Day 4: Le Leche Vitrine in Le Marche aux Puces de Vanves

It means literally, "licking the windows" or french slang for window shopping.

And while there are no windows between merchandise and shoppers in the Marche aux Puces de Vanves - or Vanves Flea Market, for Jay and me, it was still just that -- "window shopping".

Here's Jay standing at the very top of Rue Lafenestre where one of Paris' most famous flea markets starts. The market stretches the whole length of the street, just a few hundred meters but it can take you more than an hour to traverse -- there are just too many interesting things to see and discover!

Paris is known for its huge flea markets and we discovered how much fun and fascinating they were on our last visit.

While Vanves is not the biggest, that title would go to the marche aux puces de Clignancourt, we think Vanves is more friendly, less commercial and a place where you can really unearth some genuine finds.

Sellers bring their trucks of merchandise and set up tables with their particular specialties.

While some trade in all sorts of curio and knick knacks, there are those with a specific category of goods to sell.

This load of old shoes and roller skates I classify under the junk category!

Vanves' vendors all have cars or trucks that back up right to the sidewalk and contain all the stuff they have to sell.

The market is open every week-end from morning till 2. After selling hours, everything unsold goes back into the truck.

There are all sorts of old and antique stuff -- this tapestry or rug looks like it could have belonged to some aristocratic old home.

There are paintings and artworks -- oils, watercolors, traditional paintings, modern paintings and more often than not, really bad paintings.

I saw this pair of unusual and beautiful wall sconces -- I was so tempted but didn't even ask how much they were. How would I ever bring these home?

Clothes are found at the flea market too. There's a whole section devoted to old clothes. Ukay ukay is alive and well in Paris, although they call it vintage clothing!

Old toys are particularly charming -- dolls, teddy bears, old cars -- and they're frightfully expensive too! I saw a small, very old doll in a glass case worth 650 euros!

Graffiti of a grinning cat head makes a nice backdrop and counterpoint for this table where everything that you see is worth 20 euros each.

It's fascinating to see all the items available for sale. A lot of it may just be other peoples' junk but you can and do run into real gems.

These leather bound books would make great additions to any bookshelf -- too bad they're all in french. However, if you just want to fill shelves with books that look like they have character and are well worn and read, then these would do the trick.

Matched chairs anyone? Aside from furniture which looks like it was passed down from one generation to the next, with this generation not finding it appropriate for their lifestyle, or their tiny apartments -- the other major find that you can get at Vanves is antique silverware.

Word is that young Parisiennes have no use for grand-mere's Christofle flatware that's why they've been turning up in Vanves -- selling for very attractive prices.

It's the end of the street and a snack truck selling hot coffee, fries and hotdogs is conveniently on hand for hungry shoppers.

It's taken Jay and me more than an hour to walk this short distance.

The happy thing is, we get to go through everything else again when we walk back to take the metro home!

PS -- It didn't turn out to be just window shopping for us. We bought antique silver flatware, service for 12 ... and a steal at 80 euros!

Day 3 - Berthillon Ice Cream on a 3C day in Paris

Berthillon is probably the most famous name in ice cream in Paris.

It's been around since the 1950s and reputedly makes the best ice creams and sorbets in the city, some say - in the whole of France.

What makes their products so good -- they claim not to use any artificial ingredients, everything is made from fresh fruits and natural flavors.

I'm not so fond of ice cream but on this trip, I decided that a visit to Berthillon was something I finally had to fit in.

It's very easy to find Berthillon, you go behind the Notre Dame and cross the bridge that connects the Ile de la Cite to the Ile St. Louis.

And voila -- as they say in France -- there it is! Actually, this salon de the is Berthillon's sit down restaurant. The ice cream is made and sold for take away, in cones or in gallons, a few doors away.



And here I am, enjoying my double scoop of framboise and chocolat.

Even for a non ice cream eater like me, I must admit, I enjoyed it very much.

The framboise sorbet was a blend of sweet and tart, just like biting into the fruit.

But more than that, finally enjoying Berthillon was an iconic experience on a cold but brilliantly sunny day in Paris.

Paris Again, Day 2 - Lunch at the Grande Mosque de Paris

Day 2 in Paris was windy and rainy.

Thankfully, it was not as cold as last year when it was snowing most of the time.

However, the wet day did not dampen our enthusiasm to walk and explore new places near the apartment -- foremost of which was the Grande Mosque de Paris.

Located across the Jardin des Plantes (which we also visited despite the not-conducive-to-walking-around-gardens weather), the Grande Mosque de Paris is the largest mosque in France and the third largest in Europe.

It was built to thank the Muslim community for having fought for France in World War 1, where more than 100,000 of them died.

Aside from its historical and architectural significance, the mosque is certainly worth a visit, particularly for its noted salon de the.

This pretty little archway welcomes you to the entrance of the restaurant. If it weren't drizzling intermittently, I wouldn't have minded sitting outside despite the chilly weather, on these inviting blue chairs.

Inside the restaurant I am enchanted by the orange walls, traditional tiles and arches -- soft yellow light from the lamps create a warm glow. It's a comforting refuge from the blustery cold day outside.

The tables are round and made of brass with intricate designs, they look like huge brass gongs.

We order a the de menthe and the waiter comes and with a grand flourish -- pours our hot tea from a carved silver teapot that he holds way up high.

This is very impressive but not as impressive as the the de menthe which is sweet, hot and minty -- the best mint tea I had ever tried!

The ceiling is a delight -- yellow and blue tiles make a backdrop for a very old brass chandelier.

Our food arrives! We both order couscous plates -- poulet or chicken for Jay, vegetarian for me.

While couscous really does not have a flavor in itself much like rice -- the way it is cooked can spell the difference in how it tastes. This was cooked to fluffy perfection!

Here is my vegetarian couscous platter -- a hearty, simple vegetable stew made with carrots, zucchini, eggplants and potatoes. Golden sultanas and chick peas make for a sweet garnish.

The restaurant has a small army of resident birds -- very much akin to our local maya.

They flit and fly and chirp all over the place, land on your table and without even a by your leave, tuck into your plate of couscous! Such cheek!

No one seems to mind though, not the diners, nor the waiters -- they're really quite cute!

At the entrance of the salon de the there is a glass case of different varieties of traditional sweets, cookies and pastries. Just .60 euros each, but I was much too full. However, I did make a mental note to come back for the pistachio cookies.

If buying sweets or pastries is not your thing, there is a small gift shop selling all sorts of middle eastern trinkets, accessories, tiles even home decor.

It's a wonderful way to remember your visit to the Grande Mosque de Paris!

Another Paris Christmas - Day 1: Airline Food is not so bad at all!

Who would have thought that we could spend another Christmas in Paris for the second straight year? As I always like to say, "A goal without a plan is just a wish" so plan it I did.

The adventure began on board KLM804 bound for Amsterdam. As the brochure aptly put it, this would be our grand December Celebration. I have always found airline food to be barely tolerable -- would KLM's food make the long flight less wearisome?

Salted mixed nuts were served right after take off -- with your beverage of choice. The nuts certainly helped assuage hunger pangs as it was past lunch time by then.

This was quickly followed by an appetizer of smoked salmon, a fresh shrimp rice roll and a small green salad with a tart, tangy vinaigrette. I had decided not to order a vegetarian meal and take my chances that fish would be served -- vegetarian meals are usually the worst kind on any airline.

Cream dory, which I don't particularly like because it is just about the ugliest fish I have ever seen -- was served baked with a cream sauce and a heap of buttery mashed potatoes. Not bad and quite flavorful but too rich for my taste.

Jay had a traditional Dutch beef dish which was served with even more mashed potatoes, this time in a different shade of yellow orange. He didn't complain so I suppose it must have been all right.

For dessert, they offered different kinds of cakes but I opted for the cheese plate and got three different kinds of cheese -- one with peppercorn, an herbed soft cheese and a hard emmental. With a small packet of crackers, it was a great choice for a meal ender. Maybe I should just have had another cheese plate instead of the cream dory?

Fruit skewers were also served for people who wanted a much lighter option.

This was quite a filling lunch -- and no wonder, we wouldn't be fed again until nearly eight hours later, just before arriving in Schiphol Airport!

I was ravenous when we got on board Air France for our connecting flight to Paris -- it didn't help that I couldn't eat the cold pate sandwiches although the small dish of ratatouille was piquant and tasty -- albeit, too small a serving.

We arrived at the apartment nearly midnight, with a chilled bottle of red wine waiting for us. What a typical French welcome!

Bon soir Paris -- we meet again!

Crispy Puffs and Coffee -- a working lunch at Swissotel The Stamford

Budget meeting time again! For the very first time, I had left Manila without a single page of my presentation done.

Too much work in the office, too many meetings. I knew it would be one huge cramming session the minute I got to Singapore.

What made cramming not unattractive is how comfortable and relaxed I am at Swissotel The Stamford, my home away from home whenever I am in Singapore.

I knew that my room would be an oasis of calm, where I could really work without distraction.

Well, not totally without distractions -- the view outside my window is always so terrific.

The city of Singapore, namely the marina area and the business district unfold right outside the glass sliding doors.

A pot of white orchids thoughtfully placed on top of the work table is an elegant touch.

The Swissotel's rooms are large, well laid out, tastefully decorated. The work table is neat until I start to strew all my papers about.

I'm quite thrilled to see that the room comes with my own personal Nespresso coffee maker!

It will be a nice change from regular brewed coffee.

I can even choose from 3 coffee varieties -- strong and bold Vivalto, bright and refreshing Finezzo and Decaffeinato -- for late in the evening and I'm ready to wind down and relax.

Nespresso's in the house!

My cup of coffee on the table, my work papers arranged and organized -- I'm ready to buckle down and start on my budget presentation!

But wait -- it's mid afternoon and I have yet to have lunch!

The hotel basement is full of food stalls, kiosks, eateries, bakeshops and even a small supermarket.

I head out to buy a new and really shiok food find -- 1A Crispy Puffs!

So delightfully tasty, these fat little puffs come in chicken curry, sardine, chili crab and other savory varieties.

Unlike the other more well known curry puff brand, 1A Puff's crust is delicate and crisp, not at all oily.

My favorites are the sardine puff which is quite spicy and the chili crab -- which tastes exactly like what a deconstructed chili crab dish would taste like.

1A Crispy Puffs, a cup of hot coffee and I'm ready to start working on that budget presentation!

Pork in the road celebrates a(nother) birthday!

I turned another year older a few weeks ago and as I do every year, it's a good excuse to over feed everyone in the office.

Some things never change -- gorgeous flower arrangements from clients and friends brighten up my room -- and my mood!

This little pig gave up its life so that the people in the office could over indulge in cholesterol, not that they need another drop. But lechon is standard fare for celebrations so even if I have stopped eating meat -- for ethical, humane and health reasons, it's not an acceptable reason (at least to my officemates) not to have a whole roast pig for lunch.

We get our lechon from Ping Ping's in La Loma -- quite possibly one of the best lechon places in the city.

Boo hoo hoo -- how can you look at that face and still eat pork? Does that crisp, crackly skin merit this kind of treatment? Hmm, maybe the jury is still out on that one!

A good friend from Malabon (where I grew up) sent this bilao of my favorite -- the best pancit malabon in the entire planet -- only from Rosy's!

More cholesterol and oily, fatty goodness! CPA or chicken pork adobo is another crowd favorite. Our caterer of many years, Mang Julio and his wife Aling Lumen, make a really mean adobo -- so tender, it literally disintegrates into shreds when you pick up a piece.

What's a birthday lunch without something for the birthday girl to eat? Fish kebabs are juicy chunks of blue marlin skewered with bell peppers, onions and tomatoes. These are so well seasoned and grilled, there's no need for any kind of sauce at all!

It's almost the end of lunch and the poor pig has been decimated to his bare bones.

The head has been carefully removed, the remainders will be chopped and someone will bring the carcass and left over sauce home to turn it into paksiw na lechon or lechon stew.

Nothing goes to waste! Perhaps you can say that this pig did not die in vain.

For dessert, I ordered a large cake from Estrel's -- they make the best caramel cakes in town!

The icing and the flowers are all made with delicate butter cream -- smooth and with just the right hint of sweetness.

This light and refined cake is the perfect ending to such a heavy meal.

Until next year's birthday lunch ... everyone has 365 days to recover from the porcine excess!

Early Morning Singapore Walk

I'm back in Singapore for the year end budget meeting. While I was lobbying to have it in Tokyo, my plans were thwarted, alas. But, Singapore is also good to come back to and I made sure to squeeze in some personal time in between meetings.

The day of the budget meeting was coincidentally, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, a holy day of obligation. My first waking thought was to get to a church and hear mass. Thankfully Swissotel is a hop and skip away from the Church of the Good Shepherd along Victoria Road. It was still dark when I set out at 6:40 to make it in time for 7 am services.

After mass, I decided to take a walk and see where my footsteps would lead me to breakfast. Early morning along Victoria Road makes for a comfortable walk, a respite before the heat sets in.

I pass by St. Joseph's, another Catholic church just a couple of blocks away. The early morning mass has ended and church goers have all gone on to work.

I was hoping to have a bite at Bugis Hawker center but it was still closed. And Burger King was definitely not on my short list of breakfast places!

I crossed the road to cut across the still empty and shuttered Bugis Shopping Mall, all decked out for a Gaga Christmas!

Now on Beach Road and on the way back to the hotel, I saw the familiar local eating places along Beach Road. Nasi lemak would be the perfect meal to start this busy day!

What a feast! Nasi lemak with ikan bilis and sambal chili on the side, with a perfectly fried, slightly runny egg, otah and fish balls! This otah was better than usual, quite a thick and generous portion from the usual thin sliver. Shiok, lah! And I had a hot glass of kopi C to wash everything down.

I took a table on the sidewalk, the better to people watch. Right across Tong Seng Coffee shop was the Yu Kee Food House. Hmm, worth a try on my next visit to Singapore!

After that truly filling breakfast, the walk back to the hotel probably burned 10 calories! The huge Christmas tree at the corner of Stamford and Beach Road adds a Christmas feel to this December day in Singapore.