Paris Vegan Day

The highlight of the year, the Paris Vegan Day, was last sunday. Since we first heard about it, we planned on going there together. For some strange reason, the vegans in Paris always place their events on dates on which I am not in the city, but not this time!

So what did we do? A lot! I hope I won't forget half of it. We...

• arrived at  La Bellevilloise shortly after 11. The program began at 11, and there were already many people present.
• had brunch at the restaurant. For 29 Euros there were lots and lots of very delicious foods, fruit juices and hot drinks. I saw some honey standing around, but apart from that it was perfect.
• missed Isa Chandra Moskowitz' cooking show because the program that I printed out in the morning did not seem to be the latest version. 
• saw Terry Hope Romero's cooking show, which was really great. It was a bit complicated because it was translated into french, so people seemed to have some difficulties to be totally enthusiastic about it.
• forgot to bring a cookbook from the PPK authors to let them sign it. Gnarf.
• visited the stands of many exhibitors who all brought their delicious vegan goodies.
• were amazed about the animal rights activists' stands downstairs - If there is so much good activism and information in France, how can there still be foie gras and the likes?
• had tasty Sojami ice cream.
• said hi to lovely tattoo artist Punky.
• met friends from France, Germany, and Switzerland.
• did not see much of the fashion show because it was so crowded.
• tried tasty food at the Vegusto stand. 
• wondered why so many people were standing outside until we realized that the location was too full at a certain time to let everyone in.
• saw some more good cooking shows of the VG-Zone creators.
• tasted their incredibly good caribbean sponge cake, together with a nice cup of Løv tea.
• could not resist a spring roll and a plate of other food from the Loving Hut.
• managed to get the very last book sold by Melisser Elliott. It is called "The Vegan Girl's Guide To Life" and is incredibly cute.
• won a great price at the tombola (food from un monde vegan, bathroom fun from Lush, a cute T-Shirt from Herbivore) 

Congratulations to the organizors of the PVD! This was a great event, and surely very stressful! I totally understand the little chaotic things with the program and dying printers and stuff - I never imagined that the event would be that big.

All in all, it was a wonderful day that made us roll home rather than walk. Do we really have to wait a whole year now for the next PVD? Far too long!