Dear Caroline

I finally did it! I saw the Eiffel Tower!

I have been to France four times and Paris 3 times and I have never seen the Eiffel Tower. And I mean with my own two eyes in its presence. I’ve see photos and the tower far off in the distance, but before I leave I told myself I had to see it for real. And I am so glad I did.

The original plan was to go to Carette at the famous Trocadéro and have one of the iconic french hot chocolates on the patio with the view of the Eiffel Tower, but with the time constraints I had between classes, I could only done one or the other. When you get off the train you can follow the signs to “see” the Tower. I don’t know what I was expecting but it was this. You climb the stairs to street level from the metro station and you’re met with this normal looking french roundabout. I’m just looking around and to my left is a massive building that looks like an architecture museum. A little turned around I just keep walking straight following the flows of people towards what looks like steps. As soon as I come out of the shadow of the architecture building in the corner of my eye I see her, the Eiffel Tower, she HUGE!. It was just like a movie, my eyes the camera panning the street facing the building and then WOW the tower is revealed. I’ll admit I was a little emotional seeing the tower, and I’m not emotional like that. I needed a moment before I could start taking pictures. I spent my whole break there, I was even a little late to class, thankfully my teacher accepted me even with my tardiness.

Brahim, the activities manager, started these activities where a team of chefs come and teach us serious french pastries. On Mondays it’s free for the new arrivals, a way to entice them to join more activities I am sure, but I managed an invite and loved every minute of it. We made Financiers, personally I don’t like them, find them a little dry (maybe that why they are known as a tea cake, you’re supposed to dunk them) but I love making them. It was so fun!! The same team came back on Friday and we made ECLAIRS!!!! I was so excited because I would finally be able to learn how to make perfect eclairs, especially with the proper choux pastry that dries while it bakes and isn’t still eggy and soft like mine always are, maybe it’s our ovens. I’ve noticed that ovens in Europe by default are convection where as ours are conventional.

I love the chef team they are so nice and cool, super chill too. It’s more like cooking with your best friends than a strict white coat french and hats. The class was three hours. the best three hours ever! and my eclairs came out beautifully!! I also learned some tricks to try and make them at home. I’ve always been against silpat mats for baking because they are so difficult to clean, but the ones with the eclair and macaron outlines are amazing, how genius.

Maybe we can make some at Christmas!