It's Sunday and we just wanted a slow lazy day today. We passed Rousseau, our local cafe/bistro next door with the white table cloths outside...how civilized! And then we saw a guy smoking an electric cigarette, which has become quite popular in Paris, with many electric cigarette shops all around the city.
Our first stop was at Atelier Guy Martin, the cooking school of the famous chef from Le Grand Vefour, the first grand restaurant in Paris, opened in 1784, now a Michelin 2-star restaurant. Our new friend Stephanie Fray, the PR person for chefs, etc., had told us about this place and we wanted to sign up for a course for when our friend Gail comes to visit in a few weeks. It's in a quiet neighborhood, very low key, but very professional looking. We were in luck and were able to book a lunch menu class for all three of us, which should be great fun.
Then we were off to Le Seine, passed the flowers beginning to bloom near the Champs Élysées, and Le Grand Palais, a historic site, exhibition hall and museum complex that is a gigantic edifice with an amazing filigreed dome and rooftop.
We got to the river and went down to the water level to see the house boats, some luxurious and some dumpy, moored to the quai along Le Seine. Over the years we actually knew two people who lived on these boats for many years...it's a whole different living experience. There were also many Bateaux Mouches going by, transporting tourists along the banks of the city to see all the beautiful sights. We thought we might take a dinner cruise for Easter Sunday with our friends Heidi, Frank and Caroline Harling, who will be here then, but the price is too prohibitive, and anyway we've all done it before.
Up to the street level again, we walked across Pont Alexandre III bridge, built in 1896, the most extravagant, ornate, and beautiful one that arches over Le Seine. It is dripping in gold nymphs, cherubs, lions, and winged horses, with lanterns all around. It also has four huge plinths with gold statues on top that help support the arched bridge. It is a magnificent structure, and we walked across it twice to get all the views. At night, with all the monuments and bridges lit up, it is just as spectacular, connecting the Champs Élysées area with the Invalides and Tour Eiffel area. You really have to pinch yourself that you are seeing such true beauty, and you can never be too much in awe of all the magnificence. On this trip we are really looking at things that we used to take so much for granted when we lived here...we are walking in many places that we don't ever remember walking in before, like across the Pont Alexandre III. We don't think it's possible to ever get tired of Paris! At least we will not.
We walked along the quai on the Rive Gauche side (the Left Bank), passing edifices that were in the process of being steam cleaned, you could see the before and the after.
As we got closer to home in the more residential area, the apartment buildings are so beautiful too, with beautiful architecture and what looked like stunning penthouse aeries. And we always love to admire cute little Deax Cheveaux whenever we see them...that was our favorite car in Paris, although we never owned one.
In the evening we went to a restaurant called Comme Chez Maman ( like at Momma's house), again recommended by Stephanie Fray. The name alone led is to believe it would be good, and our kind of restaurant. It's located in the Batignolles section of Paris, a working class area in the north. We got off at the wrong Metro stop and had to walk about a mile till we got there, so we really got to see the area. But when we got there it really felt cozy and homey. The food was spectacular, very French, not 'nouveau', and Stephanie later told us that the chef trained with Jean Georges in NYC. So for us it was a real winner!
The was the kind of day you you can only have when you have plenty of time to wander.
No comments:
Post a Comment