The first coffee of this spring enjoyed on the balcony. Need to turn this into a habit! 
PS For months now, my husband has been buying gluten-free chocolate biscuits made of rice flour from Bio c’Bon –healthy alternative to croissants…
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Note: Due to a problem on WordPress, you probably missed the last post Perfect Weather for Hamburgers.
Maybe it has something to do with yesterday’s Last Days of Summer film (who knows in what way), but tonight I went jogging, got home, looked out of the kitchen window and decided that it is certainly the most perfect weather for making hamburgers!
Don’t you just agree? 
While I bake my hamburger steaks, tell me something: how do clouds trigger craving for hamburgers?
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Six weeks of globetrotting is over and every place I saw during my travels was rewarding in its own way.
India was fantastic, as always, and so rich in everything: culture, history, people, food, religion, architecture etc. This was my fourth one-month-long trip to India and I enjoyed it as much as I have enjoyed my previous trips. Definitely The Place to be in for me –I am very attached to India and miss my dear friends terribly. Will be writing a lot more about India in the weeks to come (hope everyone enjoy reading about India??)!
Unfortunately I was a bit sick in Dubai so I could not do as much as I had planned, but I did manage to squeeze in enough shopping and pool time. And super delicious Iranian kebabs, but more about that in another post.
My last destination was Finland, my country of origin. The country returned to winter last week and I saw snow, sleet and hail. All this felt almost pleasantly exotic after the tropics but unfortunately I was not prepared clothes-wise for this weather shock (from 38C in Dubai to barely 8C in Finland…). So, the weather directed me toward indoor activities and I took advantage of visiting museums and doing a food tour of Helsinki, but more about all this a bit later.
Now back to Paris. What is it like to return after six weeks? What did I do upon arriving at home?
First, I put fish in the freezer. My father is a keen fisherman so I usually bring “home-caugh” pike-perch and burbot to Paris, just like my parents do when they visit us in Paris (Bringing a little bit of Finnish Christmas to Paris).
Second, I checked upon flowers and plants on the balcony. Prior to travelling, we had spent a lot of time (and money) planting pansies and other plants so it was important to find them in a good health. And judging by the photos, I think everyone agrees that they were doing well! 
Third, I installed a little bit of India at home. The nine-kilo marble Nandi statue that we purchased in Varanasi found its place on the balcony. It is now part of our small Hindu temple where Nandi gets showered by flower petals and candles. We have been searching for a beautiful Nandi for a long time and are happy to have finally found this elegant piece. Furthermore, to ease Nandi’s homesickness, we placed it toward the East, India.
Another object we have been looking for a while is a brass bowl (urli). After a lot of exploration we finally found a lovely one in a rather touristic shop in Bombay. Urli is placed on our bathroom sink and looking very good. Moreover, this is a great way to have fresh flowers in the bathroom! 
A lot of photos about flowers, but I guess it is a good sign: summer is almost here!!
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What are your thoughts on these Franco-Indian decoration ideas? Do you tend to bring design objects from your travels and does mixing styles always work? Would love to see links to your homes!! Until then, have a great week!
Eating cheese in France is a true geographic journey! Every region has its own specialties and in total there are more than 500 types of cheese in France. One will never know all 500 types. But this –at least to me– is part of the fun. We go and buy cheese and every time there is so much to discover! No two cheese plates are alike. And in order not to be too nationalistic, we try to add one or two cheese from abroad.
Our last cheese experimentation created this kind of a platter: 
To complete the dinner, we also had dried beef (Noix de Bœuf Séchée) and a green salad with avocados. Not the lightest and healthiest dinner, but once in a while just perfect!
Note: For the sake of comparative studies, this was our precious cheese platter: Cheese platter
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PS Do you stick to the same old cheese all the time or do you prefer changing? If yes to the last question, then what is your latest discovery…?
I live in Paris where bakeries are full of richly buttered croissants, but to be brutally honest, I eat a croissant approximately once a year! Shocking, isn’t it.
Originally, I come from Finland, which is a country of savory breakfasts, but I don’t eat typical Finnish breakfast (porridge) either. So, what is it, what do I eat? Well, I often have rice cakes with salmon and avocados. Or avocados and cheese. Sometimes I add turkey. Or if I made Indian food the night before, I would eat leftover dal for breakfast. To be honest, my ultimate happiness was found in South India where I could eat idli and sambar for breakfast! Yummy.
I do admit, I have weird breakfast habits but I am afraid they are now getting even more strange (some of you may call them disgusting). For some time now, I have been preparing a salad that consists of fish eggs, grilled artichokes, avocados, truffle oil and fresh herbs (thyme, basil and rosemary). 
The fish eggs I have been buying are some of the cheapest available in Paris (and apparently the saltiest) and of course it would be better to buy salmon eggs but they are considerably more expensive. Anyhow, apart from these “cheap” eggs, everything in this salad is very good for your health. Most importantly, I love the combination, which fills the stomach, but not the same way wheat does (yes, I try to avoid gluten as often as I can).
Would you eat this salad for breakfast? Do you have a breakfast recipe you like making but think it is utterly crazy? Let me know (and make me feel less weird..)!
Is your wine cellar empty? Good, because the Wine Exhibition of Independent Winegrowers returns to Paris this weekend! More than 1000 winemakers from all over France will present their products, often organic and biodynamic, and always of high quality. It is a dream event of all wine lovers and not to be missed! 
As previously, I have an extra ticket and happy to send it to someone interested in participating the exhibition between March 28-31. It is for two people and includes complimentary wine tasting glasses.
The rules are the same: like Pearlspotting on Facebook, or if you prefer, become my blog’s follower by inserting your email address into the box available on the front page of my blog (https://pearlspotting.wordpress.com). Please write a comment or a brief story about your most memorable wine experience. Do not forget to mention the name of the wine the story involves (if you remember). Can be from anywhere in the world.
At midnight Wednesday (Paris time) I will pick up the winner (call it Internet lottery) and contact this person. Next day I will send the ticket to the address of the winner.
I am looking forward to your wine stories, and meanwhile, my previous posts about this wine exhibition are to be read here: Wine tasting at Salon des Vins des Vignerons Indépendants and Maison Lorgeril from Languedoc-Roussillon.
EXHIBITION WEBSITE: http://www.france-independent-winegrowers.com/index2.php
Spring equals plants and flowers, so yesterday was a big plantation day for our balcony. We now have more violas and a bamboo. A palm tree will be the next purchase.
This morning I saw a grey thing with a tail run across the balcony so I got up. It was a beautiful grey cat that eventually jumped to the balcony of another building. Maybe just a coincidence, but maybe cats like bamboos? To be observed! 
It is hard to believe but when I returned home from meetings this afternoon, I put a bikini on and walked to my Seine hideaway to sunbathe. Yes. Sunbathe. In March. There was no wind and no clouds. Just the Seine, tourist boats, some guys playing guitar and me. The summer is going be long (or not)!
This past winter has been very mild in many European countries. So far, it has been one of the three warmest winters in France since 1900. Surprisingly, but to everyone’s delight, the temperature climbed to 22C in Paris last Sunday! Although I like spring as most of the people do, I feel slightly sad that I didn’t experience really cold weather this year.
In Finland, my country of origin, it hasn’t been much better. Lapland has snow but Helsinki is ready to welcome spring. In the region where our summer house is located, It still looks very much like winter but the reality is quite different. The ice on the lake is only 35 cm thick compared to what it could be: 100 cm 35 years ago, usually 60-70 cm. This is what the lake looked like few days ago (photo credit: my father):
Maybe with the climate change we will now have more of these Caribbean sunsets at least?
PS To compare this winter image to a summer photo, see Our beautiful lake has turned into a monster! Yes, it is the same lake. Same islands. Spectacular, isn’t it?
Last Saturday was really sunny and warm, and we decided to walk along the famous high-end fashion streets of Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré and Rue Saint Honoré. My idea was to find something for myself–after all it was the International Women’s Day– but I ended up walking home empty-handed. At least almost. I did get lots of ideas about this spring’s trends and at least in Paris, it is looking playful. Every fashion house seems to have something made of animal prints (zebra is back) and shades of rose, lavender and turquoise. I think it will be a cheerful, happy spring!
1. Burberry: 
Are you attending a wedding this summer? Need an engagement dress? This dress will turn heads but allows you to remain elegant. What an edgy detail that pink strap! http://fr.burberry.com/robe-bustier-en-dentelle-de-coton-p45114111
2. René Caovilla:
From left to right: pink for Miami, yellow for St Tropez, blue for Portofino. Overly mignon! http://www.renecaovilla.com
3.Escada: 
I absolutely love this outfit. I would wear it at conferences, meetings and airplanes. Love, love. http://fr.escada.com/look/escada-spring-summer-2014/escada-spring-summer-2014/LOOK_877
4. Dsquared2:
I am a big believer of wearing what pleases you as opposed to what the norms of the society and other people tell you. Moreover, I don’t think one’s wardrobe should be a reflection of one’s age. So, yes, I would wear these shorts! At least at home (smile). http://www.dsquared2.com/
Have you made observations about the latest collections? How does the fashion look like in wherever you live? Let Pearlspotting know please!
pearlspotting 