For the past decade or so, I've celebrated Thanksgiving somewhere else in the world on more than a few occasions - Paris, London and Sydney. Thankfully, there are large American populations in all these cities so it's not difficult to find a traditional meal and some camaraderie.
Although I'm home in Chicago this Thanksgiving, celebrating the holiday elsewhere has always lead me to beautiful spaces and places. In 2010, my friend and colleague Rachel Piercey and I celebrated in Paris. It was the coldest winter on record in Paris for more than 80 years and so being inside this day was especially important.
The Musee D'Orsay became our Thanksgiving home of choice and we spent almost the entire day there strolling through the various halls within the museum viewing collections of sculpture, paintings, photography, graphics, objets d'art and architecture.
We dined in the historic Restaurant, located on the first floor of what was once the Hotel D'Orsay, first opened in 1900. It was incorporated into the museum when it was converted from railroad station to cultural icon in 1986. The building has a fascinating history - you can read about it here.
We were lucky enough to have a table right on the windows, where we could look out over the grounds surrounding the museum and across the Seine to the Place de la Concorde. The day began quite overcast and yet we were treated to a golden view as we settled in to enjoy our very non-traditional Thanksgiving meal!
Today, I can hardly remember what we ate, and yet, there was room for dessert and so on this day of celebration and giving thanks, we indulged!!
OMG!! What a treat and decidedly not what one might expect to close out a Thanksgiving meal with - but scrumptious nonetheless!!
As you might expect, this was probably one of my most favorite Thanksgiving celebrations. I've had them in London and Sydney, and while I always manage to find fabulous food when I travel, it is this Thanksgiving in Paris that has etched its way in to my heart and soul.
It was a week where we celebrated Thanksgiving twice with nontraditional meals. Earlier in the week, we visited Jim Haynes at his Sunday night salon and celebrated Thanksgiving with a home cooked meal that was Spanish in origin. It was a night of making good friends and finding others celebrating the holiday in an international setting - much like the first settlers who gave us this holiday. For them, America was an international setting and they were far from home!
Happy Thanksgiving everyone - wherever you are in the world - be thankful and enjoy!!!
PS: Here's David Lebovitz' wonderful Cranberry Sauce with Red Wine & Figs recipe.
Although I'm home in Chicago this Thanksgiving, celebrating the holiday elsewhere has always lead me to beautiful spaces and places. In 2010, my friend and colleague Rachel Piercey and I celebrated in Paris. It was the coldest winter on record in Paris for more than 80 years and so being inside this day was especially important.
We dined in the historic Restaurant, located on the first floor of what was once the Hotel D'Orsay, first opened in 1900. It was incorporated into the museum when it was converted from railroad station to cultural icon in 1986. The building has a fascinating history - you can read about it here.We were lucky enough to have a table right on the windows, where we could look out over the grounds surrounding the museum and across the Seine to the Place de la Concorde. The day began quite overcast and yet we were treated to a golden view as we settled in to enjoy our very non-traditional Thanksgiving meal!
OMG!! What a treat and decidedly not what one might expect to close out a Thanksgiving meal with - but scrumptious nonetheless!!
As you might expect, this was probably one of my most favorite Thanksgiving celebrations. I've had them in London and Sydney, and while I always manage to find fabulous food when I travel, it is this Thanksgiving in Paris that has etched its way in to my heart and soul.
It was a week where we celebrated Thanksgiving twice with nontraditional meals. Earlier in the week, we visited Jim Haynes at his Sunday night salon and celebrated Thanksgiving with a home cooked meal that was Spanish in origin. It was a night of making good friends and finding others celebrating the holiday in an international setting - much like the first settlers who gave us this holiday. For them, America was an international setting and they were far from home!
Happy Thanksgiving everyone - wherever you are in the world - be thankful and enjoy!!!
PS: Here's David Lebovitz' wonderful Cranberry Sauce with Red Wine & Figs recipe.
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