Playing for Fois Gras

Sly, Myself, Romain, and David M. dig into some foie gras and baguette after practice.

The standard changed. No longer am I solely playing for baguettes, but foie gras must be added as well. On Friday evening after practice, the boys broke out the foie gras and baguette in the dressing room as Bruno Rivero had been to the Agriculture Show earlier in the day and picked up a couple of jars of some award winning stuff. Foie gras is of course a french delicacy and usually consumed on special occasions such as at Christmas and New Year's. However the Asnieres Hockey Club decided that finishing practice on a Fraiday night was reason enough to celebrate, so we dug in.

Nothing but the good stuff!

Hockey Hebdo Article

The Asnieres Hockey Club is essentially ran on the backs of volunteers as very few of the staff receive any type of compensation for their efforts beyond free game tickets and a cold beer every once in a while. As I have previously mentioned, the team's President, Mr. Christophe Cuzin is the club's heart and soul and works tirelessly to advance the club.

Recently Christophe was interviewed by Hockey Hebdo magazine, which is the equivalent of The Hockey News here in France. It covers all levels of hockey although most of the coverage is reserved for the Magnus division. Anyway, here is the link to the article. For those of you who can't read french, feel free to try and translate it using an online translator like Babel Fish or Google. Enjoy!

http://www.hockeyhebdo.com/interview_fiche.php?interview=161

Bercy 2009

As you can tell, my computer is back from the IR after catching a nasty French virus, so I have plenty to share as our adventure in Paris continues with new experiences every week. For this post however, we did not dine on delectable French cooking or visit a site of historical importance from the past. Nope, last Sunday was all about hockey as Mindy and I took in the French Cup Final at the Bercy stadium in Paris.

The Coupe de France (French Cup) is a single elimination tournament that is played throughout the year involving teams from all four major levels in France (Magnus, D1, D2, & D3). We were eliminated in the first round back in October when we played against Reims (see my post from October 6th for a refresher). The final two teams always come from the Magnus League which is the top division in France and this year proved to be no different as Grenoble advanced to the final to square off against Dijon.

Back in North America, we often enjoyed attending NHL games and were fortunate to attend numerous Edmonton Oilers games last year as well as a couple of Rangers games while visiting New York. The fans in those venues could often get very boisterous but unfortunately paled in comparison to what we experienced at the Bercy arena. The french fans certainly know how to lend some ambiance to a sporting event as the supporters of both clubs were incredibly loud and sang/chanted throughout the game. Add the towel waving, banner flying, and glow-stick throwing...and it was pandemonium at the quietest of moments.

The game was entertaining enough although Grenoble was clearly the better team. They proved it as well by winning the Coupe de France with a convincing 6-1 victory. The game however was secondary as the event was something else and I can only hope that one day I see the same type of passion in an NHL arena.

Once again, I need to send a thanks out to Romain Sauvage, who hooked us up with VIP seating in Row 3. It was quite a treat to be a Nike VIP for the day!

13,000 strong packed the Bercy arena for the Coupe de France final.

Grenoble (in red) was clearly the superior team however Dijon (in blue) played hard.

At the end of the game, the Coupe de France was presented to the victors in the same fashion as a Stanley Cup winner with photographers, confetti, and officials on the ice.

And I can't leave out Mindy's favorite part of the spectacle...the Pom-Pom Girls who wowed us with fantastic intermission entertainment.

Five Hour Lunch

Caramel pork ribs, fresh country bread, and a French potato dish consisted of the main part of a lazy afternoon meal.

If I haven't mentioned it already, Mindy and I are getting the royal treatment here in France when it comes to hospitality. The end result of all this hospitable behaviour has been many memorable meals where we have been forced to try new and exciting foods and receipes.

Besides my teammate Romain, Marc & Jocelyn have been extremely generous and decided that another Sunday meal was long overdue. I hesistate to call it lunch, although I did in the post title, due to the fact that it pretty much consists of the main meal for the day for us. And of course, a meal at Marc & Jocelyn's is not an eat and run situation as the title suggests. And so we dined from 1:00pm straight through to 6:00pm.

We started with foie gras appetizers before moving on to the main course as decribed above. Everything was unique to our pallets and Jocelyn inisited on second servings for all of us. We then moved on the cheese plate where a selection of cheeses including goat were sampled. After settling our meals, it was time for not one, but two desserts as we were tempted and indulged in a cream based jelly with biscuits before we were served stuffed baked apples. As usual, everything was delicious.

Dessert Number 1...


and Dessert Number 2! The two dessert system should become a component of every meal in my books.

Nike Vote

Romain and I in Annecy sporting our Team ACG Nike Wear

As a general rule, this blog has been mostly about updating friends and family about the goings on of life here in Paris while Mindy and I take in the sights, sounds, and foods of a new culture. Throw in some sports highlights and a few tour guide videos and you have the basics of the Playing for Baguettes. Sometimes however, you just feel like you need to champion a cause.

As most of you know, Mindy and I have been the recipients of some fantastic hospitality here in France but almost all of the people we have come into contact with. However one of my teammates has really gone above and beyond and so this is my way to pay him back a little. Romain "Mr. Nike" Sauvage actually does work for Nike in the marketing department and is currently involved in a little promotion to design a pair of cleats for the French National Rugby Team. The winning design will be selected by the team from a set of finalists that are voted on by the public.

So this is me, asking the loyal readership to please cast a vote for Romain's cleats. Here is the link to the site. All you need to do is click on VOTE. It will literally take 30 seconds of your time.

http://nikeid.nike.com/nikeidv2/current_release/EMEA_NIKEID/assets/dfaa/index.html#/gallery/151092404

House Guest from Riga

Roland, our Latvian houseguest, gets his picture taken just like every other tourist on their first visit to Paris.

This past week, the Frat House welcomed a visitor to our humble establishment as the team is starting to already prepare for next year and is bringing in a few players to try out. Roland arrived on Monday, fresh from the Latvian capital of Riga. As he is only 17 years old, Mindy and I took on the role of billets for the week and made sure Roland was well fed. Of course Roland, like any typical 17 year old, showed a strong affinity for the finer french foods such as Coca-Cola, Nutella, baguettes, and pastries. We made sure that a few fruits and veggies were served as well.

In addition to practicing with the team, Roland accompanied me on a little walking tour of Paris as I showed him some of the finer points of our little town including the Eifel Tower, Notre Dame, and the Latin Quarter. He seemed impressed with the French capital, however he was a little disapointed that the tour did not include the Moulin Rouge.

Roland ended his week with us by playing in an exhibition game against Wasquehal tonight, where he promptly scored 5 goals in a 7-3 win for the good guys. A nice little way to end his first trip to Paris.

Pere Lachaise Cemetery

Pere Lachaise Cemetery: One of the most visited boneyards in the entire world.

Although our computer has not yet made it's exit from the disabled list, I thought I would take advantage of having another full-size computer available in the house to post a full size update. Amazingly, Pere Lachaise Cemetery is one of Paris' top tourist sites, but Mindy and I somehow had left it off the list until just recently as we were looking for a new adventure in the french capital.

When we arrived, we started to wander around, heading in the general direction of where we thought Jim Morrision's grave was located. I think we made it halfway there before we were beset upon by what at first appeared to be a homeless person, but actually turned out to be a self-employed tour guide. From there on out, our casual stroll became a series of shortcuts as we made our way to all the more famous gravesites.

The final resting places of the occupants of Pere Lachaise cemetery range from simple to palatial, as we saw chapels that certainly must have cost a small fortune to errect. The phrase about "not being able to take it with you" certainly came to mind, but for most of these residents, they certainly will be resting in style.

Mindy beside Vivant Denon, the first director of the Louvre museum.

The exquisite grave of Frederic Chopin.

And the simple grave of Jim Morrison.

The first grave ever placed in the cemetery was only a simple headstone, and has since been grown over by a massive tree.

Since then, some people have made sure their grave has no chance of being distubed by any force of nature.

The cemetary also has a large amount of chapels marking the final resting place of many of the occupants of Pere Lachaise.

Quite a few of them have beautiful stained glass windows.

A kiss over the grave of Victor Noir is supposed to give a couple good luck when it comes to fertility.

I made sure to get my kiss however before Mindy planted one on the grave of famed Irish poet Oscar Wilde.

Our tour guide to Pere Lachaise, showing off who he is a fan of in the boneyard.

On to the IR

I must apologize for my lack of updates during the past week, however it has not been without cause. Last Wednesday we traveled to Meudon for a makeup game. Again, a proper game summary will be posted once my computer is off the injured reserve list. We lost the game 8-4 in a game we could have won.

The bigger storyline from the match was the devastating injury I suffered in the form of a torn intercostal muscle in my right side. At least that's the preliminary diagnosis according to the doctors I've seen thus far. I'm scheduled to see more doctors on Tuesday to figure out a treatment plan. Playoffs are three weeks away and the goal is to be ready to go in March.

Needless to say, this has been a little bit of a painful injury. As I mentioned in my last post however, it's time to strugle & emerge, and the blog must continue. For the next little while, that reporting will happen from the IR...alongside my computer.

Strugle and Emerge

For anyone who attended Athol Murray College of Notre Dame in Wilcox, Sakatchewan, and probably a few who didn't, the phrase "Strugle and Emerge" is one with special meaning. Not only the school motto, it defines those who take it to heart as a way to meet life's challenges head on. This post is a reflection of that both in its content and creation.

In our final regular season home game, we welcomed the undefeated Brest Albatross to town for what we knew would be a very difficult match as they had hammered us 13 to 3 in our first meeting. Brest is an absolutely stacked team talent wise as three quarters of their team are imports and they even have a couple of former NHL draft picks.

A game summary and video highlights will be posted at a later date once the laptop isback working. For now, I'll let you know that we lost a close one by a narrow 5-3 margin. We made some mistakes, which Brest made us pay for, but the team realy bought in to the game plan laid down by the coach and played our most disciplined game to date. It's a sign that although we have had some inconsistent performances, the team is progressing and has the necessary drive to win when it matters. Luckily we won't have long to wait as we play Meudon in a huge game tomorrow.

On Holidays

Have you ever seen the Robin Williams movie where the guy takes his family on vacation in a Winnebago, but still manages to file a report using only his Blackberry. I am now that guy, sitting here in Paris, typing away on my HTC Touch.

If hockey is the national sport of Canada, then taking vacation is the French equivalent. In that spirit, and the fact that my laptop is down for the count for the next couple of days, the blog will be taking a short respite this week. Yes, I will still be posting over the next week, although in less detail and without all the pictures and video. Stay tuned!

Starbucks Girl

Christmas Day in Barcelona is completed with a Starbucks!

Upon moving to France, Mindy proclaimed that she wanted to immerse herself in the French lifestyle and savour the timeless traditions of eating meals in courses and dressing modestly but stylishly. Foods such as fresh baguettes, incredible cheeses, and delicious wines were supposed to become basic staples, and for the most part they have. However no matter what we do, Mindy cannot simply shake her need for her Starbucks!

Upon reviewing some of the pictures that I have taken in the past months (I am my mother's son in this regard), I couldn't help but notice that I had quite a few of Mindy, sitting in a Starbucks, sipping contentedly on a Mocha Blanc or Caffe Latte avec Caramel. This is of course, not a French tradition as the French prefer to take their coffee in small but powerful doses and really cannot understand the North American need for a tall, or should I say venti, cup of steaming beverage. A cold day to a Parisian is also anything under plus 3 degrees Celsius which might explain part of the riddle.

In any event, Mindy continues to support her favorite coffee shop's expansion to Europe and has even started to drag me along with her for that Starbucks fix when her friend Elodie is not available. We'll work on curbing her addiction with the hopes of it being remedied before our return to Canada. Until then...un grande mocha blanc s'il vous plait!

A piece of chocolate cake with a mocha hits the spot at the Starbucks near Opera in Paris.

A Sunday afternoon caffe in the Latin Quarter near Place St.Michel completes the weekend.

And yes, even I join in the act every once in awhile.

Home Decorating at the Louvre

While we were at the Louvre, we decided to see if we could find some inspiration for our house back in Canada. Here are some samples of what we found.

A stone sarcophagus bathtub for Mindy to relax in.

A new throne from which to watch hockey games.

This little chandelier should be adequate for the foyer.

To sleep like a king, you need to have the proper bed.

A new piano for Mindy.

No master suite is complete without an extravagant make-up table.

Back to the Louvre

Bacon, egg, mcmuffin, & oj. Mindy's lovin it!

As this past Sunday marked the first Sunday of February, Mindy and I decided that we were due to make a return trip to the Louvre to see a few more exhibits that we had missed on our last trip in October. Part of the deal was also to stop in at McDonald's for a little McBreakfast, although this is slightly more complicated then it sounds as not all the McDo's in France actually serve breakfast. A little advance planning might have helped our situation, but we like to sometimes roll the dice and see what happens. Obviously we did find our McBreakfast and all was right in the world.

During our visit this time around, we decided to take a closer look at some of the French paintings featured in Louvre. We also took in a Picasso exhibition and have come to conclusion that although Picasso might have been a genius in the art world, his style just did not make sense. Needless to say, we moved on quite quickly. The Mona Lisa was of course a crowd favorite and although we did stop in to check on the old girl, we didn't feel like fighting the tourists for a closer look and moved on.

We also observed some French sculptures and revisited the Napoleon apartments in the Richelieu wing. It is amazing to learn about the history of some of the pieces. A number of the sculptures were originally commissioned for the gardens at Versailles, but only seemed to have survived for ten to twenty years on average before being moved the Louvre.

The history and beauty of the Louvre cannot be overstated, but I think we are pretty much done with this part of our stay in Paris. We have been incredibly impressed by some of the pieces in the museum and it goes without saying that if you come to Paris, the Louvre is a must-see.

Quick...what are you looking at? I'm not sure either.

Hercules about to smash a giant serpent with the tiniest of rocks. Good luck with that one Herc.

Mindy was busy checking out the historical couture.

Saturday Night's Game

This past Saturday night, we travelled to the southwest corner of the greater Paris region to play against Meudon. This promised to be an intense game as the Meudon rink features a small ice surface and as we are currently the number 4 ranked team in the division and Meudon is 5th, playoff positioning was definitely on the line.

Unfortunately for both teams and the fans in attendance, the zamboni driver decided to drop the blade a couple of extra inches midway through one of his passes. The result: a 3 inch deep hole measuring 2 feet by 6 inches in diameter right down to the concrete. Needless to say, the match could not be played.

A make-up date has not yet been set, but there is some speculation that it will be held in Asnieres when it does occur. All in all, it was a bit of a wasted night, but these are the things that can happen away from the bright lights of the NHL.