The Grain and Grape

A great feature of living in Stuttgart, Germany is the high speed train that runs directly to Paris. We booked our train tickets, and a Croissant Baking Class, for a quick weekend getaway. A friend took this class last summer, and we are happy to add our recommendation to hers, for this fun, hands-on experience learning the secrets to baking the perfect croissant.

Exploring Paris

We stored our bags at the hotel and set off for a free afternoon in Paris. The metro brought us to Les Puces de Saint-Ouen, a highly recommended historic Flea Market, running since 1870. We found what we thought was the Flea Market, but it was more like a Bazaar full of knock-off designer purses, sweatshirts, and shoes.

This was not what we were looking for, so we headed back to central Paris, toward Notre Dame. We love walking along the River Seine, shopping at the Bouquinistes, traditional second-hand booksellers set up in small stalls. These are so fun to browse along, for the books, vintage posters, historic maps, and more. We bought a few souvenirs, then stopped in at Pub Saint Michel for a drink, sitting outside enjoying the sunshine.

Our hotel was a short walk back from the riverfront, and we stayed around our neighborhood for dinner. We thought about eating some great Asian or African food while in this international city, but the flowery front of Le Nesle Brasserie drew us in. We joined the other diners in tight seating out front, which somehow manages to work in a very lovely Parisian way. The evening weather was still perfect for sitting outside to enjoy steak frites and red wine.

Wandering the quaint streets after dinner, we found The Highlander pub, and we had to stop in and check it out. It is not the most Scottish pub we’ve ever been to, but there was a photo of Robert Burns, and the bartenders and locals were very welcoming. We enjoyed trading travel stories and left with a few new friends.

Croissant Baking Class

Sunday morning we woke up early, packed, and had breakfast in the hotel breakfast room, in a beautiful stone-walled basement. After checking out, we hopped into an Uber and set off to the Marais district for our Croissant Baking Class. Another lovely, quaint neighborhood with cobblestone streets and outdoor cafes, we always find there is so much more to explore in this city.

Chef Delphine welcomed in our class of 8, a fun group of Americans, from Texas, Washington State, and Minnesota. Chef walked us through the croissant making process, including key tips and tricks. There is a science to making sure the simple ingredients came together just right to create the perfect, flaky, buttery, French Croissant. We ended up with wonderful tasty treats to try and enough to take home for snacks on the train.

A super fun culinary experience!

Paris Flea Market

With a few hours left before our train, and suspecting that we missed something the day before at the Flea Market, we decided to give it another go. When we reached the 18th Arr. again, we found our error. We had turned away one block too soon! Just past the Bazaar and off of a street lined with antique stores, is Les Puces (the Fleas) de Saint-Ouen, hundreds of winding stalls full of vintage treasures.

After finding a few treasures to bring home, we bought Croque Monsieurs (toasted ham and cheese sandwiches) from a food truck for lunch, then headed to the train station. Our train was on time, and we settled into our seats for our ride home, with the SNCF running very smoothly at a top speed of 325 kph (200 mph) for the 3+ hour ride back to Stuttgart.

Even though it was a quick trip, it was a wonderful outing. We treasure both our memories and our photos of Paris, Baking Croissants, and a very unique Flea Market.

Au Revoir!

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