DAY 25 - MON 3/25 - Opera & Apple

Today we had some business to do at the Apple Store. Jill was getting a publishing error when trying to add pictures to the Blog, and she had to get this fixed. We decided to go to the Apple store near L'Opera as we wanted to see an international Apple store. When we got there it was packed...there are only two in Paris and they're both alway packed. But we had the luxury of time, and we love to watch the scene, so we waited at the Genious Bar and within minutes Vinh asked if he could help us. He spoke perfect English, as most of them do there...it's quite amazing...you think you're at the Apple Store at the Westchester Mall! My Error 403 was a bit of a challenge for him and I was thinking that this might be the end of our Blog as we know it, and we're not even half way through our trip! Vinh did some research and we tried a few things, and soon enough Voila! no more error and it was working again! No one was happier that Jill. See Vinh with Jill.
                                 

After that we walked around behind the Opera House we find the Billetiere to buy some tickets to get in for a tour of the building. There were loads of people just hanging out on the magnificent front stairs, and a bride and groom walking around trying to find the perfect spots for their photographs (groom in pink?). The ticket line was long line, but it moved fast. We did the self-guided tour, so we got to see the main public areas, but we could only see pictures of behind the scenes, like the seamstresses working on the costumes, etc. But the Opera House is quite spectacular in the belle epoch style, and we were right there in the area anyway. There is a restaurant inside, and it has lovely inviting outdoor seating, so on a sunny day it must be great to sit outside in the middle of this famous Place de L'Opera and dine, but not today.

   

By now it was after 2 o'clock and the sun was actually out, so we stopped for lunch at a cafe on Boulevaed des Capucines, sat outside for over an hour just relaxing and taking in the sights, and then strolled toward Place de la Madeleine, another beautiful Place with an amazing church. 

Did you ever hear of the Foals? We haven't, but started seeing signs posted on lamp posts and then a huge crowd of kids lined up along the sidewalk waiting to buy tickets at L'Olympia theatre, a famous concert hall opened in 1889 by the creator of the Moulin Rouge, the famous night club. Anyway, we found out that Foals is a hot new English band and it's coming to town. We think we'll take a pass. 

                                 

So we keep walking toward Place de La Madeleine. We don't remember ever actually going into this church, but the doors were open and so up the stairs and in we went. The enormity and beauty of this structure is so staggeringly impressive.

By now we're getting a little tired so we walked toward Place de la Concorde to get the Metro home. We pass an amazing chocolate store, Jean-Charles Rochoux. This store is like going into the Museum of Natural History with its life-size chocolate carvings of apes and fish in the huge window, and many other works of art inside, all done in dark chocolate! The prices are steep for anything in the store, albeit works of art, so we do take a sample and then politely leave. 

                                                  

                                                  

                         

Further along the way on Rue Royale we come to the famous Maxim's restaurant. Now there is a Minim's as well, sort of like a Nobu Next Door, where you might be able to afford something if you have to pay for it yourself and not on an expense account. We'll keep it in mind.

                                  

We make it home and relax, Jill getting back into the now functioning Blog and Marty on the Internet.

                                  

We had talked during the day about going for dinner at Le Relais de Venise, a.k.a. L'Entrecote, in Porte Maillot, just west of the Etoile, one of our old stomping grounds where we often took visiting guests. It's now a bit of a chain, with one in New York and several in London and elsewhere. Their claim to fame is their special steak sauce, which they export to all their restaurants. It's a set menu and as you sit down they ask you, "How do you like your steak?" By now it's after 8:30 and we're tired but off we go to Port Maillot and L'Entrecote. It's after 9 when we get there, and there is a line around the bend waiting to get in...I'd say almost 40 people, no kidding!! But they do get people in and out faster than other places, so the line did move and, as we were a party of two, we got in at about 9:30!

                                  

It still is a fun place, and of course the tables are all touching so of course we talked to our neighbors which added to the evening. This was a charming couple from Medellin, Colombia, Adriana and Alvaro Henao. He is a retired Avianca pilot and she is in real estate. We ended up taking the Metro with them.