Wing Shui Chinese Restaurant at 53 North Street in Kingston, NY
I have been eating at Wing Shui Chinese Restaurant for several years since I dined there back in 2018 and fell in love with their egg rolls which are some of the best I have ever had. They are one of the few restaurants in Kingston, NY that is still reasonable as the area around the “Stockade Section” section of the city has gentrified. It sits as an old guard to the more expensive upscale restaurants that have opened in recent years.
The egg rolls at Wing Shui are some of the best I have eaten.
The egg rolls are loaded with chopped roast pork.
I have tried a few of the restaurant’s dishes and…
On May 21st, 2023, the New Jersey/New York Volunteer Firemen’s Association honored former Hasbrouck Heights Fire Chief Chris Semenecz for his years of service to the fire service. Chief Semenecz passed away last July after 37 years on the fire department. Former Chief Semenecz was an active member of the Hasbrouck Heights Volunteer Fire Department for 37 years, retiring in 2021.
He has the Second Assistant Chief in 1990-91, the Assistant Chief in 1991-92 before serving as Chief in 1992-93. He also served as President of the Hasbrouck Heights Exempt Association from 1990 to 2000, and server as the Treasurer of the Hasbrouck Heights Relief Association from 1994 until present. Many Hasbrouck Heights residents will remember him as one of Santa’s representatives during the Fire Department’s Annual “Santa Around Town.”
The honor was presented to his widow, Janie Semenecz, by former Chief of the Hasbrouck Heights Fire Department, Tim Moots and by former Engine One and Department Secretary, Justin Watrel. Mrs. Semenecz was joined by her sister for the presentation at her home and was very honored to accept recognition from the organization in honor of her husband’s dedication for years at the Hasbrouck Heights Fire Department.
The picture features former HHFD Chief Tim Moots, Mrs. Janie Semenecz and former HHFD Secretary Justin Watrel.
The Summer NYC Fancy Food Show at the Javits Center in Manhattan
I look forward to attending the NYC Fancy Food Show every June and this year did not disappoint me. It still is not as large as it was pre-COVID in 2019 when it took up every inch of the Javits Center, but the show was just as large as last year with many new innovative products to see and sample and a much larger series of foreign pavilions. Many countries brought over excellent products that were beautifully packaged and tasted wonderful.
My first part of the visit to the show, I visited the foreign pavilions to see the new developments from aboard. Some of the most interesting products I saw came from France, Italy, Ecuador, Egypt, and South Korea. They had the nicest array of appetizers, drinks and snacks that I think are going to be very popular in the United States.
The South Korean Pavilion had many wonderful food items this year that I feel will be very successful in the American market. The packaging was creative and the flavors of these food items will appeal to everyone.
The first item was Granarolo Cheese Crisps by Mimi Foods
These crisp little cheese crackers have some of the most intense flavors. The cheese is baked right into them, and you can taste the sharpness of the cheese and the savory flavors. These little treats stand on their own and make a great snack on their own or with a glass of wine.
The Honey Butter Corn Chips were the most innovative snack food at the show. These honey flavored snacks were crisp and buttery. I had never tasted some so unique and delicious. The were the best flavor in the collection of snacks.
Another food item that impressed me the most was the ice cream bars from Melona. These were the best frozen treats at the show, and I was surprised to find out that they were only available in the Asian supermarkets like Hmart. The flavors are infused with fresh fruit puree and in a three-day period especially the last day of the show when I ate five different flavors can attest that each one has its own unique taste to it.
The original Honey Dew melon is delicious and refreshing, the mango has a rich and sharp flavor of the fruit, and the strawberry had the consistency of chunk of fresh fruit inside. I managed to eat every one of the flavors available (it did hit me later on though eating all those bars) but each one of the flavors in the product line stands on its own and these should be available in all supermarkets as I know this dessert will be popular with everyone.
The vendor made each flavor available to all show goers.
The Melona Ice Cream bars from South Korea were just amazing!
The mango flavors were so intense and sweet this popular flavor will be one of their best in the future.
The Egyptian Pavilion:
Another vendor that I thought was excellent was Kamara Baked Goods in the Egyptian Pavilion. The ‘Hostess’ of Egypt, Kamara Baked Goods has their own take on the snack food industry with cakes, cookies and biscuits that just a bit sweeter than their American counterparts. The selection is a combination of Hostess and Keebler items with similar packaging but a more complex flavor. I can see their products being very popular in the United States.
Karma Baked Goods from the Happy Sweet Food Industries
The CEO of the Happy Sweet Food Industries happened to be at the show and could not have been more generous with me taking samples on the last day of the show. I was able to try all of these products plus a few more at the show that I did not have the packaging for, and I have to say that I was really impressed with the flavor and quality of each of the products.
Karma Baked Goods samples that I tried.
The two I really enjoyed the most was the Chocolate Biscuit filled with marshmallow and topped with more Chocolate and the Strawberry Doughnut which had a nice sweetness due to the thick layer of strawberry frosting one top it.
My favorite snacks from Karama Baked Goods the Taw Taw Strawberry Doughnuts and Chocolate Marshmallow Cookie. They had such nice flavors, and I can see American children loving these.
From the French Pavilion, there were a few food vendors that were standouts:
The French every year at the show showcase some of the best quality products of any country represented at the show. With the products that may not stand up to other countries, they always have the lock on packaging. The French understand that the quality of the product is not just in the ingredients and in the flavor of it but how it is presented. Every product that was in their pavilion looked like a gift that you could immediately give someone. Coming back recently from Paris, I can tell there is a pride in everything that they produce.
Chateau Fougères is no exception. These delightful cheese puffs and their mini breads were the talk of everyone who tried them that afternoon. The vendor seemed to take pride in that we were fighting to get a sample of these warm little cheese puffs. The flavor of the cheese was sharp, and savory and these small treats are perfect as an appetizer or an accompaniment to a salad or with drinks. The small bread puffs were the perfect side to salads or to a small plate of pasta. I thought in the American market these would be perfect in a breadbasket at brunch.
Chocolat des Francais was another vendor who used their unique packaging as an attention grabber at the show. Their packaging for their delicious candy bars and chocolates are done by artists who have their eye on the regional markets they are being sold in.
I thought these New York City themed bars were really clever. This is something I would have seen at Bloomingdale’s in the 1980’s in their gourmet department. These really stood out for their creative packaging and a great way to sell the candy in store across New York City. I especially liked the Statue of Liberty themed bar.
Tucked downstairs in the Ecuador Pavilion was Plantain Republic, a vendor of unique snacks made from plantains. Of their snack products, their fried Toastones were the best. These thick crunchy snacks really stood out for their saltiness and flavor of the crisps. These thick cut snacks had a great snap with every bite.
As I walked through the aisles of the rest of the show after exploring the country pavilions, I came across so many wonderful products made right in our country that the list was too long to mention. Many you can see in previous blogs on the foods show but there were quite a few standouts this year that may not have won all the awards but won me over big. I had to go back a couple of times to make sure I was right (they did not have to twist my arm with samples). So many of them were happy to see me a second time and told me more about their products and their companies.
The Appetizers:
One of my favorite vendors at the show and who was very popular with many of the visitors those three days was Wei Chuan Foods. This family run company out of California had the most delicious chicken dumplings, roast pork buns and spring rolls. Samples here never lasted long and even one of the salespeople complained that people were eating the displays.
Their dumplings were full of flavor and well spiced and tasted really good with the soy sauce dipping sauce. Everything tasted homemade.
Wei Chuan Foods was one of the most popular booths at the NYC Fancy Food Show with this family run business of delicious Chinese appetizers and starters.
Their Pork Buns and Chicken Dumplings were wonderful and cooked up so nicely. These samples never lasted too long. The Pork Buns were filled with a sweet roast pork and tasted like they had just been made at the show.
Wei Chuan Foods
Wei Chuan Foods
Their food selection was so popular that people were eating the displays.
Another Chinese food vendor that was very popular with the visitors to the show was Dumpling Daughter. The owner’s mother was out welcoming all of us to try these delicious dumplings and I have to say she had no problem getting a crowd. The pork and chive dumplings were excellent. I loved their stuffed mascot as well. That would be a nice side business to sell their plush dumpling.
Another type of dumpling that was popular at the show was Roza’s Dumplings and Pierogies. These stuffed delights were cooked in butter and had a nice chewy consistency.
Roza’s Dumplings were another huge hit at the show
I only got to try the Chicken Dumplings, but I thought they were well spiced and cooked up nicely. I can see these being served with sour cream and apple sauce.
Another vendor that had long lines for sampling was a local New Jersey food merchant who created these amazing potato appetizers. I was able to grab a half of one of the Stuft Fundu’s but from the taste and consistency there are excellent.
These small snacks had the consistency of a potato croquette and the I was able to sample the cheese filled spuds and they cooked up very nicely and were well spiced. I could never get back to the table again as they were always busy, but the product was delicious.
There were many pizza products from cheese to sauce and all sorts of frozen entrees to choose from at the show. There was one that really stood out and I swear it was like eating a fresh pizza. Pinsa Love Pizza was a crackly, crisp pizza with a flavorful sauce that baked up beautifully.
The sauce was well spiced and tasted of fresh tomatoes and olive oil and topped with a gooey cheese. Again another vendor that had a very busy table. When the representative from the company told me this was a frozen premade pizza, I was surprised with its consistency and taste. It tasted like a fresh pie.
You would never know that this was a frozen premade pizza.
Popcorn:
I have seen many popcorn vendors at the show but two really stood out at this show. Fisher’s Popcorn I had tried in the past in their store in Rehoboth Beach, DE on the boardwalk. Their Carmel and Cheese popcorn is sweet and savory with a sharp cheese flavor with their cheese popcorn.
My favorite flavor at the food show was the Caramel with Old Bay Seasoning. The spices really bring out the taste of the caramel and this unusual combination works beautifully. Their bagged popcorns taste just like it had been made at the store.
Another wonderful popcorn vendor was Garrett Popcorn out of Chicago. I really loved their Garrett Mix, which was their version of Caramel and Cheddar Cheese popcorn which was popular at the show. Their version of their sweet and savory flavor combination was excellent as well. What I like about their popcorn was there was none of those annoying kernels at the bottom of the bag.
Their standard Butter Popcorn and their Caramel and Cheese popcorn were extremely popular at the show.
Candies:
I had sampled so many chocolates, caramels and jellies at the show that they began to blend into one another. I am not partial to dark chocolate which I find bitter and the candies that had no sugar gave some of the candies no flavor whatsoever.
One candy that really stood out for its taste and uniqueness was the Bonbo Marshmallow Fluff covered candies. These bonbons were melted in your mouth good. They were not the standard marshmallow smores like candies but when you bit into them, it was a marshmallow spread was on top of a cookie and then covered in chocolate. When I sampled them, the guy serving them said to me that I would not taste anything like this at the show. He was right.
Bonbo Dream Puff by Leonessa imported by Galil Brands
These large bonbons ooze open when you bite into these candies, and you can taste the sweet marshmallow fluff with the tasty milk chocolate. You need to two hands to eat them. One for the candy and one for the napkin you will need to hold when eating them.
The one standout for being a very different type of cookies is Whoa Dough’s Chocolate Chip cookies. They use a combination of Gluten Free Oat Flour, Chickpea Flour and Tapioca Flour that gives it its chewiness. Using cane and brown sugar gives the cookies their sweetness that high fructose corn syrup never could. When I tried these cookies, you would swear that they are regular chocolate chip cookies. These gluten, nut, soy, dairy, and egg free vegan cookies will be very popular with people that have allergies who still like to indulge in sweets.
RoRo’s Bakery, a small family company specializes in just a few types of baked goods but what they do is delicious. Their buttery and chewy dinner rolls are delicious and just need a little honey to make them a nice dinner companion.
What really stood out was their Cinnamon Rolls with their light icing and their sweet combination of butter and cinnamon. I had to try a few of them to get the full delight of their flavor and the ladies who ran the company seemed happy that I came back a few times with a smile on my face. They are a wonderful freshly baked product that are perfect for breakfast and brunch.
I was cornered by the vendor representative from Cookie Wild Ice Cream sandwiches to try their product when I was walking down the aisle and I am glad that he did. The Cookie Wild Ice Cream sandwich is a different take on the traditional ice cream sandwich.
This crisp chocolate wafer cookie was topped with a creamy vanilla ice cream with caramel and dipped in a chocolate coating. When you bite into it, it has a crisp chewy consistency with a caramel filling that oozes out with each bite. Crunchy and sweet, it a complex dessert with every bite. it is like an ice cream sundae in a sandwich form.
Another delicious dessert with New Jersey roots is the Mochi from Mochidoki. These sweet little delights have a favorful ice cream wrapped in a sweet rice coating.
These little bites come in various flavors but the standouts here were the Vanilla Bean and the Passion Fruit (as seen above) which have a nice sweetness to them. Mochi makes such a nice dessert after a spicy Asian meal or just for a snack anytime.
There were many, many different wonderful vendors at the show but these vendors really impressed me with their uniqueness, flavors and tastes. They stood out for just being different from the other versions from the same categories.
This is when we start to see innovation mixed with quality when shopping for groceries for our families.
On a recent trip to the grocery store, I came across an alternative to Hostess Fruit pies, which is one of my biggest weaknesses. JJ’s Bakery out of Erie, PA are now being carried by our local store and I had never seen this brand before. I bought their mini-Cherry Pies as a treat to myself. Talk about delicious with such a rich flavor in the cherries.
JJ’s Bakery Mini Cherry Pies
These flaky little pies are the perfect treat for a snack or after a big meal and you need something sweet. They are filled to the brim with sweet and tart cherries which makes the perfect dessert.
I saw online that they have other varieties of flavors so I will have to look out for them when I visit the store the next time…
Don’t miss this terrific little hole in the wall pizzeria right near the SUNY campus in Harlem
* When visiting Harlem over the weekend of May 1st, 2025, all the businesses on this block were closed and padlocked, King Pizza among them. They are now permanently closed. Another great and reasonable place to dine in Manhattan is gone.
King Pizza at 110 West 145th Street in Harlem
The slices here can be cut in half and serve two people perfectly.
There are many pizzerias all over New York City but some stand out more than others. There are some that are just so unassuming, and you would not think twice about going to eat there. This is what I thought of King Pizza of Harlem until I stopped there last year for a quick lunch when I was walking “The Great Saunter”, the 32-mile perimeter walk of Manhattan.
It was raining like crazy last May and I needed to stop in to get something to eat and get out of the rain. I have passed this pizzeria so many times and never stopped in. I am glad that I did. The food and service are excellent.
On the afternoon of June 10th, 2023, the Bergen County Firemen’s Home Association sponsored our annual barbecue which we sponsor each June for residents and their families at the NJ State Firemen’s Home in Boonton, NJ. With the COVID restrictions slowly being lifted, families were finally able to join us for the occasion which makes these events special. This annual picnic is paid for the Bergen County Firemen’s Home Association with the generosity from fire departments all over Bergen County.
We lucked out with a sunny, warm day and this got residents and their families outside to enjoy the nice weather and a wonderful food. The members of the kitchen staff along with our member and grill master, NJ State Firemen’s Association President Bob Ordway, cooked a wonderful barbecue lunch that included chili, hamburgers, hot dogs, ribs, potato and cole slaw salads, corn on the cob, baked beans…
On our third day in Prague, we got out of the city to visit the spa town of Karlovy Vary. Our professor wanted to show us tourism sites outside of Prague as a way of furthering our knowledge of the country as well as show us other places that tourists can visit when they are in the Czech Republic.
The entrance to the downtown from the train station is very impressive but old until you get further into the downtown.
We took a train ride out of the city and that was interesting as the train was packed with people both going into the town and leaving the town that day. Getting a seat was an adventure. When we arrived at Karlovy Vary I was not too sure what to expect. What I experienced was a beautiful spa resort town with gorgeous Victorian architecture, excellent restaurants and shops, a extensive history of the spa industry of the area due to the mineral water springs and a whimsical turn of the century luxury hotel right in the center of it all.
Arriving in Downtown Karlovy Vary in the Czech Republic
When we first arrived, it was early in the morning. The City was just beginning to wake up and we had the downtown to ourselves. RIght by the train station, the city seemed a bit quiet but when we walked in the entrance to the downtown, I could not tell you how impressed I was with the beauty of Karlovy Vary. The Becherovka bottle statue would be our meeting place at the end of the tour at the end of the day.
The Becherovka Bottle would be our meeting place at the end of the day
The city is row after row of delightful Victorian buildings with the Beaux Arts style looking almost like a wedding cake with all the embellishments.
Touring the picturesque downtown in Karlovy Vary
When we arrived in town, we did not have time to eat breakfast before we left Prague so we stopped at a few places to see what we could find. We came across Coffee Republic, a small funky coffee shop similar to those we see in Greenwich Village and had breakfast.
What a great meal we all had! It was fun to stop and just relax on this glorious morning.
Republica Coffee was our savior that morning
It was just nice to stop and relax. We had a nice time talking to the owners who had very different sodas and desserts on their menu.
The inside of Republica Coffee
The pastry selection in the cases
Their drink selection had a the most unusual and delicious local brands to purchase
I needed my sugar fix for the long day of walking. I had a traditional Honey Cinnamon cake and pear juice drink. Since it was such a nice morning, we were able to sit outside in the outdoor cafe. The cake had layers and layers of goodness.
Now this is a breakfast! Honey Cinnamon Cake and a Classic Pear drink by Cappy
The seating was just like New York with the outdoor seating and over head umbrellas. Since it was so early in the morning when we arrived, we were the only ones in the coffee shop and pretty much kept the staff busy for that part of the morning. People loved it when our group arrived with twelve hungry people all the time.
Sitting outside was fun on a warm sunny day
My classmates that morning chilling out before our full day of touring.
After breakfast was over, our group walked the historical downtown on our way to our tour of the Mineral Baths complex. It was one of the most beautiful downtowns I have ever seen and it put Saratoga to shame.
Starting our downtown tour through the beautiful streets of Karlovy Vary
On our way to the tour of the Mineral Baths of the City of Karlovy Vary, which is what gave the town is point of the map for being a spa town, we winded through the Victorian laden streets admiring all the elegant buildings, pocket parks, fountains and statuary of the city. I fell in love with the area in just the first half hour.
The whole town was built after the Civil War and the start of the Industrial Revolution that followed that era. When King Charles IV discovered that the mineral waters cured the wounds on his leg established a spa here and that was the beginning of the town’s development. The Victorian architecture that is now well protected under historical guidelines was built when German, French, Czech and American tourists came here for treatment after the war.
The streets were lined with interesting independent shops, restaurants and bakeries including surprisingly enough a very popular McDonalds that was always busy. I could not believe how popular McDonald’s was in both France and the Czech Republic! Just shows the power of American cultural influence all over the world. Plus people really like the food.
When we reached the center of the town and discovered the most beautiful garden that had the most unusual feature, a garden that in the landscaping had the day of the week. They must have to change this every day but it was fun to look at.
The day of the week is done in flowers
We got such a kick out it that we had to take a picture
Walking through their downtown is just breathtaking with all the beautiful Victorian gardens,statuary, fountains and gorgeous architecture. One block was better than the other and I do not know if the people living here every get tired of this beautiful town.
All the gardens are so well-maintained
All the buildings look like a wedding cake
I just want to jump in their fountains and splash around
Touring the downtown by the obelisk
With every twist and turn of this
I don’t think there was a bad looking corner of this town.
Our first stop on the tour was going to visiting the Mineral baths and where the water flow was controlled.
The entrance to the building
Touring the flow of the mineral baths
Our class observing the flow of the mineral waters to the baths
Our group seeing how the mineral bath systems work in the building
The model of the mineral water system for the city
Mineral Water buildup
Our class group shot with Dr. K, our professor for the class
Walking through the pipes
The mineral water running through the system
What the mineral water does to products during build up
Our group shot when we were leaving the mineral bath tour of the water system. It was an interesting behind the scenes tour of how the whole system worked.
After the tour, we walked outside where the sunny, blue day was in full blaze. The flowering trees made quite the backdrop to the local Catholic Church. It was such a great day.
The beautiful landscaping accented all the beautiful buildings.
After the tour of the behind-the-scenes workings of the mineral baths, we then took a tour of the Hotel Prezident with its noted doctor, MD Sarova, who explained to us how the spa/wellness visits benefit clients from all over the world. This form of luxury spa treatment has been popular in Karlovy for over a hundred years and in a post-COVID world has found a spot of healing people.
Touring the various spa treatment rooms
The spa terrace used after treatments
This is when I just wanted to stop the tour and check in. I thought this was the perfect way to get better from any ailment. This seemed to me to be the perfect place to detox from all the problems that ailed people. With a view like this I would get better.
The relaxing view from the spa terrace
One toured the whole facility, the doctor sat down with us and explained how treatments worked, that there was a three-week treatment period to work with the body and some of the spa treatments that people used during and while having COVID. It was a fascinating lecture on the use of mineral water treatments, diet and exercise that makes people better.
Then we walked around the town and saw the various building that housed the baths, and it was like going back in time. Some looked like the famous Roman Baths and others looked like post-Civil War Victorian of the Gilded Age. It showed me the importance placed on getting better in an elegant and relaxed environment.
The Roman Baths built during the Victorian Age
The Roman baths in the Victorian Age
The Victorian Spa
The inside of the Victorian spa
In any era, I know that I would get better from a treatment like this. I think it is not just the mineral water and diet but the attitude that needs to change as well. Our approach to handle a situation is also part of the therapy that is given. The doctor had a lot of insights that day.
After our tour of the mineral baths and the spa it was off to the luxury hotel, The Grandhotel Pupp, considered one of the premier hotels in the country. What I liked about this town is that everything is within walking distance of everything else, so it was a quick walk to the hotel through the town.
The waterway in the downtown on our way to the hotel
Us touring the downtown on our way to the hotel
On the way over to the hotel we stopped for a sweet waffle or ‘wafer’ that the Czech Republic is known for in Karlovy Vary.
On the way over to the hotel, we stopped, and the Professor treated us to a waffle or known as a ‘wafer’ cookie that the city was known for. These thin little cookies were really good and very sweet. This was a great treat before lunch.
Guest Relations from the Grandhotel Pupp met us at the front door of the hotel and I was just floored by the luxury of the surroundings. Like the rest of the town, it was Victorian picture-perfect. It was like someone had dropped The Plaza Hotel into a small town. What a gorgeous hotel.
I was struck by just how beautifully decorated each room was and the details on all the features. This was Victorian splendor at its best. When we walked into the lobby, the detail work and molding was something I had not seen in an American hotel.
The Grandeur of the lobby where we met Guest Relations
Our group shot at the Grandhotel Pupp
After the introductions, we started on the tour which continued through the lobby and into the bar area off the lobby in which the staff was setting up for service. They glanced at us as they wiped down glassware that was already sparkling. The whole bar area was set up perfectly. After years in the fast casual dining segment of the business, I was not used to such perfection.
The bar area being set up for service
The bar ceiling
We then walked further inside the room to the Formal Dining Room and got to see the view from the Dining Room into downtown. The room was being set up for dinner that evening.
The Formal Dining Room
The Formal Dining Room set for lunch
The ceiling in the Formal Dining Room
We then moved on to touring a few of the bedrooms. Like in France, we started with the Presidential Suite. It was elegant but not overdone which was nice. It would not intimidate anyone.
The Presidential Bedroom sleeping area
The Living Room
The Bathroom really wowed everyone
We toured two smaller rooms but after seeing all this nothing compared to it. Then we moved to the spa area of the hotel which here was more for Wellness rather than getting over an ailment. We finished the tour on the back terrace where people were outside talking and chatting over drinks.
The Terrace Dining at the Grandhotel Pupp. I just wished we could have stayed over!
After we took a group shot with the Director of Guest Relations, we were off to lunch at Restaurant Diana, which stood above the city on the monorail system called the ‘Funicular’. We got the most amazing view of the city from this point. We took the monorail up the top of the mountain and stopped at a building that looked like one of the old Lodge Hotels in an American National Park.
The amazing views at the top of the mountain should not be missed
Our first stop when we reached the top was Restaurant Diana for lunch. I was not knowing what to expect and what we experienced was an excellent hearty lunch with wonderful service in an beautiful environment.
We sat down in a back table in a sun-drenched dining room and ordered. The waitress could not have been nicer to a large group of people and since it was quiet in the dining room that afternoon, we got a lot of attention. The food and the service were wonderful that afternoon.
The inside of Restaurant Diana
I had the Pan-Fired Pork Cutlets with a side of Bacon Dumplings. The dumplings were rather large and looked and tasted more like a small slice of bread rather than a traditional dumpling either Chinese or Pennsylvanian Dutch. We found out later in the week how they were made but I really enjoyed them, and it was a rather filling meal for a traditional lunch.
The Pan-Fried Pork Cutlet and Bacon Dumplings were delicious that afternoon.
We talked about the hotel tour and all the wonderful things to see in Karlovy Vary over lunch and then afternoon lunch of our tour up the Observation Tower. I could not wait to see the views. All I know was that I was going to take a very long nap when we got back to Prague. This was a heavy lunch.
The views from the tower were breathtaking and you really got to see the City from here. The forests that surrounded the city were just amazing.
Restaurant Diana from the view from the top of the tower
The City with the views of the surrounding forest
More of the surrounding city
The surrounding forest
The city in the distance
After the tour in the Observation Deck, we decided to walk down the hill/ Not the best move when you are wearing topsiders and the path is mostly not paved. It was a treacherous walk down in some spots, but we got back down in one piece. It was a good way of working off lunch.
When we got to the bottom, the Professor let us have the rest of the afternoon to ourselves so we could tour the town. I started to revisit all the streets that we walked down and wanted to see some of the shops and bakeries that looked interesting. I also took my time to admire the architecture in the town squares.
The wedding cake architecture of the buildings
The Repre Bakery at T.G. Masaryka 837/29 is just amazing for Czech pastries!
While walking around on my way back to the train station to meet everyone else I came across Repre, a wonderful bakery featuring the most delicious Czech pastries. What a selection of glazed and cream filled goodies! I could not make a choice on which one I liked so I got two of them. I got a
The excellent selection of pastries that I could not choose from
I was not sure of the names of these delicious desserts but the Chocolate one was filled with Mocha and Whipped Cream topped with a rich milk chocolate sauce and the other one is a glazed doughnut topped with extra thick icing and filled with vanilla and whipped cream.
I chose these two pastries and was in high heaven with each bite. The quality and flavor of these pastries was just excellent, and I could see the women who worked the counter were watching me with a big smile on my face. This is what I love about being an adult and can pay for my own things. You have choices.
After dessert was over, I kept walking back to the liquor bottle that was our meeting point, taking pictures of buildings, parks and fountains. It was just one nice thing to look at after another.
One of the unusual fountains that I came across on my way back to the train station,
Walking around the downtown
We met back at the meeting spot and took one last picture by 5:00pm so that we could take the train back to Prague. From not knowing what to expect to having an absolute ball in Karlovy Vary, I highly recommend this side trip out of the city for a restful and relaxing afternoon of touring and dining.
Another great day of touring! What beautiful weather we had too!
In my live classes, I open my consulting company, “Bergecco-Parc Consulting Inc.”, for business and the whole class bands together and we have one big project. In the era of post-COVID and online learning, I was lucky that I was able to teach one of the live classes on the Bergen Community College, Paramus Campus. It was such a pleasure welcoming students back to campus with live lectures and conversing with them.
The Bergecco-Parc Consulting Inc. corporate logo of the six trees
In the past, I have created these projects under the Bergecco-Parc Consulting Inc. banner, the main consulting company, the Orion Malls banner, a Mall design company and the Buscomonzefi.com banner, my Tech Division. Each business does its best to be creative, forward thinking and have a thought producing presentations. I also challenge the students to top on another in their presentations and build on what they have seen others do in the past.
Professor Justin Watrel, CEO & Co-Founder of Bergecco-Parc Consulting Inc.
This time around I got a request from a fellow professor who wanted to promote Gallery Bergen, our on-campus art gallery, for outside tourism. I liked the challenge of that because I have used Gallery Bergen in the past for cocktail parties and gatherings in my other projects such as Welcome Week, Homecoming and visiting the campus. I had always opened my events or included Gallery Bergen in some way in the past projects.
Now Professor Tim Blunk, the art professor who runs the gallery, gave us the challenge of how-to bring people from the Bergen County community into the gallery for the then current Faith Ringgold exhibition “From Jones Road”. Since I had so many students in the class, I thought about a competition between three groups as I had for the “Caribe Cafe” project in which each group would a presentation on the same subject, but I thought we really needed to promote other parts of campus as well.
The interview with Professor Tim Blunk on Gallery Bergen. The inspiration for this project.
So I added The Bergen Room, our Culinary Department’s student dining room and the Ciccone Theater and the Theater Department. I asked all the professors who are involved in these different departments, and they were all enthusiastic about the project. They have been helpful in many of my projects over the last decade.
This time around I had an Executive Team to run the whole show. In the ‘Caribe Cafe’ concept, I had Team Leaders run each Team but with no one in charge of the whole project. I needed an Executive Team to run the presentation, put the website together, put the Team Wrap Up party at the end of the project together and create the budget.
I was very lucky in that one of my students had been the Team Leader for Marketing for our “Springfest” project was in my Marketing class and I knew who was going to get the top spot (and as the CEO/Co-Founder of Bergecco-Parc Consulting Inc I know who’s talented). I picked another student whose “Be a tourist in your own Town” paper on Dumont was excellent to be the Senior Vice-President of Operations. Both ladies work was wonderful and could not have been more professional. They both did an excellent job on putting the whole project together and running the presentation.
The President and Senior Vice-President of Operations ran the presentation, engaged with the Executive Team their ideas for the Office Space for the Team and their ideas for the Wrap-Up Party. Their ideas were well received by the Team.
Then each Team presented their section of the project which consisted of ideas to promote their site, presentation of their commercial and their interview with the professor who ran that division of campus. Each Team member discussed their section of the project and the ideas they had to bring in more of the Bergen County community to the college.
The Proposal for the project “It’s Cultural on Campus”:
CEO Professor Justin Watrel with President Valery Cardona and SVP of Operations Rachel Montpellier and their Team of Vice-Presidents and Team Leaders and Members.
The day of the presentation since it had to be done during the day all four of the professors who assisted in the project were in classes but one parent did show up and she was the one who took our picture. That made me happy.
The presentation was wonderful as each group presented their ideas to better advertise and promote each facility to the Bergen County and beyond target market of customers. The student dining room was presenting lunch each Thursday afternoon at 11:00am, the Faith Ringgold exhibition was in full swing at Gallery Bergen and the Theater Department was promoting their showcase so there was a lot going on at the Bergen Community College campus. The students presented the way to get people there.
We had a small Q & A because there were just two of us there. This was followed by a light reception for the students before they had to head to their next classes and work. I could not have been more proud of a group of students accomplishing this project.
Bergecco-Parc Consulting Inc. headquarters thanks you too!
Commercials:
The Gallery Bergen Team:
An Excellent job promoting the “Faith Ringgold” exhibition (in Spanish)
The Bergen Room Team:
The Ciccone Theater Team:
We got to see part of the latest production from the theater and interview with the director
You can see the interviews with the Professors for each department on the full presentation.
I wanted to thank Professors Tim Blunk of Gallery Bergen, Professor Jim Bumgardner of the Theater Department & Ciccone Theater and Professor Rhonda Drakeford and Chef/Professor Aaron Morrisey for their assistance in making this project the success it was for the students. A special thank you to my boss, Dr. Pierre Laguerre for his constant support on making these projects possible.
A big congratulations to the Marketing Team. You are the ones that brought the project to life!
I woke up and the jet leg was not as bad this morning. I guess that day to myself was really helpful. I got all the laundry done, my work emails completed and got a good night’s rest and that was a big help. I woke up refreshed and ready to start touring the great City of Prague. Our Placemaking Tourist class in Prague was much different in perspective than Paris with more emphasis on experiences and less on the food culture (although that did not stop me from taking lots of pictures on food).
I started off with a light breakfast at this wonderful little cafe in the courtyard of the NYU Residence Hall called Cafe Osada, which would become my go to place for breakfast almost every morning we were in Prague. The pastries and the breakfasts were amazing!
Their danishes were always handmade and baked on premise and when you order them first thing in the morning, they were still warm. Everything I had from them during the week was excellent. I wish I could have tried them for lunch or dinner but we were always on the road with touring but still they were a treat at breakfast.
The delicious Cherry Pastry with Pear juice started off my first day of touring
The Cherry Pastry was to die for and it also came in Plum and Apricot
The Scrambled Egg breakfast I really enjoyed and it was visually stunning. Don’t underestimate salad for breakfast. It was delicious!
We started our day with our first (and only thank God) NYU class introducing us to the campus, to the City and to the culture of Praguel led by one of the NYU Prague professor’s and then a talk from the Head of NYU Prague campus. It was a nice way to start the class off.
After that part of the class, we were introduced to Jana Markova, our tour guide extraordinary, who would be our guide for the rest of the week. She had been born and raised in Prague and her family was in the tourism business so she would be our guide to corners of the city. She ran the business “Absolutely Prague”, her own touring company and she did excellent work throughout the whole week and became part of the gang with the students attending the class.
Ms. Jana Markova, the owner of “Absolutely Prague” and our tour guide for the week
After a quick talk from her, we would get our passes for public transportation and off we went touring the city of Prague by cable car. First we would be exploring the Castle District of the city and then part of Old Town and then a site tour of the Hotel. The would be a very nice afternoon with a lot of walking.
Before we left on our tour of Prague for the first day, we had our welcome lunch right down the road from the NYU Prague campus at Holesovicka Kozlovna, a wonderful Czech restaurant that I had passed my first night in Prague. It was a really nice lunch and a good way to get to know some of my classmates. Not everyone from Paris went on to Prague. There were only four of us who continued on from that class.
Restaurant Holesovicka Kozlovna at Delnick 1501/28
Our lunch, a traditional Chicken Schnitzel with Potato Salad
The menu had already been set for us so it did not take that much time to serve us. The food and the service at the restaurant were excellent and everyone enjoyed lunch. It was a little heavy for a long day of touring, but we needed the energy. We were told that the rest of the menu is just as delicious.
We were joined by Jana from Absolute Prague for lunch, and she helped lead all the tours for the rest of the week. She became part of our class, and she was the best! She assisted in leading our group to all our activities and did a wonderful job.
Our group shot at lunch.
Getting to know everyone over lunch
We started by taking the cable car from our hipster neighborhood to the Palace District. I was not sure what to expect but I was blown away by the architecture and the history of the area. The buildings were so amazing, and I liked how an elite community was built around the palace. We were lucky that we had gotten here early in that the streets and walkways are so narrow that it must be tough to maneuver them when at the height of the tourist season.
The cable car system around Prague is amazing. It got us all around the city the entire time in Prague.
The entrance to the Palace District in Prague
The entrance to the Palace District of Prague
Us starting our adventure in the Old Section of Prague.
We walked section by section through the complex passing former homes of elite families of Prague, some of whom still live in these homes. I can’t see people living in such a highly traveled section of the city but in houses that big you can stay away from the foot traffic.
The view of the City from the palace grounds
One of the old homes is now an art gallery
What I loved about this section of the city was the detail work on all the homes, light fixtures on the streets and in the small parks and fountains. You can see the craftsmanship in the stone and metal work that went into building this complex of homes and palaces.
The Castle Square leading to the main building
The light fixture in Palace Square
Statue in one of the squares leading to the Castle.
The Prague Castle
The entrance to the Prague Castle
When we finally arrived at the Prague Castle, the security was all over the place. People were running around taking pictures of the law enforcement protecting the place. We just bypassed them as we continued our tour of the complex, but I have to admit one thing, people seemed very respectful and didn’t pull the stunts that pull at Buckingham Palace by trying to harass the guards. I would not pull that in a foreign country.
Prague Castle was most likely founded in around 880 by Prince Bořivoj of the Premyslid Dynasty (Přemyslovci). According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Prague Castle is the largest coherent castle complex in the world, with an area of almost 70,000 m². A UNESCO World Heritage site, it consists of a large-scale composition of palaces and ecclesiastical buildings of various architectural styles, from the remains of Romanesque-style buildings from the 10th century through Gothic modifications of the 14th century. The famous Slovenian architect Josip Plečnik was responsible for extensive renovations in the time of the First Republic (1918-1938). Since the Velvet Revolution, Prague Castle has undergone significant and ongoing repairs and reconstructions (Prague Castle for Visitors-www.hrade.cz).
We then walked through St. Vitus Cathedral where many royal coronations and funerals took place when the palace was still in use by royalty. The stained-glass windows were gorgeous.
The Roman Catholic Church, St. Vitus Cathedral, in the Palace complex
The beautiful stained-glass windows at St. Vitus Cathedral
As we exited the Cathedral, we continued through the complex. The tour guide explained that the gargoyles that adorned the top of the church is something it was known for, and we used to redirect water from the top of the church.
The church as we exited it
The gargoyle on the church is something its famous for
Prague leader Tomas G. Masaryz
Walking around the Palace Square
A fountain in the one of the Palace Squares
Prague Castle Square
As we exited the complex after many stops, our group took a turn and we went on our site visit of the Agustine Hotel, a Marriott property, that is a historic luxury hotel in Prague. The unique architecture and its historic background is a much different Marriott than its more traditional partners.
The front of the Hotel Augustine, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Marriott property at Letenska 12/33 Lesser Town
Our meeting with the head of Guest Relations at the Augustine, A Luxury Collection Hotel
We started out meeting in the bar area off the main lobby of the hotel with the head of Guest Relations talking about business at the hotel and its history. We then proceeded to tour all part of the hotel’s guests’ spaces.
The Front Desk lounge
I love the sculpture throughout the hotel.
The hotel’s Meeting/Banquet area
The hotel’s restaurant dining room
The Terrace restaurant area that was popular that evening
Right off the hotel’s gardens is the Monastery where the monks live who help create
The Sundial Gardens inside the hotel and the Monastery off to the left.
The outside gardens with the monestery in the back
The tour included a visit to the Presidential Suite. This is the living room.
The bedroom of the Presidential Suite
We concluded the tour with a beer tasting in the bar dedicated to American singer, Debbie Harry. The monks of the monastery had been brewers of beer.
The hotel was interesting in its design being part of monastery complex and how it was incorporated into a hospitality complex. I thought the designer of the hotel did an interesting job with it.
Our class group shot outside the hotel with Guest Relations and our tour guide, Jana.
After the tour of the hotel was over, we continued to make our way through the complex and ended up at the Wallenstein Gardens right off the palace grounds. These beautiful gardens were an oasis from all the traffic walking around the complex. These breathtaking gardens were built in 1630 and have continued to inspire people who visit them.
Before we left the Palace complex, we visited the Lennon Wall, named after John Lennon after his assassination in New York City in the 1980’s. This has always been a wall of ever-changing art but was dedicated to the singer as it continues to change today. The artwork and messages change on a daily basis.
The end of the Palace complex on our way out. There was even a McDonald’s just outside the entrance.
After this extensive tour of the Palace and it complexes and grounds, we were on our own again for the rest of the evening and we all went off to do other things in the city. I went to campus and walked around our ‘happening’ neighborhood to find a place to eat.
I ate at Pizza Bistro Gallo Nero right around the corner from campus, a small pizzeria I had passed on my first night in Prague. All the pizzas coming outside to guests looked really good. It was such a beautiful night and the perfect night to eat outside. The pizza was fantastic, and I really enjoyed my dinner.
The outside seating of the Pizza Bistro Gallo Nero where I had my dinner that night.
I ordered a wood-oven fired pizza with Cherry Tomatoes and Parma Ham and it was excellent. The flavors combined so nicely, and the ingredients were so fresh. They loaded the toppings on the top of the pizza and the complexity of the flavors were in every bite.
The Parma Ham and Cherry Tomato pizza was delicious.
After dinner I got to talk to the pizza chef and asked if he was Italy. He told me in his broken Czech that he was born and raised in Prague, and he seemed to be happy that I thought he was Italian. I told him the pizza was excellent. I think I made his night.
I walked around our “Williamsburg” neighborhood that evening, exploring all the bars, restaurants and art galleries. It was too bad that we had things planned the next few nights as there were concerts planned and an art gallery exhibition the next evening. For the next time.
For our last full day in Paris, our last tour concept “Restaurants in Hotels” we would be visiting the Park Hyatt Paris, one of the gems of Hyatt International and lunch in Cafe Jeanne, one of the hotel’s casual restaurants.
We were lucky in that we got up later this morning than the other mornings because the morning was going to start with a walking tour of the Paris Opera House. I was not exactly thrilled by this and held off buying my ticket before I got there. There was no problem buying a ticket as they were sold at the box office it’s just that Galeries Lafayette was one block in the distance and I really wanted to see the store. I am glad that I went against this judgement because the self-guided tour was so outstanding. The building is truly beautiful.
The entrance to the Paris Opera House-Palais Garnier at Place de l’Opera
I can not describe the splendor of this building and the beauty of each detail of each room. This was a building that was meant to last the ages and meant to impress the people who attended the performances. Between the statuary, the gilding and the paintings on the walls and ceilings, the people who attended these performances were in a space that was meant to impress.
The entrance of the Opera House
The staircase at the entrance
The staircase at the Opera House
The opera was constructed in what Charles Garnier is said to have told the Empress Eugenie was “Napoleon III” style. The Napoleon III style was highly eclectic, and borrowed from many historical sources; the opera house included elements from the Baroque, the classicism of Palladio and Renaissance architecture blended together. These were combined with axial symmetry and modern techniques and materials, including the use of an iron framework, which had been pioneered in other Napoleon III buildings (Wiki).
The balcony
The ceiling at the entrance
The stairs and the ceiling
The self guided tour progressed to the second floor of the Opera House and the crowds kept growing. This is a very popular site to visit and I suggest getting there first thing in the morning for good picture taking.
The young woman modeling on the steps that morning
The second floor hallway
The second floor hallway
The second floor hallway
The details of the building continued on the second floor as I walked the hallways and the private rooms. There was even a small museum on the second floor with pictures, scripts, paintings of the stars and conductors who performed here and costumes. In the upstairs hallway, there was a display of the costumes of the ballet “Swan Lake”.
The “Swan Lake” costumes
A costume from the ballet “Swan Lake”
The museum was really interesting and had lots of information on the building and the shows performed here.
The museum
The second floor chandelier
The second floor hallway
The second floor ceiling
The second floor hallway
Performers and conductors got their praise here
The last part of the guided tour was the orchestra and stage area which was closed off as they were setting up for a performance. We were able to look in from the sides to see the grandeur of the seating area.
The seating area
The ceiling of the orchestra seating area
Exiting the Opera House
Exiting the Opera House
When I left the building, these two faces stared at me as I left. The symbols that I see in many theaters. There was a wonderful gift shop at the end of the tour and it is worth visiting when you finish the tour. We all met outside on the beautiful sunny, warm Spring day. As soon as we collected everyone from our group, it was off to the site inspection tour of the Hyatt Park Regency Paris and lunch at Cafe Jeanne, the casual restaurant in the lobby. It was would be an eye opening experience for me being a former Hyatt executive. Let me put it this way, the Hyatt Regency Monterey looked nothing like this hotel.
We got such a warm welcome from Guest Services Manager , Chloe, who was our tour guide for the hotel. It was such an excellent and through tour of the Park Hyatt Paris that I felt like I was a member of the team. She was so welcoming to our Graduate Class and was so upbeat I was impressed from the start. What was interesting about the tour is Chloe told us that since it is an American hotel, everything must be done in English including emails. Everyone on the staff was Biligual and that the hotel was very popular with American tourists.
We started with a tour of the public rooms, hallways and the kitchen. Then we toured the restaurants, learned about the menus and had a wonderful talk with the chef. We toured both the restaurants that were open for the day and closed for lunch service.
The Lobby of the Park Hyatt Paris
The Lobby
The first part of the tour after touring the lobby and it’s beautiful furnishings, then we toured the open kitchen and the back of the house rooms for Banquets, the Employee cafeteria and back rooms.
The open kitchen with everyone getting ready for service
I got to stop and talk with the chef, who could not have been nicer and was fluent in both French and English. I found him to be a very nice guy in the short amount of time we got to talk.
We got to tour the first of the restaurants. Pur’, that was closed for lunch. The staff in the kitchen was preparing for the meals and preparing lunch service for the other outlets. The kitchen was as clean as a whistle and that shows the sign of people who care.
The restaurant was gorgeous and so beautifully decorated. It looked nothing like the restaurant we had at the Hyatt Regency Monterey except I have to admit our views of the golf course were spectacular. The eye and the attention to detail were top notch.
Then we were off to the explore the rooms. This is where the hotel truly shines. The rooms were so beautifully decorated and elegant but contemporary in their feel. This was five star without feeling fussy or over-done. Chloe impressed us with the Imperial Suite, the Hyatt’s take on the Presidential Suite. It was a large suite with several rooms including a massive bathroom, office space, large bedroom and dressing room and a connection to another room if needed. I would not have minded staying here.
The Imperial Suite Living Room
The Living Room in the Imperial Suite
The bathroom in the Imperial Suite
The bathroom in the Imperial Suite
The office in the Imperial Suite
Us touring the Imperial Suite
The bathroom in the Imperial Suite
The view from the Imperial Suite
After a tour of a smaller room, which was just as impressive but on a less grander scale, we headed back down to the lobby for a tour and lunch at Cafe Jeanne. That was very impressive. The Food & Beverage Manager came out to great us along with the Restaurant Manager. One thing I noticed about the management team at the Hyatt, they were all young under 30 years old and very good looking and well groomed. Not that we weren’t but we were an older staff at our hotel in the States.
Cafe Jeanne was located in the lobby of the hotel and had a very contemporary but casual feel to it. The two restaurants located here were both Cafe Jeanne and the
The food at Cafe Jeanne was excellent. It was plain bistro food that you would get at cafes in Paris but one notch up. The service was flawless and I could not believe the amount of staff they had running the place. When I ran the restaurant at my Hyatt, it was myself, two waiters, two cooks and a part time host. The server to guest ratio here was double that.
The artwork in Cafe Jeanne
At first they gave us a Prix Fixe with a lot of options that did not like but I think after meeting all of us, the chef let us order off the regular menu. That was something that I appreciated and enjoyed (Please see my review on TripAdvisor).
The menu at Cafe Jeanne
The menu at Cafe Jeanne. It was nice when they let us order off the full menu.
The meal was wonderful and so nicely prepared and served. I ordered a Croque Monsieur with a side of frites and a Coke. Everything about that sandwich was top notch.
The start of my meal
The freshly baked bread was amazing
The Croque Monsieur and frites for lunch
The Croque Monsieur according to the Food & Beverage Manager was based on the ones the chef was served as a child. It was spectacular.
Even the French Fries were perfectly prepared and served with elegance
What was nice was that both the Restaurant Manager and the Food & Beverage Manager stopped by to check on us and welcome us. I have to say that the staff here could not have been more friendly and welcoming to us. Lunch was excellent and we really had a nice time.
After lunch was over, we toured the rest of the hotel’s public areas and then said goodbye to Chloe and thanked her for a wonderful afternoon and tour. It is such a beautiful hotel and I can see why Hyatt takes such pride in it.
The hallway when we exited the hotel
The lobby of the Park Hyatt Vendrome
The detail of their public bathrooms right by Cafe Jeanne
The statue by the entrance of the Park Hyatt Paris
Our group shot with Guest Manager, Chloe of the Park Hyatt Paris
After the tour and that wonderful lunch, we continued to tour around the neighborhood. While we were touring our professor stopped at the Ritz Hotel Paris to see if we could confirm a tour of the hotel. Claudia, the Guest Relations Manager, another beautiful young French woman, came to greet us and take us on a tour of the Ritz Paris. Talk about contrasts in luxury. The Ritz is true old world luxury at its best.
We were only able to take a limited tour because they had a major wedding going on but Claudia took the time to take us through the restaurant outlets, the pubic areas and the shopping area called the “Hallway of Temptation”. The stores were amazing.
The Ritz Lobby and Terrace Restaurant
The lobby was old world luxury at its best. All the beautiful stonework and antiques in the lobby had an old world charm to it. This was the hotel many hotels after the Civil War emulated in major cities across the United States.
The “Champagne Tea” at the Ritz Hotel
We passed many of the Ritz’s restaurants but they were full and I did not want to look like the tacky tourist taking so many pictures so I took them of the ones that were not so crowded. It was tough as it was during the late lunch hour.
Here Claudia explained that at the Ritz, tea is not the emphasis but Champagne with the desserts is most popular. Here we see the champagne on ice in the front with the luscious pastries on the table. I would have liked to try that.
The Zodiac Bar at the Ritz Hotel Paris
The Zodiac Bar was at the end of the hall and was closed for the afternoon but we still got to glimpse of the beauty of the room. We did get to see the bar where Hemingway spent his time when he was at the Ritz but it was closed and Claudia asked us not to take pictures and we respected that. It is a tiny bar off the hallway and I did not think was as impressive as the other outlets in the hotel.
Our last stop before we left the Ritz Hotel was for Madeline’s at the Ritz Bakery. I did not know the hotel had this bakery but looking at the selection and the prices (which was three Euros per Madeline, I was not leaving without having one. I had three. One dipped in Chocolate, one filled with Lemon and another was a Caramel Cinnamon. I think that lasted one block before I ate all three of them.
Do not miss the delicious pastries and madelines here. They are well worth the money spent and are a real treat.
After we said goodbye to Claudia and thanked her for the wonderful visit, it was off to NYU Paris to present our project presentations. I had worked until 2:00am in the morning to get my powerpoint done correctly, get all my pictures and reviews downloaded and made my points on my tour of the specialty gourmet shops, bakeries and chocolatiers and then gave it my all. What annoyed me was that my classmates slapped together these lame presentations that looked like they had been done at the last minute and in some cases were and they were pretty bad in my opinion. This what annoyed me about the class, some of my classmates thought this was some type of vacation.
The pride and joy of my presentation: The group shot at the Statue of Liberty in Le Jardin du Luxembourg. Just what I wanted to represent the tour.
We spent the afternoon seeing each other’s Powerpoints and at least Bryan and Juan tried. The rest of them didn’t even put in any effort and Blaine, our film student didn’t even bother. He just showed a picture of the Eiffel Tower and explained his experience. This told me a lot about my classmates. At least I know that I put in the effort.
After we finished our Powerpoints, it was time for one final group shot that we took at the NYU Paris stairs. That was the last official shot we took as a class.
Our last official shot at the NYU Paris campus
After we left NYU, it was time for our Farewell dinner and my professor chose La Petite Periguordine at 39 Rue des Ecoles, near the Sorbonne University in the Latin Quarter. This was a typical French Bistro in every sense starting with the waiter who claimed he did not know English that well but talked like he was from Chicago. He had a Midwestern accent when he spoke English.
La Petite Perigourdine at 39 Rue des Ecoles 5th Arrd. was where we had our Farewell Dinner
It was a nice dinner but I did not think it our best. We had hit our budget so the choices on the menu that we had were limited. I had the Roast Chicken, which ended up being a leg and thigh, not my favorite part of the chicken but it was still good. We started off with a selection of Meat & Cheeses on trays with baskets of bread and for dessert I had the Grand Marnier Souffle. I had not had a souffle in so long and it was delicious.
Us waiting outside the restaurant for our table
The meal went by very nicely and we had a lot of laughs about the week. It had gone by so fast. I was leaving for Prague the next day so I was gone but most people were staying the extra day and they had planned a picnic for the next night on the green on campus. Some students were leaving to go to other countries and four of us were moving on to Prague for the next class.
My meal that evening:
The Meat & Pate Trays
The wonderrful bread we were spoiled with on our trip
The Roast Chicken was good but not great
The souffle was the best
After dinner was over (the waiter tried to push us along because he had another group coming in (and my professor told him we would leave when we were ready) and after my professor gave his farewell speech to us we left to explore the Latin Quarter for a bit before going back to the dorms. It was the end of a really great week experience in Paris. I guess I had been nervous for nothing.
Exploring the Latin Quarter after dinner
My class in Paris had been a real eye opener about culture, food, people, language and having an understanding on how people outside the United States live and their approach to life. It is a slower, more appreciative look at life that the French have about everyday experiences and they way they handle day to day living. I am not saying that everyone in Paris lives the same way but there is a behavior and routine that works for them.
I learned a lot about French living and I could handle it for a while. It was a great week!
mywalkinmanhattan 