Okay, so I'm technically blogging out of order, but I'm not sure what people want to hear more about.. Barcelona or first day of my stage. I'm thinking the latter, and since the latter doesn't require me to post any pictures, I figure it will be a quick fix for my adoring public. Remember, first hit is free and soon I'll start charging!
Yes I'm still quite on a high from my first day. No I didn't have a baking sheet thrown at my head... no I wasn't locked in the walk-in. It was actually a day full of orientation. I showed up at HR at 9 to be ushered into a room of 8 other soon-to-be stagiaires/employees. We had breakfast together, got our uniforms, had lunch, did a tour of the hotel, and all in all it was very civil! And I think I'm oriented for the most part (though I managed to understand about 80% of the French).
I'm not sure what tomorrow will bring, actually being in the kitchen and messing up left and right whilst trying to decipher French. I'll have to say, touring the kitchens and hotel was quite amazing. I imagined Alain Ducasse at Plaza Athénée, to be much larger, but it was still quite stunning. And it also turns out that AD has his own pastry department, so Christophe Michalak... the resident pastry chef, is actually my boss (or more like my boss' boss' boss). Yippee!! My favorite part of the hotel? The doohickeys on the floor that you step on...and then voila a hidden door opens up!
Most people don't think about how much detail goes into prestigious hotels since, quite frankly, most of us can't foot the bill of a hotel where a standard room is 700 euro a night. From panoramic views of the Eiffel Tower, to Mont Blanc pens on the desk, to ostentatious looking Louis IV style furniture with enough gold on it to blind a person, its no wonder that the larger suites go from 5k to 22k euro a night! There are people who tailor your minibar to your preferences, make sure that your bed is made exactly how you like it, and if you want to get rid of all the furniture and bring in your own? Completely doable.. if you can afford it. Apparently Salvedor Dali used to reside at the Plaza for months at a time and would paint on walls and have his pet ocelot/leopard rip apart the furniture.
I'm still amazed by the Plaza right now... but maybe reality will set in tomorrow. At 7:30 AM to be precise.
2 comments:
Louis IV? or XIV?
Anyway, I am glad you had a good day.
I was a bit worried. I have heard so many bad stories before. But I am sure you will have a great time. And your French will be perfect after that experience :-)
Have a great second day!!
wowowow! sounds like it's gonna be an AWESOME experience! hotel sounds uber fancy! can't wait to hear more stories!! geez.. so many exclamation marks!!!!
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