Travel Tuesday: The Beauty of the Opéra National de Paris ( Paris Opera House)

Although I've been blessed with the gift of travelling to Paris three times prior to earlier this month, each visit brings new eye opening moments and cherishable memories.  My friends Swati, Maisie, and I visited the Opéra National de Paris (Paris Opera House) and what a beautiful visit it was. 

Just finding the entrance to the opera house was an epic experience. We kept circling around and around until we came upon the hidden point of entry. Humorous indeed, it's best to be light hearted and have fun in life, even if it takes longer than expected to find an entrance to a venue. I'm still laughing about that venture. Love it!!! 

The Paris Opera House was just stunning, what a beautiful day-as you can see from the photo below!! 

It's as gorgeous from the interior as it is from the exterior. It was a beautiful day and there was a wonderful street musician performing right outside of the steps where he had a full audience of lunch goers enjoying the weather. The moment reminded me of the flute player at the Louvre I stumbled upon one evening in December of 2013 and it was a reminder to just stop and listen to the music of life. 

Below are a few pictures to provide a glimpse of the beauty inside. 

What a grand entrance, stunning architecture. 

This lobby is adjacent to the ticket office. Self guided tours cost of the Palais Garnier are €10. 

A student works on his assignment. There were students throughout the Paris Opera House, creating!! What a gift to be able to capture on paper, what the eyes see! 

A library of musical collections, musical movements! 

Flash photography isn't allowed inside, but I hope you still can see past the lack of lighting and see the beauty. 

The ceiling and chandillier inside of the Opera House. 

View of the stage, performances take place throughout the year! 

Another student artist recreating the beauty of what's before her eyes. 

One of my favourite moments. I just marveled at the beauty of the art in front of me. I also thought about the Disney cartoon Anastasia, childhood nostalgia. The moment reminded me of the ballroom dancing scene from the movie. Oh, how I wish I could have danced there! 

Visiting the Paris Opera House with my friends was ever so special and I look forward to returning someday to see a performance.

May you enjoy the beauty of the places you visit! Bon Voyage!! 

Motivation Monday: The Beauty of Travel Adventures

The unexpected delights of travelling provide memories for which we can place no value on. Priceless. 

Reflecting on my most recent travel adventures brings so many smiles to my face. I was inspired to pair the quote on the above photo, taken of the staircase leading to Mt. Saint Michel in beautiful France. Something spectacular happens when you let go and begin your travel adventures. Truly you gain love for the places you visit and a piece of your heart is left behind and within your heart you carry pieces of the places you have experienced and seen. May you be motivated to travel- to give and gain of your heart, leaving each destination with great appreciation for the places you have seen, the culture you have experienced, and the people you have crossed paths with. Bon Voyage!!! 

Sunny Sunday- view from Sundown

Every year our family rent a house for the weekend so guarantee a weekend we're all together for some quality time. This year Granny rented Sundown in a tiny Cornish village called Downderry. 

This house is so spacious! The master bedroom is about the size of our downstairs- it has a walk in closet, which has now become the baby's room and an ensuite! The house sleeps 12, which when looking for accommodation for this large number the options decrease significantly. 

The view from our bedroom balcony. 

There are three living room areas, a large kitchen and dining room, games room, five bathrooms, six bedrooms, and the lawn ends on the beach and in the sea. Amazing! I'd recommend this hose for large families, groups of friends, or couples. 

It's easy to get to from London- 3-4 hour drive and you're listening to the sea and watching the waves- bliss! 

Savoury Saturday- Thai Green Curry

Savoury Saturday- Thai Green Curry 

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 
2 large turkey breast, diced into small cubes 
4 spring onions, finely diced 
45g Bart's Thai Green Curry paste 
200g coconut milk 
140g Philadelphia Cream Cheese 
250g bouillon vegetable stock
1 red pepper diced 
100g green beans, chopped 
150g baby corn chopped 

1. In a wok, heat oil 
2. Add turkey and sautée for 3 minutes until white 
3. Add spring onions and curry paste, stir until blended 
4. Add coconut milk & stock, add Philadelphia and reduce heat until curry is bubbly gently 
5. Add vegetables, and simmer for 10 minutes 
6. Serve with rice and enjoy

Feature Friday- Be happy!

Today is the first day of Spring and International Happiness Day! This photo was taken earlier this week at Square de la Tour-Saint-Jacques in Paris. Wishing you all a season of beauty! Happy 2015 Happiness Day! 😃

Daffodils in full bloom in Paris, France. 

Travel Tuesday- Seatown

 Seatown is a tiny village right on the coastline in Devon/Dorset. It's a single Lane to get down to the sea, but once you're down there is a lovely shingled beach sun trap. 

In 1992 there was a humped back whale in the bay that followed a fishing boat & let children ride on it! Then in 1999 there was a pod of dolphins playing in the area. 

The Anchor Inn, aptly named is a refurbished pub that serves real ales and fantastic food. It's busy and has a beautiful view. 

There is plenty of parking with a carpark that charges £2 per day or first come first serve parking at the pub- only whilst using the Anchor Inn. 

We stopped for lunch and to get some fresh air on our way down to Devon. The beach and pub are dog friendly and frequented by locals, passers by and is child-friendly. 

Delicious menu with daily specials, a variety of ciabatta sandwiches, light bites or a selection of main courses. We chose sandwiches- chicken and chorizo with basil Creme Fraiche and  Brie with roasted red pepper and sun-dried tomatoe pesto. Served with dressed green salad. 

Savoury Saturday from Chow.com 10 Good Luck Foods for Chinese New Year

We found this great list from chow.com and hope you enjoy!! 

10 Good Luck Foods for Chinese New Year

By Roxanne Webber, published on Tuesday, February 3, 2015

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While the Western New Year is more about drinking, the Chinese New Year is an opportunity to honor family and friends, and to enjoy some culinary traditions. We consulted Fuchsia Dunlop, author of Shark’s Fin and Sichuan Pepper, and Doris Lum, president of the Association of Chinese Cooking Teachers, as well as Rosemary Gong’s book on Chinese culture and celebrations, Good Luck Life, to find out what foods we should have on hand to ensure a prosperous and happy year to come.

1. Tangerines and Oranges
Displaying and eating these fruits is said to bring wealth and luck. According to the Chinese Culture Center of San Francisco, the tradition stems from the way the Chinese words for gold and orange sound alike, while the word for tangerine echoes luck. “It’s good if they have leaves,” adds Lum, “because leaves symbolize longevity.” But don’t group them in fours, because, Dunlop says, this number is associated with death.

2. Long Noodles
If noodles are served, then “keep them as long as possible for long life,” says Lum.

3. The Tray of Togetherness
Put out for visiting relatives to snack on, or given as a gift, the eight (“a traditionally symbolic lucky number,” explains Dunlop) compartments of the tray are filled with things such as preserved kumquats for prosperity, coconut for togetherness, longans to bring many sons, and red melon seeds for happiness.

4. Nian Gao
“Nian gao means year cake, but gao sounds the same as the word for tall or high,” says Dunlop. Hence the cakes symbolize achieving new heights in the coming year. The steamed sweets are made of glutinous rice flour, brown sugar, and oil. Some versions have white sesame seeds, red dates, or nuts in them (the dates are said to bring “early prosperity,” writes Gong in Good Luck Life). If you want to try your hand at making nian gao, here's our recipe. Chowhounds also have some tips.

5. Pomelo
This large citrus fruit is popular, writes Gong, because it is thought to bring “continuous prosperity and status.” The tradition comes from the way the Cantonese phrase for pomelo sounds similar to the words for prosperity and status, explains Lum.

6. Jai
This vegetarian dish is eaten because it’s “part of the Buddhist culture to cleanse yourself with vegetables,” says Lum. It’s also packed with good-luck foods, writes Gong, breaking it down by ingredient: sea moss for prosperity; lotus seeds for children/birth of sons; noodles for longevity; lily buds to “send 100 years of harmonious union”; Chinese black mushrooms to “fulfill wishes from east to west”; and more. Try our recipe.

7. Long Leafy Greens and Long Beans
Gong writes that leafy greens, such as Chinese broccoli, are “served whole to wish a long life for parents.”

8. Whole Fish
The Chinese word for fish sounds like the word for abundance, says Lum. It’s important that the fish is served with the head and tail intact, writes Gong, “to ensure a good start and finish and to avoid bad luck throughout the year.”

9. Sweets
Serving desserts brings a sweet life in the new year. Gong writes that a childhood favorite was the flaky cookie pockets called gok jai, filled with peanuts, coconut, and sesame.

10. Yuanbao (Jiaozi)
“In North China, everyone eats the jiaozi dumplings,” says Dunlop. “Families will make a dough and wrap it around pork and cabbage, and boil [the dumplings], then serve them with vinegar and soy sauce. You can wrap them in the shape of an old silver ingot.” Gong writes that during New Year celebrations jiaozi are called yuanbao, a reference to the ancient, ingot-shaped Chinese currency, and that eating them is said to bring prosperity. While making them, families sometimes tuck added good-luck foods like peanuts (to bring long life) into some of them.

Tray of Togetherness photo by hale_popoki / Flickr; Chinese broccoli photo by jules / Flickr. All other photos by Chris Rochelle / CHOW

This story was originally published in February 2009