Lard....
Lamprey eels, and fish roe...
Sea urchins...one of our favorites...
Frogs' legs en brochettes...skewered...
Everything there was spectacular, including the people...we even saw the 'Cat Woman'...remember her...she was married to the NY gallery mogul, Wildenstein...that's she being nonchalant in the market.
Then we were off to Place des Etats Unis, a large rectangular elegant plaza where a lot of embassies are located, ironically the Kuwaiti Embassy on Place of 'United States'...funny. We were going there to meet Gail at the Baccarat Crystal Museum and restaurant at her invitation. We had never been over to this area and had no idea what to expect. Well, it was truly a mind-blower!
The mansion founded in 1764 and transformed into a crystal palace by Phillippe Starck is one of the last Parisian storehouses of the 19th century.
The lunch was in a room where Starck mixed brick and stone with Baccarat chandeliers. And the food, coincidentally by Guy Martin of Le Grand Vefour and the Atellier cooking school fame, was absolutely stupendous! Gail was concerned that we might not like it because it was all so over the top, but we loved it...a huge surprise for all of us. There was a beautiful showroom/store and a museum as well, with a terrific video of how they hand make each piece.
And the bathroom...OMG...red mirrors all around! Jill even got locked in one of the individual stalls, but did not panic because they came with a huge key to get her out immediately. What service!
After several hours of dining and ogling at all the beauty around us, since it was still bitter cold outside, Gail thought it better that she go back to her hotel and rest up for this evening's dinner reservation.
So Marty and I walked over to the Palais de Tokyo, Paris's contemporary museum of art. We didn't know much about it, since it's only about ten years old and was not there when we lived here. But it turns out to be one of the most original and avant-garde museums in all of Europe. A lot of the art is tactile so that you become part of it...you can't help but get involved...it's a huge museum with levels and nooks and crannies everywhere you look...and great for adults and kids of all ages. We just loved it...a second big surprise of the day!
Then we were off to meet Gail again and take her to one of our favorite Brasseries, La Coupole...the 5th time we will be there on this trip! We are now marked in Sabastian's book (he's the maitre d' whom we now have a personal relationship with and are on a first-name basis) as VIP customers! We of course got the royal treatment, with champagne on the house. It was another fun and magical night and best of all, Gail loved it too.
Can't get enough of this place, La Coupole, especially the Profiteroles!
No comments:
Post a Comment