Paris - October 20, 2008
20081020 – Paris: This was a day of walking and eating. We got up at 7:00, did our morning things, I ate in the cellar, then we walked over the bridge to Ile St. Louis, up its main street (for the umteenth time), and onto Ile de Cite. We then got in line to climb the Notre Dame north tower.
It opened at 10:00 and we were there before then. We were in the second batch that ascended. It’s a heckuva climb … 387 steps … no elevator. You first go up a little way into the trinket shop. Then they let your group ascend up and up and up to near the top. You emerge on a balcony where you can walk 360 degrees and look at stuff all around. Oh, there’s the Eiffel Tower. And over there is Sacre Coeur. Ah, the Pompidou. Wide view both ways down the Seine. And on and on.
We passed on climbing the wooden steps up to the big bell. It’s encased all in wood since its vibrations would crack the stone tower. Then we climbed the last many steps that got narrower and narrower as we went up all the way to the top of the tower and grander views in all directions. It was a beautiful sunny day and the temperature was cool and nice. Great day to be up there. Since they only allow a certain amount of folks there at a time, you are not crowded.
The two landing railings had stainless steel grids rising above head height. Guess they don’t want to see anyone fall. Especially after seeing the big bell.
Well, it was down and down and down and down until we emerged on the street. It was 11 something. We walked back onto Ile St. Louis and went into several small shops, looked, didn’t buy anything. Back at the hotel, we downloaded the morning’s pix, washed up, and changed for lunch.
We met the Levins at 12:30 and walked to Le Grand Vefour. It took about 45 minutes down Rue Rivoli (another street to avoid if you don’t like crowds) It’s behind Palais Royal and only one of two three-star restaurants in Paris that serve a lunch menu. Behind the Palais Royal is a long block of luxury apartments that look inward on a quiet garden. We walked through the garden to get to the restaurant.
Lunch was elegant. It’s close to the dinner menu, but about a third of its price. Wine is expensive, though. There was a before with salmon and a shot glass of a cold avocado soup. I followed this with fois gras of duck. Then I had cabalaud (I think that’s the spelling), a nice white fish (cod?) with a painting of squid ink on the plate and some olive oil foam. See the pictures, please. Robin had a salad (beautiful with edible flowers and such) and then a plate of vegetables and mushrooms (exquisite presentation). We all had a separate plate of two scoops of mashed potatoes. The cheese cart was out of this world. The waiter took a picture of the whole cart for us. They gave me three mild cheeses, each more wonderful than the next. With the cheese course, they always tell you the order in which to eat them (mildest to strongest). The afters started with a plate of fluffy cookies and some chocolate pastry along with a tray of jellied candies of two colors. We were given a small shot glass with tiny fruit, wondrous liquid and yummy foam on top. This was followed by my dessert of apricot surrounding a filling over a cake with apricot glace next to it. Robin had rhubarb and lots of other stuff. Hey, look at the pictures. Then came a small piece of cake (sort of like angel cake, but not), a choice of a zillion different chocolates and coffee or espresso. Oh, during all this we had a premier cru Chablis during the first course and then a Margaux for our main course and cheese. This whole extravaganza took from a little after 1:00 until about 4:00.
We all separated and Robin and I walked for about two hours wandering here and there. The idea was to try small streets, look at shops, avoid crowds. We saw the gardens at the old Les Halles, down Rue Montorgueil, and on and on. We ended up back in the Marais and, eventually, back at the hotel a bit after 6:00.
So, up the spiral stairs at the tower and down again. Then up Rue Rivoli all the way to the Louvre and Palais Royal and back again by a much more circuitous route. Don’t think we’re too hungry at this point. And nothing sounds good. Oh, I could eat a simple cheese omelet like the one I had at the Pompidou I guess.
We worked on pictures for over three hours before going outside to the river to see the lights on our last night. Oh, we’re up to over 3,000 pictures.
About 9:30 we headed out and walked toward the river. We walked on this side to the second bridge connecting to Ile St. Louis. After crossing, we saw a nice restaurant and went in for a crepe, a quiche, and some sorbet. Yes, eating again. We headed home along Ile St. Louis and the Seine to Pont Sully, crossed and back to the hotel. Ah, the last night in Paris for this trip. Nice to get out. Peaceful. Cool. Beautiful.
And when I went to log on and export pix to Flickr, it told me at first I had exceeded my upload limit. Then it said my professional account had expired. A little VISA and that was fixed.
It opened at 10:00 and we were there before then. We were in the second batch that ascended. It’s a heckuva climb … 387 steps … no elevator. You first go up a little way into the trinket shop. Then they let your group ascend up and up and up to near the top. You emerge on a balcony where you can walk 360 degrees and look at stuff all around. Oh, there’s the Eiffel Tower. And over there is Sacre Coeur. Ah, the Pompidou. Wide view both ways down the Seine. And on and on.
We passed on climbing the wooden steps up to the big bell. It’s encased all in wood since its vibrations would crack the stone tower. Then we climbed the last many steps that got narrower and narrower as we went up all the way to the top of the tower and grander views in all directions. It was a beautiful sunny day and the temperature was cool and nice. Great day to be up there. Since they only allow a certain amount of folks there at a time, you are not crowded.
The two landing railings had stainless steel grids rising above head height. Guess they don’t want to see anyone fall. Especially after seeing the big bell.
Well, it was down and down and down and down until we emerged on the street. It was 11 something. We walked back onto Ile St. Louis and went into several small shops, looked, didn’t buy anything. Back at the hotel, we downloaded the morning’s pix, washed up, and changed for lunch.
We met the Levins at 12:30 and walked to Le Grand Vefour. It took about 45 minutes down Rue Rivoli (another street to avoid if you don’t like crowds) It’s behind Palais Royal and only one of two three-star restaurants in Paris that serve a lunch menu. Behind the Palais Royal is a long block of luxury apartments that look inward on a quiet garden. We walked through the garden to get to the restaurant.
Lunch was elegant. It’s close to the dinner menu, but about a third of its price. Wine is expensive, though. There was a before with salmon and a shot glass of a cold avocado soup. I followed this with fois gras of duck. Then I had cabalaud (I think that’s the spelling), a nice white fish (cod?) with a painting of squid ink on the plate and some olive oil foam. See the pictures, please. Robin had a salad (beautiful with edible flowers and such) and then a plate of vegetables and mushrooms (exquisite presentation). We all had a separate plate of two scoops of mashed potatoes. The cheese cart was out of this world. The waiter took a picture of the whole cart for us. They gave me three mild cheeses, each more wonderful than the next. With the cheese course, they always tell you the order in which to eat them (mildest to strongest). The afters started with a plate of fluffy cookies and some chocolate pastry along with a tray of jellied candies of two colors. We were given a small shot glass with tiny fruit, wondrous liquid and yummy foam on top. This was followed by my dessert of apricot surrounding a filling over a cake with apricot glace next to it. Robin had rhubarb and lots of other stuff. Hey, look at the pictures. Then came a small piece of cake (sort of like angel cake, but not), a choice of a zillion different chocolates and coffee or espresso. Oh, during all this we had a premier cru Chablis during the first course and then a Margaux for our main course and cheese. This whole extravaganza took from a little after 1:00 until about 4:00.
We all separated and Robin and I walked for about two hours wandering here and there. The idea was to try small streets, look at shops, avoid crowds. We saw the gardens at the old Les Halles, down Rue Montorgueil, and on and on. We ended up back in the Marais and, eventually, back at the hotel a bit after 6:00.
So, up the spiral stairs at the tower and down again. Then up Rue Rivoli all the way to the Louvre and Palais Royal and back again by a much more circuitous route. Don’t think we’re too hungry at this point. And nothing sounds good. Oh, I could eat a simple cheese omelet like the one I had at the Pompidou I guess.
We worked on pictures for over three hours before going outside to the river to see the lights on our last night. Oh, we’re up to over 3,000 pictures.
About 9:30 we headed out and walked toward the river. We walked on this side to the second bridge connecting to Ile St. Louis. After crossing, we saw a nice restaurant and went in for a crepe, a quiche, and some sorbet. Yes, eating again. We headed home along Ile St. Louis and the Seine to Pont Sully, crossed and back to the hotel. Ah, the last night in Paris for this trip. Nice to get out. Peaceful. Cool. Beautiful.
And when I went to log on and export pix to Flickr, it told me at first I had exceeded my upload limit. Then it said my professional account had expired. A little VISA and that was fixed.
posted by Bud Hirsch at 4:27 PM
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