Diary Of A Non-Museum-And-Old-Church-Loving American In Paris
Written: May 13 '08 (Updated Sep 23 '08)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Beauty, Cleanliness, Architecture, Romance, Food
Cons: Crowded in the high season, and very expensive in light of the current exchange rate.
The Bottom Line: Everyone must experience its fabulousness at least once in their lives. Unforgettable.
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| ocalagal's Full Review: Paris |
I know “diary-style” reports aren’t everyone’s favorite, but it’s the easiest way for me to keep up with things I most enjoy each day.
Day One:
The hub-unit and I flew all night out of Miami, and arrived in Paris on Wednesday at around 9:30AM Although this white-knuckler possibly pulled in two Valium-and-wine-induced hours of sleep on our turbulent flight, I was not willing to waste a day. After checking into our Hilton Hotel in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower (which we found quite pleasing)...I did a one hour shower and makeup overhaul while the hubster took a power snooze, and we headed out. From our hotel, we sauntered past Le Tour Eiffel (which is much taller and more amazing than I had even imagined), and strolled along the Seine (crossing from the left to right on the return trip), to log an approximate six miles of pedestrian exploration this afternoon.
Before I forget, I must say that the denizens of Paris are wonderful! I have no idea where this "rudeness" stereotype comes from, because we have been treated with nothing but kindness, consideration, and the utmost in courtesy and helpfulness from the moment we hit French soil. Our butchered attempts at communication in the language have been met with patience, humor, and gentle tutelage.
We had a freakishly amazing lunch at Aux Marches du Palais (in the 16th Arrondissement), where we persevered despite being somewhat intimidated by the complete and utter absence of English word…either spoken by staff, written on the menu, or posted on the wine board. Oh. My. Gawd. The foie gras starter will never been forgotten...thin, rose-grey colored slices of that delicacy served up with a fig preserve garnish and pink sea (I'm guessing) salt, served with hearty toasted bread slices. My husband had duck tenderloins encased in phyllo with asparagus and a side of bean sprouts, and I had beef tenderloin with golden fried potatoes. We finished up with a dessert of ice cream and chocolate sauce piped into a rolled-up wafer shell with caramel drizzle and pear sorbet. With two glasses of house wine and one bottle of Beaujolais, 127 Euros, but SO worth it!
Dress: I've seen every measure of dress today from jeans to shors/skirts/capris with sandals and tanks. Footwear ranged from sandals, to athletic shoes, to mule/pumps/short boots, whatever. What I did not see was anyone (outside of wait staff) who was dressed totally in black, nor did I see a single person wearing a scarf (but it WAS warm). I wore a nice embellished tee and capri set with good sandals all day, and no one ever gave me the fashion "hairy eyeball". Dress is as individual and accepted here as it seems to be in any larger city in our own country.
After picking up some wine and pastries for the next day, we went into pre-comatose lock-down for the evening.
Day Two:
We got out of the hotel at around 9:30 AM, and strolled across the first bridge we encountered crossing the Seine and just wandered, taking in the high end neighborhoods and shops...leaving nose prints on more than one upscale pastry and prepared food shops. OMG...this city is foodie paradise! When I get home, I will devote an entire online photo album to the exquisite culinary creations I have witnessed sitting in shop windows in Paris. I can only hope that our U.S. culture as a whole will someday even remotely begin to approach the appreciation of beautifully prepared food using fresh ingredients (even in the simplest of dishes) that I see in other countries. When we reached the Champs-Elysees, I was completely blown away. I am by no means the most widely traveled woman on the planet, but I have been wowed by avenues like La Rambla in Barcelona and Calle Florida in Buenos Aires...however, this boulevard was nothing short of surreal in its grandness, beauty and shopping/dining opportunities. We did not begin to have enough time to explore it as thoroughly as I would've liked, as we had lunch reservations at Le Jules Verne (on the second platform of the Eiffel Tower) awaiting us at 12:30. I did, however, almost faint when we walked into Laduree. Ummm...I don't think we're in Kansas anymore, honey...this is no Krispy Kreme! ;) I have never (no, not even on Food Network) seen pastries like these. :swoon: We made plans to return to the Champs to spend more time exploring and loading up a U-Haul at Laduree before our departure.
Okay...lunch at Le Jules Verne. Quite frankly, one of the most unforgettable, wonderful meals of our lives. Lunch for two (which included a selection of one entree, main course, and dessert apiece), along with two glasses of champagne and a bottle of Pouilly-Fuisse, set us back 430 Euros (or approx. $650 US) :-o That's more than we paid for DINNER at the French Laundry last year, but Thomas Keller's offerings didn't hold a candle to what we had today, IMO. In addition to a stunning view of the city, service was impeccable (although we still got glimmers of humor from the wait-staff, which we did not experience at the uber-reverent FL). I did not see the $75 prix fixe offering on the menu which is posted on the website (perhaps you must request that, or perhaps it was not available because we were there on a holiday), so we just bit the bullet and dove in under the assumption that it would be a life experience, and were not disappointed. While we had been flailing our way through pretty well with my faint recollections of college French and a phrase book so far, our stellar server immediately offered to interact with us in English to enable us to relax and take any work out of our dining experience. Every staff member we encountered at JV was kind, attentive, and super-professional.
We were started with an amusee of salmon carpaccio with a butter-pat sized accompaniment of some sort of herbed, finely minced, hard-boiled-egg gelee (it's the only way I can describe it, but it tasted much better than it sounds). ;) We also were offered our choice of bread...I took a dark, molasses-infused hard roll, and my husband had a piece which was more croissant-like...both of which came with the most amazing-tasting butter I've ever had. For our entrees, he selected a creamy garden fresh green pea soup accented with crabmeat and black French caviar...he's a big pea soup lover, and I thought he was going to weep when he dipped his spoon into this concoction. I selected what was sort of a cold, layered terrine of chicken breast, foie gras, and black truffle, served with a toastette topped with thinly sliced black truffle (also swoon-worthy). Both entrees were miniature works of art, and were insane in their taste and presentation. Main courses were a filet of beef accented with a foie gras-topped toasted bread round with an amazing sauce, accompanied by triangular, air-thin potato puffs (him); and a melt-in-your-mouth sea bass embellished with a creamy sauce, tiny button mushrooms, fresh spinach leaves, and shallots (me). For dessert, he got some big chocolate thing draped in more chocolate ganache which looked and tasted lovely, but I didn't find to be terribly unique. I, however, had a ruby red grapefruit souffle (and I cannot even begin to describe how wonderful it was)...and it was accompanied by grapefruit sorbet with candied grapefruit, and homemade grapefruit-infused marshmallows. It may sound crazy, but it was a truly a deliciously unique and unforgettable dessert. It was simply a wonderful lunch, and one which I would not hesitate to recommend to anyone who loves food and can work it into their travel budget.
After lunch, we decided to purchase a multi-day pass for a "hop-on/hop-off" Seine river water taxi. Okay... this was one of the few things I was underwhelmed by. I loved the idea of floating down the Seine, but it was noisy, hot (not Paris' fault, but it was like south Florida in temperature this week), and covered up in screaming kids and noisy tourists. Feeling a desperate need to break from the herd, we jumped off at the very first stop (near the Louvre), and made the impetuous decision to walk to Montmartre (kids, don't try this at home). We are big, BIG vacation walkers (especially me), both because I feel like I can immerse myself so much more into the culture when I'm on foot, and because I love to walk (I do 5 miles every day at home). That is how we came to walk from the Seine to the Sacre-Coeur, with only one beer /wine stop on the way. I loved meandering through the many unique sections of Paris on the way, and still managed to climb the steps to the highest terrace of the Sacre-Coeur (which is awe-inspiring in its architecture, and offers what must be the most spectacular views of Paris in the entire city)...and heaven knows that we desperately needed the exercise, having SO many heinous indulgences to atone for. Once we clawed our way to the top, we finally had to acknowledge the fact that we needed a stretcher to get back down. We hailed a cab as soon as we found one, and rode like wimps back to the hotel. After a few cocktails at the bar and light bite at a nearby café, we again lost consciousness.
Day Three:
We took the very first "hop-on/hop-off" water taxi of the morning (at my husband's insistence...I went kicking and screaming, although it was fairly peaceful and not overly crowded first thing in the AM) to Cathedrale Notre Dame today. Despite our 10:30ish arrival, there was already a line wrapped around the building. The exterior of the grand church and the grounds were heartbreakingly beautiful (as expected), but waiting in two-hour lines is not something we do (especially when on vacation), so we strolled around the cathedral and ventured on to explore the Latin Quarter (which I thought was exceptionally charming, despite the "touristy" nature of it). After stopping for a snack of foie gras and a local meat platter served with crusty bread, along with a bottle of wine (yes...I remained on target to reach my goal of eating foie gras every day of the trip, whether I really want it or not ;)), we strolled down the bank of the Seine to the Louvre.
Okay...my redneck roots are about to be exposed, but here goes. The Louvre was breathtaking, awe-inspiring, and intimidating in its size and beauty from the outside. There was no line, so we got right in...and that's when the will to live was promptly sucked from me. I'll preface this by saying that I yawn my way through art museums on the best of days, and need to be carted through on a gurney on the worst. I'd rank today in the "desperate for smelling salts" category. The Napoleon apartment section provided enough stimulation to keep me relatively alert, but the overly-warm temperature of the building coupled with crowds that resembled those of a shopping mall on Christmas Eve (I do not even want to IMAGINE what it's like in the "high" season) soon had me exhausted. After 2 hours inside, I was begging to leave. Happily, my husband had seen it before, and capitulated to my plea. My apologies to those who love the Louvre...please understand that I am culturally challenged and my review is VERY subjective. I would just rather walk the city streets than spend my day looking at old paintings...plus, my extreme introversion leaves me physically exhausted if I have to fight crowds for very long.
By that time, it was late afternoon, and we strolled along the Seine back to hotel to freshen up for dinner. That evening we walked about two miles to Le Gorille Blanc in the 7th Arrondissement, which was noted as one of his “Special Favorites” in the Pudlo Paris Dining Guide (a book which I HIGHLY recommend to any Paris traveler who wants to find excellent food in all price ranges, while steering clear of the Frommer’s and Fodor’s picks which are always chock full of American tourists). There we enjoyed a lovely, reasonably-priced, bona fide French dinner by candlelight, surrounded by locals. No English…so bring your phrase book and be prepared to do some deciphering and “winging-it.”
Day Four:
This morning we decided to take in Musee D’Orsay, as it had been recommended as being more compact, less crowded, and easier to cruise through than the Louvre. It was spot on as far as being the perfect fit for my art museum tolerance level (I can live for days in the DC Smithsonians...but a huge building full of old art? Just shoot me). Still, the work of the relatively modern impressionists was so much... happier...than all the dark crucifixion paintings we saw in the one interminable wing of the Louvre I was able to force my way through the day before.
After completing our wandering of the Musee D'Orsay, we crossed the first bridge we came to and sallied forth onto the Champs for noshing and power-shopping for the folks back home. We had a lovely lunchtime repast at Cafe 28 (a block or so off of the Champs) for more foie gras pate :D; a platter of zucchini and gingerbread pancakes served with creme fraiche, caviar, smoked salmon, and jambon accompaniments; and two half-bottles of house wine (66 Euros, or $100 US). Folks, you can perhaps "eat" on the cheap in this city, but you cannot "dine" on a budget…at least not if you drink, and not with the dollar as weak as it is right now. Even a Coca-Cola ran around $8-$9US in most places, and it was almost impossible to find a draft beer for less than $12 or $13.
We stopped into Laduree for a glass of house champagne and one pastry apiece to re-energize ourselves about an hour later, which set us back another 45 Euros. Still, how often does one have the opportunity to sip champagne, nibble an exquisite pastry, and watch the world go by on the Champs-Elysees? Well, perhaps it was more fun for me…my better half was still grumbling a bit about his $15 “doughnut” as we were leaving ;). After that, we ducked into Maison Du Chocolate to buy gifts for our friends back home. Looking for a special box of candy for a non-chocoholic fan in the office, I queried something along the lines of "avez-vous les bonbons avec non chocolat"?, which was met with a raised eyebrow, a barely suppressed twinkle, and the reply that "Madame, you are in the MAISON DU CHOCOLATE in Paris (in case you couldn't read the sign)". Okay, that second part wasn't spoken, but more implied. Ummmm, okay…I guess that means “no”. lol You probably had to be there, but I have really adored the subtle, ironic humor of the French...they are SO freaking funny, especially if you don't take yourself uber-seriously and can laugh with them.
After trying a few samples (which were offered with great flourish by the elegant, impeccably dressed gentleman who more closely resembled a Fortune 500 CEO than a chocolate retailer), we then bought 100 Euros worth so we could spread the nirvana around back in the USA. ;) Bags in hand, we completed our walk from one end of the Champs-Elysees to the Arc de Triomphe, at which point we decided we'd had enough and headed back to the hotel to have an early dinner there and prepare to rise early on our last day for a trip to Reims.
On a side note…it was quite warm in Paris during our trip. If you visit during the summer months, be prepared for the fact that frosty-cold AC is not cranked up in most of the shops and restaurants here as it generally is in the good ol' energy-using USA. Most public buildings, shops, and restaurants were VERY warm by U.S. standards…even at the Hilton. Refrigerated drinks are probably served at around 45-50 degrees...and when a glass with ice is requested, you’re only going to get about three cubes. I’m not sure if this is a cultural thing, or if we just happened to visit on the first really warm week of the year and residents hadn’t yet switched into “summer mode”.
Day Five:
Here's my opinion of our Reims day trip today. Unless you are a die-hard winophile (like my husband and I are)...and probably not even then...I do NOT think it is worth it unless you have tons of extra time to spend in the area. Even for us, it was quite uninspiring. The tour took 10 hours (departed Paris at 8:00 AM, and entailed a very uneventful two-hour drive each way). Visiting Napa and Sonoma wine country is one of our favorite domestic destinations, and we have done it on several occasions. In France, visiting wineries is an entirely different animal. First downer...the folks at ParisVision (the tour company we used) were lackadaisical at best, and downright snotty at their worst...they own the proud rights to being the only negative personal interaction we experienced in this beautiful country. We were hauled to Reims in a double-decker bus with about 50 other people (it was quite simply a cattle-call...my bad for not researching it more thoroughly before booking). Our first Champagne house, Mumm, basically phoned in their presentation, offering up a short film, some dioramas depicting the three types of champagne grapes, a few pieces of vintage wine-making tools on display, a glass for everyone, and out the door (via the gift shop, of course).
After that, we pulled up to the cathedral in Reims (town: small and charming; cathedral: very beautiful and resembling a cross between Notre Dame and Gaudi's La Sagrada Familia...only a bit smaller than either). Already feeling the life-sucking force of Lemming Syndrome, we decided to forego the cathedral tour and bolted from the pack...hell-bent on finding the most fabulous place in the heart of Champagne country to while away a two-hour lunch before the designated hour for returning to the bus. Walking well away from the cathedral and town square, our epicurean Spidey Senses soon led us to what would be one of the best meals of our vacation. When we stumbled upon La Table Anna, it was like walking into a storybook French cottage. It was elegant, yet homey, with starched white tablecloths and napkins, but a hodgepodge of local art, flowers, pastels, and other decorative adornments lending incredible appeal to the ambiance. We were the first patrons to walk in, at a little before noon...and we had a bit of the sensation of being "sized up" as we were in our jeans and decidedly American. There was obviously some discussion between the proprietress and her staff over where they should “stick” us...front room, or back. I definitely got a sense of "How are they going to act?"; "Are they going to go all weird about unfamiliar food and a non-English menu?"; "Will they be loud?" Okay, maybe we imagined that, but I don't think so. Doesn't matter, 'cause they seated us in the front, and we made them proud. :)
Folks...if anyone here visits Reims, this gem is not to be missed. NO ONE in the restaurant speaks English, so be prepared to work for what you want...it will be SO worth it. While there was a 29 Euro prix fixe lunch menu, the entrees all looked so divine that I requested in my broken college French if we could order entrees only, tapas-style. The proprietress seemed okay with that, and moved us to a larger table for four which would accommodate several plates After ordering two Kir Royales, we then requested a bottle of local champagne and a wonderful platter of beef carpaccio; a foie gras pate platter which came with dark bread toast, nuts, sea salt, and fruit preserves for garnishment; 12 of the plumpest, most delicious escargot I have ever put into my mouth (presented in a lovely pewter dish resembling a bunch of grapes...with one morsel nestled inside each "grape"); and the crowning glory...pan seared foie gras nestled atop a plate of sauteed apples (at this point in the Paris Foie Gras Overload, I was beginning to feel relatively certain that PETA would be waiting for me at JFK with handcuffs and a can of spray paint the next day). It all came with the requisite basket of tangy, moist, crunchy-on-the-outside French bread slices...the better to sop up escargot herb and garlic butter with.
The restaurant had since filled up with nothing but French-speaking post-church locals (from what I am guessing based on the only language I heard and the nicer dress of the patrons in the early Sunday afternoon hours), and we were SO loathe to leave. We were left with no choice but to order a couple of desserts...a flaming calvados and apple tart with pecan (I think) ice cream for me, and some sort of layered, chocolate mousse w/ pastry concoction with a glass of tawny port for the hub-unit. Oozing font-like love and kudos in expression, appetite, and crappy French for our previously-wary proprietress, as well as offering a display of pristinely-cleaned plates and a seriously healthy tip for our server (once the 150 Euro l'addition had been proffered) made us all new besties (we were actually chased out into the street for a few more Merci Beaucoups after we were forced to leave). What a wonderful, unforgettable dining experience this was for us. We would still be there if not for That Bus, and its 1:30 departure time. :p
The website...because I simply must: www.latablelanna.com
After that, we went on to the house of Moet and Chandon, whose presentation blew Mumm's out of the water. We were actually taken on a tour of the Champagne caves, and given a significantly more charismatic and detailed narrative from young Rupert, followed by yet another glass of champagne and the opportunity to make a purchase in the gift shop.
My personal opinion...not worth the $200 US (roughly) that we spent for this tour. Just go to Somona if you love wine and live in the US...it's a helluva lot more fun. Do, however, consider a day trip to Reims on your own...if only to eat at the magical Anna's. :)
Final opinion: Paris is the most beautiful city I’ve ever seen, and the food was so good it was almost surreal. I’m sure a lot of the great museums and history were wasted on me, as just exploring on foot, checking out the architecture, soaking up the local culture and immersing myself in the cuisine of my vacation destinations are more my cup of tea. Still, I believe that this city has something to offer almost every visitor, regardless of their interests. Can get VERY crowded, so I will definitely visit during the low season next time…even if it means sacrificing the weather. The weak dollar made everything very expensive, so be prepared. Excellent trip overall!
Recommended:
Yes
Best Suited For: Couples
Best Time to Travel Here: Sep - Nov
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Epinions.com ID:
ocalagal
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Location: Tampa, FL
Reviews written: 13
Trusted by: 3 members
About Me:
I married a travel junkie!
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