Today in Belleville

Today, Louis and I visited two nearby places we've been meaning to go to for some time. First, we headed into the 20th arrondisement to check out Ding Fring, a "charity" shop. All the clothes are second-hand (eco-friendly!) and the proceeds go to a charity (Emmaüs). I'm not quite sure what Ding Fring means (pronounced in French it sounds even weirder). We browsed the quite wide selection of pants, dresses, shirts, jackets, and more. Eventually, I tried on three skirts and came out with a red one in solid wool for only 12.50 euros! (Picture of me in the skirt forthcoming.)

The other adventure of the day was an absolutely fabulous dinner at Kiwizine, a restaurant just around the corner on rue Rebeval. The interesting thing about this place is that it's actually a non-profit association, not a restaurant. This means that anyone who eats there must be a member. To become a member, one pays 2 euros. So we did. And it was totally worth it. The restaurant is only open Friday and Saturday, and there are no choices on the menu. Tonight's menu: pumpkin soup with honey and mustard, garnished with cream and fresh parsley; filet of salmon over risotto with mushrooms topped by asparagus wrapped in ham; fondant au chocolat with raspberry sorbet. There are almost no words to describe the deliciousness of this meal. I can only say that we will definitely be going back. Maybe it's a good thing they are only open two days a week!