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For the Love of Peonies

May 26, 2011 by

(Photo source)

Right about this time every year, my thoughts turn to gardening. Like any aspiring French girl, gardening, and particularly the flowers in the garden, are an important part of spring and summer. It is also right about this time when my peonies first start appearing.

You may wonder why I chose to single out the peonies in my garden, when I have so many flowers to choose from. Peonies, as well as lilacs, take me back to my childhood, and are really one of the first flowers I remember tending to as a  young girl. On one of my first trips to a neighbor’s garden, I saw a huge plant with large, vibrantly pink color flowers that always appeared to be drooping because their heads were too heavy to hold straight. I asked her what the flowers were called and my neighbor replied, “Peonies – one of the most beautiful flowers.”

In very early times, peonies were not just known for their “looks”. Peonies – from the bark to the petals – were used for their medicinal purposes, reportedly among the Chinese and eventually the Greeks. Today, peonies are known for their beautiful petals, bright colors, and sweet, intoxicatingly fresh scent. If you don’t believe me, stop by a L’Occitane store to smell their new line of peony products. You’ll be floating on a cloud of peony petals in no time.

Although peonies can be found growing all over the world, one of the most common places to find them is in the Mediterranean. When I traveled to Spain a few years ago, I remember seeing a small field full of peony bushes of all different colors. I, of course, had no idea that they came is so many colors and could even grown in the wild (such a naive gardener!). Little did I know that there are hundreds of kinds of peonies and probably hundreds of colors of peonies as well.

Years later, when I bought my first house, I remember being very excited to find a peony bush in the back yard. Now, each spring, I get to enjoy a little bit of my childhood and the Mediterranean all over again. I admit, I am definitely not a master garden but my peonies make me try a little harder.

Filed Under: Lifestyle Tagged With: , , ,

Charming Baltimore

May 23, 2011 by

This morning at work, I mentioned to a colleague that I just spent the weekend in Baltimore. He replied, “that sounds about as exciting as saying you went to Jersey.”  On the contrary, I felt that Baltimore had a lot to offer, even to a seasoned traveler. I, of course, had the great fortune of being in Baltimore over Preakness weekend. For those of you who are not familiar with Preakness, it is the second race that makes up the Triple Crown horse racing circuit, preceded by the Kentucky Derby and just prior to the Belmont Stakes. Although we were not able to attend Preakness, we did experience the great excitement of the race all around the city, including in our own hotel lobby, as picture above.

Beyond the once-a-year Preakness, Baltimore does lend itself to a wonderful long weekend, especially if the weather is nice. In fact, Baltimore has been called the Charm City because of the appeal of its neighborhoods and its friendly, unpretentious citizens.

A Few of My Favorite Things about Baltimore…

  • Inner Harbor Area – The stretch of land that encircles a narrow section of Chesapeake Bay is home to museums, restaurants, bars, water tours, and shops – not to mention a few street performers.
  • Fell’s Point – If you go anywhere in Baltimore, let it be Fell’s Point. This historic hotspot – line with uneven brick streets and walkways –  spans a 3-4 block radius that offers bars, cafes, trés chic shopping, and many places just to take a stroll or people watch. Think the inner harbor but way less touristy. Be sure to check out Pitango Gelato, the chocolate noir is heavenly.
  • Restaurant variety – Baltimore may not be a foodie mecca, but it definitely has nothing to be ashamed of. You can find just about any type of food in the downtown area, from Lebanese to Asian, to steak houses, to tapas bars and cafes. And who could forget those famous crab cakes!
  • History – If you’re a history buff, Baltimore is the place to be. Aside from former civil war ships docked in the harbor, it’s also home to Federal Hill, which earned its name in 1788, when thousands of Baltimoreans marched from Fells Point to the hill in celebration of the Maryland General Assembly’s ratification of the Constitution.
  • Proximity – One of my very favorite things about Baltimore is how everything seems to be within walking distance in the downtown area. A 15-25 minute walk can take you from the inner harbor to Fell’s Point and not without passing dozens of sites to peruse along the way.

Ciao!

Filed Under: Travel Tagged With: , , ,

A Bistro Chic Star is Born

May 19, 2011 by

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For those of you who do not know, this Bistro Chic’s day job sometimes requires her to be behind the camera – a video camera – directing/producing videos. Hence the reason I travel as much as I do.

Last week, during yet another cross country video shoot in Denver, my role as producer changed. This time, I found myself in front of the camera, not behind it! As you can see in the above photo, I was given the full star treatment with a hair and makeup artist, then promptly put under hot lights for 6 hours. Of course, I didn’t let my few minutes of stardom go to my head. Still, I have to admit, I could seriously get used to this attention!

Off to Baltimore today for 3 days. Fell’s Point here I come!

Ciao

Filed Under: Misc Tagged With: , , ,

A Boulder Latte

May 16, 2011 by



This week, I was lucky enough to travel to Denver for work. After many hours of being under studio lights with heavy makeup, my colleagues and I decided it was time for a coffee break. Little did we know that our coffee break would take us 30 minutes away to a small cafe in Boulder.

If you’re not familiar with Boulder, it is part mountain town, part college town, with a strong feel of granola. I imagine it as having the same feel as Berkley, California, although I’ve never been there.

While in Boulder, my companions and I found a lovely cafe, The Cup, where I was instantly transported back to my college days. Located on the happening Pearl street, The Cup housed patrons from students, to families, to tourists, to professionals such as ourselves.

I was amazed at the selection of food, coffees, and other goodies that were available. I ordered a small skim vanilla latte and realized after taking one sip that I should have ordered the large. Oh my, the predictable Starbucks has nothing on these guys! Aside from the incredibly rich flavor (I still think it had whole milk, although I watched them pour skim), the presentation was like none I’d ever seen. I may be naive in the realm of grunge coffee, but the way that barista poured and stirred my latte was a work of art. See the above photo – where the proof is in the pudding. Never mind the flower’s resemblance to marijuana – it’s Boulder after all.

When I finished my drink I was completely full and yet somehow longed for another. And I was not the only one in the group who felt this way. We said goodbye to the Boulder cafe with heavy hearts not knowing when we’d see our new “friend” once more.

But alas, we returned this very morning before heading to the airport. And yes, this time, I ordered the large….sigh.

Filed Under: Travel Tagged With: , ,

San Antonio Pizza

May 12, 2011 by



Bonjour everyone! I’m back in San Antonio and have just eaten at a fabulous bistro near the Riverwalk. Who would have thought that gorgonzola, figs, and Italian ham would go great on a pizza?

Next stop – Denver!

Ciao

Filed Under: Travel Tagged With: ,
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