No, that's not a typo. 

Last Sunday, a small section of the 20th arrondissement was taken over by the small, yet active vegan population living in Paris to celebrate the second annual Paris Vegan Day. 

Sustainable fashion shows, soy ice cream, vegetarian shoes, tofu samples -- had Alicia Silverstone and Paul McCartney shown up (both well-known animal-rights advocates), it would have been my version of vegetarian paradise.

The event took place from 11 am to midnight on Sunday, November 28th, at "La Bellevilloise" which was founded back in 1877 as the first Parisian cooperative, which offered access to political, educational and cultural events to the lower-middle class. 

Since 2005, the space has been revived to become an open forum for independent artistic activities and events open to the public, various businesses and the media.

Although there was clearly a strong Anglophone presence at the event (Americans, Brits and Aussies, oh my!) there were plenty of French people in attendance as well. 

Official event sponsors ranged from French to American to English companies and organizations, including: VegMag, Lush, Tossolia, The Gentle Gourmet, VG-Zone, and Un Monde Vegan. 

Although there was a bit of a crowd control/space issue, overall it was a very fun, informative and successful event for the vegan community in Paris. Hopefully Paris Vegan Day will continue to grow and gain traction, and I look forward to attending next year (who knows, maybe by then I will have finally made the leap to veganism!)

Below is a short video I took of a vegan cooking demonstration by Dynise Balcavage, creator of The Urban Vegan. 

It will also give you all a sense of the great turnout we saw at the event! Who knew there were so many vegans (or wannabe vegans like myself) in Paris?

Check out the slideshow below for additional photos I took from Paris Vegan Day!

I pretty much get the same reaction when people find out I’m a vegetarian, regardless of where I find myself in the world.

It varies from looks of pity, to genuine incomprehension, to “OK, but you still eat chicken right?” (I’ve gotten that answer in at least four different countries).

Some quick background on my dietary habits: I was raised vegetarian, and stopped eating fish when I was about 15 years old. So I’ve had plenty of practice – roughly 25 years, 4 months and 27 days worth -- living life without eating meat.

When I visited France back in 1999...well let's just say the options were limited. I pretty much had the choice of bread and cheese if I wanted a sandwich, and a salad if I was lucky (and if I begged the server to keep the meat out). 

But when I came back to live in Paris in 2005, I was surprised to see how much easier it had become to live my animal-friendly lifestyle. There were more vegetarian menu options, servers had grown more accustomed to my requesting items “sans viande” (without meat), and it was even easier to find basic meat substitutes at the supermarket.

Below is a little slideshow I made, documenting a regular trip to my local Carrefour, and highlighting some key items that are pretty much a staple in any vegetarian’s diet. They’re all super easy to find in France, filled with nutrients and protein, and relatively cheap.

I have no doubt this will leave all your mouths watering as much as my cupcake post.

OK fine, maybe a close second.

Still, as much as France has improved, it should come as no surprise to anyone that it still isn’t exactly the #1 spot in the world to be vegetarian. 

Sure, you could technically live as a vegetarian in France with ease, living off of croissants, pain au chocolat, Camembert and wine. But then how would you continue to make it up the six flights of stairs to get to your studio apartment three times a day, when you've put on 15lbs ??

For those of you who are interested in the countries with the top veggie-friendly reputations, here is a list from Expatify.com of the Top Ten Best Countries to be Vegetarian:
10. Canada
9. Israel
8. Hong Kong
7. United States
6. Thailand
5. Taiwan
4. United Kingdom
3. Vietnam
2. Malaysia
1. India


So far, I've been to four out of ten: clearly I need to plan a trip to Asia, stat.

While I am happy with my choice to be vegetarian, I also strongly believe that local cuisine is a huge part of being fully immersed in a foreign culture. Frankly, I think it’s up there with learning the language. So I’m well aware that by deciding not to eat meat, I’m kind of missing out. Luckily, I’ve never tried a Big Mac, or Beef bourguignon, so I don’t know the full extent of what I’m missing!

Overall, when traveling or living abroad, I think it's always important to strike a balance between adapting to a new culture, and keeping a bit of your own along for the ride. I like to think that I've managed to strike a pretty good balance between the two while living in France, and I will continue to keep you all updated on exciting vegetarian tips and treats I discover during my time abroad.