Parisian Secrets

Recently my Mom went to Paris and Toulouse, France.  When she came back she told me about all the amazing things she had seen: the fashion, the beauty products, the food, and culture (illustrated below).  Also below, is a post card she sent me.  Scroll down to read more:

Parisian Post Card

Fashion

When my mom was in Paris last week, she saw a lot of women wearing think black tights (not opaque).  She said it was so prevalent that even her husband commented on the trend.  Additionally, she was surprised at how many of the women wore flats. 

Black tights and Flats with jeans, Paris Street Style.  From http://www.hauteliving.com/2011/10/steal-their-style-model-street-fashion-at-paris-fashion-week/

Karlie Kloss in Paris; From BP Blog.

Picture from International Street Style blog.

Beauty

Of course the french are known for their wide range of various beauty products.  Unfortunately, when my Mom had a rash from using a new lotion on her sensitive skin.  So the first thing she did was go to the local pharmacy where she was prescribed an over the counter lotion.  When she got back to her hotel and put it on, she was nervous that she got a cleanser instead of a lotion because of its clear liquid consistency.  However, after only one application her rash went away. She said it was the most amazing thing and looked it up on-line when she got back to the US.  Apparently it is availible in the United States, but no where around me. :( 

Picture from aveneusa.com

Food & Culture

The food was amazing.  She felt like she ate and ate and ate, but when she got home and weighed herself she didn't even gain a pound.  On top of that, she said that EVERYONE there was skinny.  She tried looking for heavy set people and she could not find even one.  We debated about why this was, and here are our conclusions: 1) the food there does not contain preservatives like it does in the US, 2) the portions are smaller, and 3) they take more time to enjoy their food and have a different mind-set to use dinner as a time to socialize and enjoy luxurious tasting food, instead of just trying to scarf down whatever is in front of them just to fuel their bodies.  But is that it?  Or is there something more to it that we don't know about?  Maybe it's time for the government to investigate what is going into the things we eat.  Here are some pictures of what a french person will eat in a typical day:

Le Petit Dejeuner (Breakfast) usually consists of a slice from fresh baguette with jam or Nutella (a chocolate spread) and coffee, orange juice or hot chocolate for kids.  Eggs are reserved for weekends; however the crepe is apparently a staple for breakfast and lunch.  Picture from http://www.regimedukan.com/fr/206,259,la-communaute/zoom-nutrition-petit_dejeuner.html

Lunch use to be consumed over 2 hours, but many french restaurants now conform to a shorter lunch time.  Like breakfast, lunch consists of mostly bread stuffed with meats and wonderful cheeses.  These sandwiches usually do not vegetables or condiments like in the US.  Crepes with meats and cheeses, and salads are some other popular lunch choices.  Salade Nicoise is a popular salad in France consisting of lettuce, green beans, anchovies, tuna fish and small black olives.   Picture from http://www.ehow.com/about_5459603_daily-food-traditions-france.html#ixzz1bjuFWcgk

"Dinner is the main meal of the French day. It begins with some kind of starter, usually raw vegetables or salad, followed by a main course of meat, vegetables, potatoes, pasta, or rice. Cheese or dessert follows the main meal; wine is served throughout. Drinks before the meal (aperitifs) or after (digestifs, coffee) may be served. Dinner might last for several hours from start to finish, and is considered an important time for conversation and relaxation." Text from http://www.enjoyfrance.com/food-and-drink/french-food-eating-in-france-2005-07-30-88.html;  Picture from http://riqo.free.fr/london/images/0903/IMG_2036_1.JPG