Writers at the Convent - #1 Paris

I had a lovely afternoon on Saturday listening to a range of people talk about the books they had written.  I realised how much I like knowing what was in the author's head when they were writing the book or getting a feel for the type of person the author is.  It was the first time I had been to Melbourne's Abbotsford Convent and the surroundings are beautiful.  There are a few places to eat with umbrellas and tables outside and I was greatly tempted at 5 p.m. to sit down and order a glass of wine, open up one of the books I had bought and take in the view - but my husband and I are having an alcohol free month for February after the excesses of Christmas holiday period. Never mind, maybe next time.

My first session was with Shannon Bennett and Elizabeth Bard featuring food and Paris.  Shannon's book, "Shannon Bennett's Paris" is a mine of information about dining, accommodation, and foodie places to go in Paris, with a focus on Michelin starred restaurants, luxury accommodation, markets, bistros, and patisseries for the sweet treat.  For those of us not contemplating a trip in the near future, there are Parisian recipes to try at home.  Now you might think that you will never dine at a Michelin starred restaurant, but many of the empty nesters in the audience had not only dined at Shannon's Vue de Monde restaurant in Melbourne, but were looking for tips as to where to go in Paris for a similar experience.  Shannon made the comment that with the advent of celebrity chefs and sophisticated cooking shows on TV, we have become more aware of fine dining as a source of entertainment, not just food and thus are prepared to spend more when we go out.  He impressed the audience to think of going to a restaurant in Paris as going to the theatre, where the surroundings and the presentation of the meal at the table are as important as the food.
Elizabeth Bard's book "Lunch in Paris" is an account of her experiences as an American, married to a French man and living in Paris.  No doubt this appealed to the younger side of the audience.  She impressed upon us that Paris is not just a bunch of must see tourist sites, but a place with history, stories to tell, interesting people. To see this side of Paris,  you will need to get out of the tourist merry go round - stay in a residential neighbourhood and just walk the streets, eating where the locals eat, and visiting the Farmers Markets which are a weekly event in Paris.  Elizabeth was enthusiastic about how easy apartments are to rent and often much cheaper than staying in a hotel, and I have to say that in my trip to Paris a few years ago this is what I found (especially if you are travelling with children as I was).  There are websites that you can visit, one of which Elizabeth mentioned was Craigslist.  I'm looking forward to reading her book (which I couldn't resist and bought) to soak in the areas of Paris we tourists rarely venture into.

When asked if they felt that the French had changed and were shrugging off people's perception that they did not welcome strangers, both Shannon and Elizabeth felt strongly that the globalisation of the world has been a big influence on young Parisians as has the lack of jobs for the young people of France.  From Shannon's perspective, he sees more apprentice chefs from France apprenticing in Australian restaurants (for example, L'Austrance, owner Pascal Barbot trained in New Zealand and Australia).  Elizabeth talked about the younger generation being more casual in their food choices and thus more restaurants are doing "cuisine de grandmere" (grandmother's cooking) style of food.  All of which is contributing to a less formal and more friendly feel to the city.

One interesting comment made by both speakers was that they use their mobile phones less when in Paris.  Things are slower in Paris and as Shannon said he walks a lot and  the only worry he has is where next for lunch!

More about my other sessions at the Convent in subsequent posts.