Today was a quiet day, one for just roaming wherever our eyes and memories took us, with no real agenda.
We started out at the local fabulous Raspail open market and then to Bon Marche Epicerie to buy a few things. The market sights always delight and amaze us with their variety and quality, like bulots, a variety of bulbous snails that you dig and wiggle out of its shell with a little needle and then dip in mayonnaise (they're really sweet and delicious), gigantic langoustines (a kind of large shrimp), beautiful large sweet white asparagus, a whole cow's liver being carved, and a beautiful bombe dessert, just to name a few.
Then we were off to the Jardin du Luxembourg, the most beautiful and romantic park in Paris. We wanted to check out the Musee there to see about the current Chagall exhibit.
We strolled through the park like so many people do...
Among many beautiful sculptures there is the original Statue of Liberty which was offered as a model in 1906 for the real one that was sent to New York City.
Jardin du Luxembourg is a joggers' paradise with dozens running through the various pathways. It's also a kids' paradise with jungle gyms, carousels, sand boxes, and pony rides, as well as boules (bacci balls), basketball and tennis courts, not to mention people picnicking, sun bathing, studying and working and of course, romancing...you almost can't help it. In the summertime there are many children who come with their parents to sail remote controlled boats in the grand fountain pool in the center of the park, with many spectators gathered around enjoying it too. it makes a wonderful atmosphere, almost like a painting, but it's too cold for that now.
We then left the park to have a bite to eat and found Rostand's, an elegant cafe just overlooking the gardens with very charming looking local people. One man was savoring his typical light lunch of hache, raw ground (hashed) beef, in which he was mixing condiments before digging in...it looked almost good enough to eat! But we thought better of it and had our usual salade Nicoise, sandwich mixte with ham and cheese on a baguette au buerre, and deux noisette (two espressos with a little hot milk).
Digging into their Hache...raw meat entre...Yum!
Romance at every age...it's a beautiful thing!
Since we were on the Rive Gauche (Left Bank), we thought we'd stay there and find some of the famous grand landmarks nearby. So first we came upon L'Odeon, an opera house used for musical and dramatic presentations, one of the 6 national theaters of France, inaugurated in 1782, originally designed for the Comedie Francaise. It was here where the first production of The Marriage of Figaro was presented. The building burned down several times over the years, and the final reconstruction was done in 1819. It produces opera and theater to this day.
Then we followed our sense of direction over to the Sorbonne, one of the oldest universities in the world, dating back to the 13th century. It's an amazing feeling to just be there, and we even snuck into a HUGE classroom which was like an amphitheater, but that's about as far as we could go without being stopped. This was one of the places where the student uprisings took place in 1968 when we first arrived in Paris...it brings back all those memories.
One of the huge classrooms that we peeked into...
We finally ended up at another famous dome of Paris, the Pantheon. This was originally built as a church, and now, after many changes, functions as a secular mausoleum. It houses the graves of many distinguished French citizens, among them Voltaire, Rousseau, Victor Hugo and Emile Zola.
By now we were all historied out, and so off to one of Marty's favorite gelato stores...just look at the presentation, even just for ice cream.
Now that's a stocking ad!
And then, after wandering around bvd St. Michel and bvd St. Germain we were off to dinner, with Jill sporting some of her new acquisitions, her necklace from the designer Skalli and her new vintage jacket.
We ate at Cornichon, a little local restaurant in the 14 Arondissement that our French friend, Alban, had recommended. It was definitely off the tourist track, but a favorite among locals, very inventive and good food, and the staff so nice.
That's it for today.
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