Recycling the Empties in Paris and New York

Last night I had a dinner party with lots of wine, as you can see, and this morning I had to toss the empties into the recycling bin, located in the courtyard in full view of all of my Parisian neighbors.

There isn't a time when I do this that it doesn't make me think of differing attitudes (or at least what I perceive of as differing attitudes) between my French and American neighbors.

In our New York apartment, the recycling bin is in a common back hallway.  Whenever I toss a bunch of bottles into the bin, I have the same thought:  "What will the neighbors think when they see soooooooo many bottles."  

In Paris, as each bottle crashes to the bottom of the bin and breaks, I imagine my neighbors looking out of their windows, seeing me, l'americaine, and saying: "Bravo!  She's getting the hang of life here."

Comments

[magpie]

LOL - we've been caring for our aged, ill mother and my job has been to keep the house in wine. We keep wondering when the neighbors or the garbage men are going to turn us in or something - the recycling bin is ALWAYS full of wine bottles.

[Hande]

@ Arianna,
where do you live? You can get Champagne Egly-Ouriet in Stuttgart, Germany. If that helps you, I will write you where exactly.

[Arianna]

Hi Dorie! Thanks for your excellent Blog, I really love checking in to see what amazing things you have been up to lately. You really have a charmed life!
In regard to your post, I noticed a bottle amongst your empties (I say Bravo!) that I have been looking out for for awhile, the Champagne Egly-Ouriet. I had some at a wine dinner years ago and every time I come to Paris, 2-3 times a year, I look for it without success. Can you tell me where you found it so I can pick up a bottle next time? I hope it is as good as I remember it to be!

Thanks!

[Rebecca]

HA! I (living in the US) have that thought when I do my recycling, too! And for some reason, I DO care what the neighbors think...! How wonderful-looks like a great dinner party!

[Aaron Kagan]

If you're looking for an alternative to recycling, wine bottles also make nice edging for a kitchen garden, thereby going from expressing terroir to being in terra.

www.teaandfood.blogspot.com

[Mona]

bien sur bravo, dorie!! i lived in paris for three years when i was younger, '91-'94, and i really have the itch to move back, and your blog isn't helping! ha;) i'm here via Bittman's blog and after just one post i'm already a big fan. my family recently finished a bottle of ruinart the other weekend -it was my first- and i'm not willing to give it up yet to the recycling bin...it was, after all, a celebratory bottle and i'm keeping it as sort of a memento. salut!

[littlem]

I just try to cushion the blow with some newspapers!

[Katie Johnson]

Dorie
We just returned from Paris and rented an apartment in the 7th - every morning our children dropped our wine bottles in the courtyard trash can and loved hearing the crash. We are sure the neighbors were glad to be rid of the American's on the 6th floor. We loved it! (PS - I dragged my husband to Pierre Herme for treats, I thinks he's planning our next trip just for the almond croissant)