Monday. After another good night’s sleep in our quiet Citadines’ room, we had another scrambled egg breakfast, to which LT added his fruit yoghurt from the night before. Then, we got out the door by 10AM . We walked along the Rue San Antoine, then turned left along some meandering Marais streets and cut across the Seine at the Pont Au Double. Then we walked along the Seine on the left bank until we got to the Pont Neuf, where we over-optimistically bought 2-day tickets 18 Euros instead of 15 Euros for one day) on a Batobus.
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| View from the Batobus |
Under blue skies and 75 degree temperatures, we took this boat as it went back “down” the river eastward, past Notre Dame, turning around after the Ile St. Louis, then heading westward again, past the Hotel de Ville, Notre Dame, the Louvre, the Jardin des Tuileries, the Champs Elysses and all the way to the Eiffel Tower.
We got off at the Eiffel Tower, imagining we could re-locate a nice restaurant we’d visited last time headed for the Rue Cler. But we couldn’t locate our earlier “find” and instead, walked back down the Rue Cler, turned right and had lunch at an Italian (!!!) restaurant, "Di Felice" on Rue de Grenelle where the waiter offered us a window seat looking out onto the quiet street.
It was wonderful. When we began by ordering an Orvieto, the waiter suggested instead we try a “better” Venmentino from Sardinia, and he gave us a free sample. We determined that he was right and paid 35 Euros for the Vermintino, instead of 30 for the Orvieto.
We started with artichokes stuffed with cheese and bacon, then Eli had penne carbonara and LT had another filet de bar. LT’s filet came with a finely minced timbale of vegetables, eggplant, zucchini, etc.
After lunch, we walked, walked, walked to another “Midnight in Paris” location, the Rodin Museum, which unfortunately was closed damn it, and then enjoyed walking down the still sunny Rue de Varennes with all the French government ministries and offices and bored but official-looking gendarmes, then past trendy shopping boutiques, on to St. Germain. When we reached Rue Jacob, we checked out the Hotel Angleterre where we’d stayed with the girls in 2003. It was now 350 Euros for a double room .
We continued our endless trek home, past Notre Dame, Bastille, and finally reached our Citadines at cinq heures. While LT took a nap, Eli went to a nearby Picard (home of frozen French delicacies) and brought back ratatouille, duck parmentier (minced duck topped off with cheesy potatoes) as well as a bottle of Chablis. Tucked into our beds, we watched “Midnight in Paris” yet again as the evening’s final bit of entertainment
We got off at the Eiffel Tower, imagining we could re-locate a nice restaurant we’d visited last time headed for the Rue Cler. But we couldn’t locate our earlier “find” and instead, walked back down the Rue Cler, turned right and had lunch at an Italian (!!!) restaurant, "Di Felice" on Rue de Grenelle where the waiter offered us a window seat looking out onto the quiet street.
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| Our window seat at Di Felice |
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| The Vermentino |
We started with artichokes stuffed with cheese and bacon, then Eli had penne carbonara and LT had another filet de bar. LT’s filet came with a finely minced timbale of vegetables, eggplant, zucchini, etc.
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| Les filets de bar |
We continued our endless trek home, past Notre Dame, Bastille, and finally reached our Citadines at cinq heures. While LT took a nap, Eli went to a nearby Picard (home of frozen French delicacies) and brought back ratatouille, duck parmentier (minced duck topped off with cheesy potatoes) as well as a bottle of Chablis. Tucked into our beds, we watched “Midnight in Paris” yet again as the evening’s final bit of entertainment
Tuesday. After Eli whipped up yet another serving of creamy scrambled eggs, we crossed west on the Rue du Chemin Vert, waited for the green light to venture across Blvd Beaumarchais, then down past the fancy fish and oyster restaurant on the Rue du Pas de la Mule, across the impressive 18th facades of the Place des Vosges and arrived at the Muse Carnavalet.
LT was determined to see Proust’s bedroom furniture which had been closed during his retirement trip to Paris in 2010.
It is incredible that the longest and perhaps most famous novel of all time was written in such an unimposing, even unimpressive setting.
A tiny double bed covered in blue, a modest wooden bureau, a small writing table. The Muse Carnavalet houses 1000s of items relating to Paris history, so we had quite a good time looking at them, especially the ones related to the French Revolution.
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| LT poses in front of Proust's bedroom furniture. |
It is incredible that the longest and perhaps most famous novel of all time was written in such an unimposing, even unimpressive setting.
A tiny double bed covered in blue, a modest wooden bureau, a small writing table. The Muse Carnavalet houses 1000s of items relating to Paris history, so we had quite a good time looking at them, especially the ones related to the French Revolution.
Our next stop was going to be back in the 5th arrondissement at “Les Pipos” where the owner of the Bistro Aix in San Francisco had recommended we eat. As we had on Sunday, we crossed at the Sully bridge, then lumbered up Rue Cardinal Lemoine towards the Pantheon, Eli checking menus and three-star hotel prices all along the way.
After a few false turns, we located the Rue St. Etienne du Mont with the magic “Midnight in Paris” steps, and realized “Les Pipos” was right down the street from the steps. ("Pipos" are the first year students at the Ecole Polytechnique across the small square.) If the movie had been shot in the daytime, the restaurant would have been visible down the street behind the 1920 Peugeot.
We sat outside at a too-small 16 inch table viewing the small “place” or square across from the Ecole Polytechnique and chatting with two Frenchmen who were dining right next to us. One, ironically named “Gil” had a jazz record shop a few doors up from the restaurant, even closer to the magic steps of the St. Etienne church.
Eli and LT shared some country pate which came on a rectangular slate with red cabbage, white slightly pickeled cabbage, apple sauce and a large jar of gherkin pickles.
Then for the entrée, LT had a manquereau—a small whole fish—and Eli ordered what she thought was going to be duck but turned out to be a small headless pigeon—or perdereau-- which she didn’t like very much.
After inspecting the “bird” Eli immediately regretted she had not ordered the 17 Euro fois gras instead. We had a 23 Euro rose with the meal.
After a few false turns, we located the Rue St. Etienne du Mont with the magic “Midnight in Paris” steps, and realized “Les Pipos” was right down the street from the steps. ("Pipos" are the first year students at the Ecole Polytechnique across the small square.) If the movie had been shot in the daytime, the restaurant would have been visible down the street behind the 1920 Peugeot.
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| LT waves. That's "Gil" the owner of the Jazz record store half way up the street to the steps of St. Etienne du Mont. |
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| Our small table. The yellow 1920 Peugeot follows the street slightly off to the right. |
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| Woody Allen "thank you" photo in Les Pipos |
Eli and LT shared some country pate which came on a rectangular slate with red cabbage, white slightly pickeled cabbage, apple sauce and a large jar of gherkin pickles.
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| ET's "perdereau" |
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| LT's tasty "maquereau" or mackerel. |
After lunch we re-climbed the hill to reach the Place de la Contrescarpe, where Hemingway had first lived in Paris. This is the neighborhood he writes about in A Moveable Feast.
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| LT in La Place de Contrescarpe |
Knowing we’d enjoy the sandwiches back in our room, we took an evening stroll at 6PM back to the Place des Vosges, then cutting through the Hotel Sully.
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| LT on the grounds of the Hotel Sully |
After going along the Rue San Antoine we reached the Sully bridge, where two young men took our picture with the sunset silhouette of the city behind us.
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Then we headed back to our Citadines apartment with the chicken sandwiches and St. Joseph Rhone wine which Eli had purchased.
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| Back at Citadines after a long day's walking |
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