Monday, September 20, 2010

Alliance Francaise de Washington


Friday morning at the crack of dawn.

OK I left the house at 4:30 AM and I DID NOT post on PB
Please forgive moi :( Bonjour Maison Blanche Capitol Building.

In Washington everything is on a grand scale including Union Station.

And the Metro is divine. Hello NYC MTA? Faites attention.

The Alliance Francaise de Washington is right in the midst of embassy row. Row upon row of simply gorgeous maisons.

My name was on the door. I have to crow a bit.

25 Paris facade watercolors are on view.

More than 100 (!) people showed up for the vernissage/opening.

multitude of macarons were provided by the excellent and very French Mad MacNYC.
 
Somehow through the blur of people and pictures, I spotted what looked decidedly like a macaron bag

What was inside the box?

The end of the soiree turned into a macaron fete! Comparing macaron 'feet' and parfums etc. Educational director, Sarah Pickup-Diligenti tests one out. Well we all did. And guest, Alexander, shared how easy it was to bake your own macarons! Poor guest Christopher's macarons from Michel Patisserie were more or less decimated. This is what happens when you dare to walk around with macaron bags in tow. Beware!

Saturday morning I received email instructions from Merisi of Vienna (a former DCer) that I must go to Eastern Market and off I went.

The Market Lunch is the place to eat brunch.
 
Not to worry about the long lines either. You will meet people who will only be too happy to advise you what to order when your chance at last comes.

Darlene insisted I order crab cakes, fried green tomatos and grits. Best crab cakes on the planet IMHO.

They had the buckwheat with blueberry and grits.

Then an appointment with a lady in a red hat at the National Gallery.

Then tea.

With Woodrow Wilson.

I spotted chausson aux pomme nearby. Who could resist?
 
Plus a pistache gelato.

 It does seem like all I did was eat in Washington DC doesn't it. Back to NYC and realitee.
BONJOUR LUNDI PBers!
AND A BIG MERCI FOR EVERYONE WHO CAME TO THE AF DC!!


31 comments:

  1. Carol, congratulations on your well-attended vernissage! It is no surprise that the macarons were totally consumed. Love all the photos! As for eating your way through DC, well it's not like you were wasting calories on Twinkies and M&Ms! You had an obligation to experience and evaluate the offerings of DC, n'est-ce pas?

    Bises,
    Genie

    ReplyDelete
  2. Congrats, Carol! How exciting. Loving experiencing your travels vicariously. Keep up the excellent work.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Lovely post, carolg! I love DC too! PS - just a little adjustment: it's Mont Blanc, but Maison *Blanche*.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Brava, Carol! And thanks, too, for reminding me how much I love DC.

    ReplyDelete
  5. That's our job to eat our way thru a visiting city. What fun you must be having!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hi Carol...

    I don't know if you rec'd my email...obviously I could not make it. I'm glad it was so well-attended. More people will be visiting before the 1 Nov closing date (people should know that--it's open here 'til then).

    Eastern Market is the best & I'm glad you went...on a normal Saturday I might have bumped into you but...it was not a normal Saturday.

    Glad you like our town & I had to laugh though about Metro. It's so bad now that most people (like me) who brag about it, keep our mouth shut. I'm glad it behaved well for you.

    ciao

    Susan (& Giulia is so mad at me that I couldn't just send her in a taxi on Friday....)

    ReplyDelete
  7. "who brag about it" - the Metro. "Used to brag about it." I had to put it in there. I mean when it's the subject of criminal investigations...ahem.

    S.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I really enjoyed my virtual trip to Washington DC with you and to your wonderful show. I hope it's a sell out.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Anonymous12:54 PM

    So very beautiful.Thanks very much for all the great views into Paris( and DC ). You are AMAZING! Very inspirational... inspiring me to make reservations to go to PARIS!
    merci!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Oh Carol, your showing looked wonderful! My cousin and I were planning to attend, but she had to leave town at the last minute. Et alors, I was told it was booked to capacity!

    I'm glad you enjoyed Eastern Market and made it over to Capitol Hill! I know I live there so I might be a tad bit biased, but it's the best neighborhood in D.C., à mon avis! And I had to laugh at your glowing praise of the Metro. I'm glad it behaved for you, but on a day to day basis, c'est horrible!

    Come back to D.C. soon, please, and bring some more lovely macarons!

    And just curious, but did you mean to label the Capitol building as the White House?

    ReplyDelete
  11. Great shots, it looked like you had fun while mixing with high society :)
    You're on a roll!
    What's next?

    ReplyDelete
  12. Debra P.2:48 PM

    Hi Carol, my daughter & I attended the vernissage! We had a great time and enjoyed meeting you and having a chance to chat. The Alliance was enchanting, your watercolours dreamy and the macaroons, whew, they were fantastique! Please let us know when you are in town again, we would love to take you to tea.
    Debra & Caroline

    ReplyDelete
  13. Ah, Washington DC, how I miss Thee!
    I am so glad you managed to get up to the Eastern Market area and hope that you have more pictures of DC in store!

    The Alliance Francaise de Washington resides in quite the neighborhood, tres French! ;-)

    Btw, as far as I know, the president still lives in the real White House and not under the Capitol Dome. ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  14. Be still my heart. All that wonderful food! But now I have to look up what a vernissage is.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Fabulous!! Congratulations on brilliant vernissage in DC. I love the Metro In DC so civilized.. looks like a great time and lovely pieces. xo Jan

    ReplyDelete
  16. She giggles nervously...ahem
    Yes the Metro did act up as she was trying to get to Union TRAIN Station - we were summarily tossed off and told to take shuttle buses, but the info guy said,"Absolutely nothing wrong at Union Metro station -Get Back ON!"
    And we did
    And the train did stop and let us off.
    There are TWO dome-like white buildings in DC?
    Eeeek must repair poste toute a suite
    More giggling ensues...
    Hey I'm a New Yorker..
    WhatdoIknow?
    Go figure...
    Yes the exhibit is on until Nov 1
    What's next?
    Another exhibit at the Philadelphia Alliance Francaise that's what.
    And there will be more macarons, so if you missed out in DC do come on down :)

    ReplyDelete
  17. Dear Carol,
    Saw on your blog that you just returned from DC.
    I have to share the Metro song with you. I, too, thought the Metro was a very nice way to travel around DC.

    Joyce

    ReplyDelete
  18. That is so super -
    100 people!
    You should be very proud.
    Even though you didn't say, I hope you sold lots so you can get yourself back to Paris toute de suite!
    xo
    Robin

    ReplyDelete
  19. I want to have tea with Woodrow too! But not if I have to leave at 4:30 AM!
    Congratulations!

    ReplyDelete
  20. Bonjour Carol,
    Félicitations on your fabulous show, wish I could have been there to enjoy your art and those macarons.
    a beintôt,
    Mimi

    ReplyDelete
  21. Anonymous7:27 PM

    Dear Carol,
    Huge congratulations on your opening, how exciting.
    My hubby just spent some time in DC and was impressed. It's a while since we have been there - perhaps 20 years.
    Your culinary pleasures look divine as well - thank you for sharing them with us

    ReplyDelete
  22. Looks like such a great time! Congratulations Carol :) You deserved all the macaroons, icecream and USA foodie treats

    ReplyDelete
  23. Congratulations on your exhibition. It looks wonderful, as does all the wonderful Washington food.

    ReplyDelete
  24. So nice to know you and your art were treated royally, in DC, Carol.
    I am so impressed by the images that come from the collaboration of your eye, and the camera's lens.
    Great, brilliant, sharp and colorful pics of your travels, in all kinds of light.See you and your art in Philly.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Congratulations on your exhibition!

    ReplyDelete
  26. Anonymous8:51 AM

    oh, how i miss DC--and alliance francaise! i took classes there for some time, but moved to go to grad school...thank you for posting and sending me down memory lane!

    ReplyDelete
  27. Hi Carol,

    You make me feel like Alice in Wonderland. Did you already go to...JAPAN!! I would love to visit Japan since you've mentioned that they like macerons over there.And they are crazy for art like yours!
    So...if you don't have anything special to do like a vernissage, you know where to go! ;)

    ReplyDelete
  28. What a great exhibition, lovely building, the one here is gorgeous like that as well. Although I just had to check on the Michels Patisserie. We have one of those here.....but it is not the same by any means, ours is totally horrible!*L* Cant get over that train station too and all that great food!

    ReplyDelete
  29. What a great trip to DC...I just got back from NYC..We had a ball showing our granddaughter Grace 5 1/2 all the sites...
    Bon Soir! jennifer aka gigi

    ReplyDelete
  30. madeleine5:17 AM

    bonjour ...

    I am madeleine and I am french :-)

    I love your blog, it has this "je ne sais quoi"...I finally decide to leave a comment!!!
    I live in LA and my job is to bring France to America :-) Especially Fashion, Candies ( hence fraise tagada) and food !


    If you need any french product .. just let me know :-)

    Bisous

    Madeleine

    ReplyDelete

Love hearing from you