Baba Cool at the Comptoir Général

To be completely honest with you, the main reason I participated at Sunday's Cupcake event was its location: the Comptoir Général. Now, back home in Switzerland a "Comptoir Général" is usually quite a vintage-funky places to go, either for lunch or drinks and often for vernissages or exhibitions. I figured I'd see what it entails in Paris...

Therefore curiosity got the better of me and on a whim we were off with our cupcakes. What I discovered was what I was hoping for. First, I came across (literally) the Canal Saint-Martin area, a neighborhood nestled between Gare du Nord and République in Northeastern Paris, in the 10th arrondissement.

On Sundays, two streets running parallel to the canal, Quai de Valmy and Quai de Jemmapes, are reserved for pedestrians and cyclists—perfect for renting a bike and seeing the city from a fresh angle. Cafés and quirky boutiques flank the water and iron footbridges. I have discovered that Napoléon ordered the construction of the Canal Saint-Martin in 1802. It was originally built to link to the Canal de l'Ourq, further north, to supply fresh water to the city. The canal feeds into the Seine River in the South.

As for the Comptoir Général: under the glass roof of the bar, everyone talks to everyone. Imagine a mix between a Cuban Bar and Café Baghdad with the entrance of an colonial run-down Grand Hotel. Old trunks travel - witnesses of past decades - one end and a room full of witchcraft the other end. The word "Bohémian" doesn't even start to describe this place ... you need to see it for yourself!

Why not stroll down next weekend to try their baba-cool brunch with family and friends!

Le Comptoir Général, 

80 quai de Jemmapes, 75 010 Paris

Fridays to Sundays from 11am to 11pm

 Tél : 01 44 88 24 46

Cupcake delirium

Feeling terribly active since we've arrived in this big city and making the most of the endless choices of activies offered, I decided to have a Mummy-Daughter afternoon and join the Cupcake Camp invitation:

Feeling still a bit homesick Expat girl decided for some Swiss Carrot cupcakes, our favourite!

Boy, once again I had thoroughly underestimated Parisian lifestyle. 

We expected a fun, family-style, home-baking get-together.

We discovered a highly professional cupcaking business.

Take a look for yourself.

Category: My dream come true cupcake

Category: Most exoctic ingredients cupcake

Category: Autumn inspiration cupcake

more Autumn inspired cupcakes

Category: Kids' Party cupcakes

Category: Parisian cupcakes

more Parisian cupcakes

Wow!

Expat girl's favourite

Expat girl's 2nd favourite!

Category: Flower Power cupcakes

Category: Fantasy cupcakes

The turn-out by the bakers was nothing less than spectacular.  We have never seen so many beautiful cupcakes assembled in one area – bravo!  Clearly the passion for cupcakes is alive and well in Paris.  The contests were brimming with amazingly decorated and creative cupcakes.

Time to devour our precious treasures.

Expat girl was very disheartened by how poorly our Swiss Carrot cake cupcakes presented themselves in comparison with all the others. I reassured her that the others might look impressive but ours were without a doubt the best tasting cupakes of the entire show. Together we also managed to raise over 6000 Euro for the "Make-a-wish" foundation.

The day was saved when Expat girl pulled out a lucky raffle ticket and won herself a Cook book!

Next year we will definately be back with some spectacular looking AND tasting cupcakes à la Suisse.... just you wait and see!

La butte de Montmartre

La butte de Montmartre is a hill which is 130 metres high, giving its name to the surrounding district, in the north of Paris.

Montmartre is talked about by Parisians the way New Yorkers talk about the village. It's not what it used to be. It's like Disneyland, the artists can't afford to live here anymore and it is overrun by tourists. However, having taken a look at the impressive Basilique Sacre Coeur and the view from the Square Louise Michel, you can understand why.

Pablo Picasso, Amedeo Modigliani, and other impoverished artists lived and worked in a commune, a building called Le Bateau-Lavoir, during the years 1904–1909. Composers, including Satie (who was a pianist at Le Chat Noir), also lived in the area.

There is a small vineyard in the Rue Saint-Vincent, which continues the tradition of wine production in the Île de France. It yields about 500 litres per year.

Montmartre was the setting of the film La Môme, (La vie en rose) which elaborates on the life of famous French singer Edith Piaf and her times in the slums of Paris, and of Amélie, the story of a young Parisian woman determined to help the lives of others and find her true love, is set in an exaggeratedly quaint version of contemporary Montmartre.

A walk around the backside of Montmartre

Friday morning I joined a tour organized by Paris Walks, an English Language Walking tour company founded 15 years ago. What better way to take a look at the exotic French impressionists' lives than guided by a Brit with a sense of humour.

Ready to hit Paris' most trodden pavement

We discovered where Van Gogh lived with his brother. We heard about the latest theory about how he lost his ear during a sword duell with Gauguin. We were told how La Gouloue invented the Can-Can dance. We located where Toulouse-Lautrec danced on the tables despite his illness. And we stood in awe infront  of the windmill where Renoir painted his famous "Bal au moulin de la Galette".

Starting point: The Moulin Rouge

 Moulin de la Galette

Restaurant de la Galette

Ever heard of the famous Dalida? A world-famous singer and actress born in Egypt with Italian origins but naturalised French. In 1973, she recorded a French version of the Italian song "Paroles Paroles", originally performed by Mina, with her close friend Alain Delon.

Dalida's house

Colourful facades....

and vintage cars ....

"Una signora siciliana" who moved to Montmartre in 1936.

She is celebrating her 90th birthday this year!

The opening scene to the flim "Amélie"

A wonderful day to be exploring Paris

Ever wondered where the wine "Clos de Montmartre" comes from?

The "Lapin Agile" was a favorite spot for struggling artists and writers, including Picasso, Modigliani, Apollinaire, and Utrillo who used to pay their bills with scetches.

My absolute favourite: The pink house!

A different side to Montmartre

Heading up the hill towards the crowds 

September 30th and 28ºC