I really enjoyed the Valentine’s day celebrations also when I was single because, maybe, I kept the secret hope I would one day find the special person I could celebrate with. Of course, you do not need a specific day to be romantic and buy flowers but Valentine’s day can be really fun and the cheesier it is, the funnier it is too. Why not celebrate if it is positive and makes you or the person you love smile?
So today I am sharing a few recommendations for lovers, little books and a few places that I would recommend when on a romantic trip to France.
Books
1 - ‘Paris pour les Amoureux’ by Agnès Taravella
It’s a little book with many good tips on how to enjoy Paris and its romantic aspects. There are some ideas for dates, places to kiss, restaurants to enjoy, presents or souvenirs to get, places to visit and things to try. It is written in French and in English and is really easy to read.
2 - ‘How to cook French Cuisine’ and ‘How to cook French Pastry’ by Julie Sucail
I found these two books in Montmartre (Paris) when I was preparing a tour in the area (I am also a personal tour guide in my free time). They are written in English illustrated with beautiful pictures and with easy to follow recipes of traditional French dishes. A great way to cook and impress your lover on a romantic evening at home.
3 - ‘Simplissime’ Cookbooks by Jean-François Mallet
If your cooking skills are non-existent or very basic, you can try the ’Simplissime’ cookbooks. The dishes are truly super easy to make and well explained with a lot of pictures so you cannot get them wrong. It covers a very wide variety of diets and styles (vegetarian, salads, light, … ) so I am sure you can find one for you. You might not cook Michelin star dishes with them but I am sure your date will appreciate your efforts.
Cooking lessons
‘Atelier des Chefs’ Cookery School
It is a French cookery school that has two sites in London and many sites all around France and it is where I started to learn how to cook properly. The atmosphere is fairly laid back and they teach you how to cook but also how to present the dishes and give you a lot of invaluable tips (Now I no longer cry when chopping onions, for example). They have a wide variety of options, styles and lesson durations starting from just £15 for a 30-minute course. After the lessons, you get to eat what you have cooked with fellow students and around a big table so it’s very convivial. If you are very lucky and nobody else has booked, you get a private class with a personal chef out of it. Very enjoyable.
My favorite restaurant in Paris so far…
‘Ciel de Paris’ http://www.cieldeparis.com/en/
It is basically called ’Sky of Paris’ and it is the perfect name for it considering the amazing view you get of Paris and the Eiffel Tower in the distance. It was recommended by a Parisian friend and it was such a good recommendation. We went there for an early lunch and actually spent four hours if not more chatting and enjoying the food and mesmerizing view over Paris. Highly recommended.
You can easily spend a little fortune on a weekend in France (some friends spent more than £300 on a single meal at the restaurant of the Eiffel Tower) but the money you spend is not necessarily a true reflection of the love you share and many ultra-romantic activities are actually completely free like walking along the Seine river in Paris ‘main dans la main’* on a summer evening or kissing in a park.
And if you want to prepare for your trip to France and learn a bit of French beforehand, I would love to teach you and/or your partner and share a few more tips with you.
Vive l’Amour!**
Annie Gentil-Kraatz - London - 14th of February 2020
*hand in hand
**May love live forever!