THE PARIS LETTER: Finally, American beer in Paris!

Not available in Paris ... until now!

I don't know if I've written about this before, but you can't get American beer in Paris. Like absolutely you can't get it. Not in a can, not in a bottle, not on draft, not in the supermarket, not in a bar, nowhere. There's one beer store here that occasionally has a few Sierra Nevadas that they sell for 4 Euros each, but that's it, and I'm sure those came over in someone's luggage.

But wait! What's that I see in hip South Pigalle? Could it be Brooklyn Lager ON TAP? Indeed it is, gentle reader, and you could have knocked me over with a pint glass because how is this happening??

Well, all I can tell you is that it IS happening, at a bar called LE GLASS that is some kind of only-in-France mashup of hip cocktail lounge and American college bar - in that it is ALL BLACK and has no sign, but then when you walk in they have numerous American beers and you can order pitchers, onion rings, and hot dogs. Except everyone is wearing black and speaking French. Only in Paris, but there's good beer, so who cares?

LE GLASS is the offspring of the same people who run Candelaria, the Mexican cocktail bar/taco stand in the Marais where I once got very drunk on margaritas. They just opened up Le Glass in September, and I didn't even know about the ABOT (American Beer on Tap) until I walked in - I later learned they're the only bar in all of Paris to offer it. Yay for it being walking distance from my house!

LE GLASS
7 Rue Frochot 75009 Paris
M: Pigalle
Open daily from 7PM-2AM
Too cool to have a phone.

THE PARIS LETTER: A Trip to Brussels

Why yes, that is a giant Brussels sprout

We were looking for an easy and cheap trip to take from Paris with the baby, and we settled on Brussels, just 90 minutes away by train. Brussels is a totally lovely city, and another nice thing about it is that the pressure is off - there are no can't-miss sights.

Normally, this wouldn't be a recommendation for a vacation; as my New York friend Liz put it - "I feel like you're advocating I take a vacation to Philly". But sometimes its just nice to be in a new place, and to make your own schedule. There's no Louvre or Eiffel Tower, just some pretty walks, good food, and even better beer. And French fries. And the European Parliament. You know, some typical weekend stuff.

We arrived at Brussels Midi station around 11:30, and were able to walk to our hotel in about 20 minutes. The impetus for the trip was really that I had a free hotel night from Hotels.com, so we stayed at the Vintage Hotel, a funny little boutique hotel where all the furniture is very Sixties.

On a side note, I'm working on making the photos better on this site. Really I am. I need to start by not taking them with my Blackberry. Or maybe I should just not even have a Blackberry. Seriously.

The hotel was right near the Louise metro, though we ended up never taking any public transit and just walking everywhere - its that kind of town, though with a few more hills than Paris. Matt and I enjoy exploring new cities on foot, and this often leads to some awesome discoveries and some long trudges through boring parts of town. Here are some highlights from our walks, after the jump:

THE PARIS LETTER: Medieval Villages, Architectural Deconstructivism, and Giant Babies

Hello Everyone!

Sorry to have been so out of touch again - My best friend Maya was visiting from the US for the last two weeks, and I ended up running around Paris with her - which was GREAT since I've been feeling so slowed down because of the pregnancy - and not getting around to writing the letter. But I'm back! And with special news from both Paris and Bruges, Belgium, where we spent last weekend drinking beer (Matt), eating Fries (me), and generally having one last get away before our daughter arrives.

Me in Bruges at 34 weeks

Speaking of - that arrival is really getting close! I'm 34 weeks now, although we found out this week that she might actually be OLDER than we thought initially. We had our third trimester sonogram, and afterwards, the doctor was looking at the results with us and said "Votre bebe est un peu...gros." - Yes, she's had a growth spurt, and all her measurements are now in the 85th percentile or higher for her age. The doc thought she looked more like she was 35 or 36 weeks, so it's possible she'll come a little early. I personally feel vindicated by this because I'd been slowing down so much and feeling so huge, with lots of back pain, yet it felt too early for that to happne - but now I know it's because I have Gargantua the Giant Baby living inside me. Oh yes, this has provided for some great nicknames. Matt is also calling her Gigantasaurus Rex. and Gargantuas Prime.

THE PARIS LETTER: The Princess Phase

Hello All:

Sacre Coeur

Hmmm, let's see - it's been a pretty slow week for me here, as I guess befits the end of summer. Matt's really the one who has lots to report - he's been in New York this week dealing with our apartment there, handling the move out of the old tenants and the move in of the new ones, and making sure some minor repairs get done - plus, of course, eating a lot of barbecue and drinking a lot of beer. He actually told me last night that he's done with beer and hamburgers for a little while - like me, he gorged himself on them while in the US and now needs a break. Well, at least from the hamburgers ;) I'm not convinced he'll need much of a break from the beer.