Perfect Paris Parks

Sue, spent two months working with us as our kitchen helper, learning from our chefs and honing her culinary skills. But it was not all about the walls of Cook’n With Class, she also got a chance to call Paris home, if but for a short time. In her first post for us, she shared her first impressions with us – introducing us to her new best friend and her Paris walking tour objectives. 

May Day job

After two months in the kitchens at Cook’n With Class Paris, I have reflected upon what I have learned so far. I have taken many classes and observed others and even though many of the classes are repeated they are never the same. The Chefs make every class different by choosing different menus and different variations and the participants are never the same. The most important thing to take away from a cooking class is techniques and the Cook’n With Class Paris chefs are generous when it comes to teaching professional methods. But it is the variation in the students that makes it most interesting. They come from all over the world and with so many reasons for taking a cooking class in Paris. Some have hardly cooked at all, others are accomplished home cooks and even some professionals come to get inspiration and see different techniques. But without exception, they join in, share and enjoy their experience and make the day in the kitchen go by very quickly.

Beyond the French cooking school – Discovering Paris

When I am away from Cook’n With Class I like to spend as much time as I can outdoors. And Paris is a great place to enjoy being outdoors. Just walking the neighbourhoods is great fun but my favourite thing to do in Paris is visiting the parks. And there are so many to visit. In September Paris has the Fête des Jardins. During that time many of the parks run special events but I love the parks at all times of the year.

My favourite is the Jardin du Luxembourg. It is very close to where I am living in Paris so I walk and run there almost every day. It is such a beautiful park and so much goes on there besides the Senate including tennis, basketball, reading, chess, petanque, horse rides for the kids, bands at the bandstand, beehives, an orchard which currently as a lovely crop of apples and so much more. This week a lovely exhibition on the fence surrounding the park has been installed showing 80 beautiful watercolours that depict the everyday life of the lawmakers at the Senate. It is outside the garden so it is free and it is stunning.

One of my other favourites and I have many is the Parc de Sceaux which is just a few minutes out of Paris on the RER B train. It is a stunning park and it goes forever. It seems to be enclosed by a forest which makes it such a quiet place even though Paris is just out there. There is currently a beautiful free photography exhibition here too. Magnificent aerial shots were taken in Hauts-de-Seine.

I also love the rooms of the Parc André Citroën. Buttes Chaumont has spectacular views and a little bit wild and those hills give the legs a good workout Bois-de-Boulogne has so much going on – manicured gardens to the wild overgrown forest and the beautiful lake. Jardin des Plantes – the main botanical garden of Paris has so many quirky sculptures and always an open-air photographic exhibition. Bois de Vincennes has the Parc Floral de Paris a more botanical garden but the Boise de Vincennes is a sprawling forest that makes you feel that you are miles from civilisation. Parc de Bellville has a vineyard! I could go on and on. So when you have had enough museums, galleries and shops head to the parks in Paris – the exercise and fresh air are good for the health and the soul.