justparis

le Jules Verne

Kitchen of Jules Verne

I had a petit epiphany at le Jules Verne Restaurant. The prices on le carte are directly proportional to the patron: wait staff members. In a restaurant that is normale for my pouchette, the ratio of waiters/waitresses: tables being serviced is about 1:5. At the Jules Verne however the ratio was reversed 5:1. There was the Head Waiter who took our choix and checked on us periodically. There were the two Server Waiters who actually brought out the courses (yes, courses, plural: the baby appetizer, the real appetizer, the main course, the dessert, the baby dessert, and the coffee which, in France, is a course in and of itself, NOT to be served with the dessert or baby dessert). Then there was the Water Waiter who magically appeared to pour from the Evian bottle each time I reached for it. I am fairly certain that the Crumb-Brushing Waiter was yet another entity but he appeared and disappeared (along with any crumbs) so quickly that it was impossible to tell.

The view from our table of Invalides

As lavished as we were with impeccable service, it paled in comparison to la cuisine. The complimentary l’enfant appetizer (or Entrée) consisted of smoked salmon and doll-house sized crudités. For the ordered Entrée we shared the best asparagus that I will probably ever experience (no photo). It was prepared to perfection and the sauce was exquisite (I had grapes and a 1.5 inch wedge of brie for lunch so this post is torture).

Sara's photo of her Fricassee

Tornedos de Boeuf

And for the Main Course, I ordered the Tornedos de Boeuf cooked a point. And although there is a steak house near home that comes very close to the tenderness of the cut of meat, no one and I mean NO one can come close to sauces prepared by French chefs (not all French chefs mind you but certainly the chef that prepared my filet). In regard to the accompanying foie gras…the most accurate non-professional-food-critic term I can concoct is unimaginably yummy.

As for dessert....we shared the Ananas roti (pineapple- roasted) with jus depassion, and there was rum and vanilla ice cream in there too. It was cool, it was frothy, it was heaven in an odd-shaped bowl.

Dessert #2 - more goodies that we took home with us

I know it's a cliche to dine at the Eiffel Tour...but it's a GREAT cliche that should be included at least once if all possible. And oh yes...the view is spectacular too.

Pomme soufflees

These potato crisps that were so light I expected them to float right off of the table. Sara tasted them when they weren't very warm. Her critique: "They taste like potato chips, Mom." You say potato, I say at this price they're pomme soufflees.

I know it's a cliche to dine at the Eiffel Tour...but it's a GREAT cliche that should be included at least once if all possible. And oh yes...the view is spectacular too.

le Hood

Corso - a Cafe / Restaurant just around the corner from the apartment

This post's photos were taken within a block or two of the apartment that I rent in Paris...Montmartre Studio Lofts. Within minutes we could walk to a variety of traditional French cafes, diverse ethnic restaurants, boutiques, boulangeries, patisseries and the list goes on.

Looking toward Sacre Coeur from Ave Trudaine

On the tree-lined side of the photo is Square Anvers, a shady park with ubiquitous benches and a small playground. The Anvers Metro station is just up a block from where I took the photo.

Playground on Square Anvers

 

The Oh-So-French architecture of Ave Trudaine

One of my favorite things to do in Paris is simply to walk and discover. Sara and I were such devoted flaneurs that we often circled back around to sights that we had already enjoyed (unfortunately this was unintentional more times than not). For interesting reading on the topic, try Edmund White's The Flaneur: A Stroll Through the Paradoxes of Paris.

Cote Soleil, Ave Trudaine

It bears repeating that the restaurants near the Montmartre apartments are plentiful. We ate at Cote Soleil on our first day in Paris and there was even beaucoup soleil on that particular day. I had the salad with warm Chevre and it makes my mouth water just to recall it. The service was fast and friendly (despite the semi-grouchy look on the owners face). After taking the photo, I explained the purpose and assured le Monsieur that my intentions were not only honorable but might bring him further visitors.

FanFan Boutique, dangerously located just across the street

No trip to Paris would be complete without leches-vitrine (window shopping), which literally translated means window licking. I like the way that the French go straight to the heart of the matter in their language. The entire third floor of Galleries Lafayette is devoted to lingerie, or as the French call it, something-something  Seduction (sorry but I cannot remember the entire name but it sure wasn't anything as boring as lingerie).

A cafe on Blvd Rochechouart whose name we didn't catch

Much more to post but I do have to support this habit name Paris....back to work for now!

cafe day

Cafe on Ave Trudaine in Montmartre

Today was our last day in Paris...yes, there was much between my first post and this one but all of that will have to wait until I return...plenty to share but because of that, not much time to do so.

We cafe-hopped for the most part today with much strolling in between. We had breakfast at a nearby cafe (Montmartre), lunch at a cafe in le Marais, and coffee in the Tuilleries.  This evening we dined at Chez Tara and David....scrumptious and much too much fun to write of now for it's after midnight and there's packing to be done.

Flowers in bloom at the Tuillerie

Louvre pyramid reflection

Sunny Side Out

Our first two days in Paris have been so sunny and warm that even les oeufs are enjoying the weather a la fenetre. It doesn’t take travel to see unusual things but I don’t really recall ever seeing a few dozen eggs stored on a window sill. I spotted this peculiar scene in Montmartre as  Sara and I strolled through La Butte shoulder to shoulder with throngs of  other touristes.

 

We began our Sunday morning by meeting Tara (aka Paris Parfait) at the Vanves Puce de Marche. As
Taracommented, this flea market has such a huge variety of interesting items for sale…and
Tara did buy a variety of charming items for gifts. My tunnel vision limited me small pieces of fabric and bits of lace and trim…oh and buttons. Granted I already have more boutons than I know what to do with, but these boutons were French and therefore irresistible. As unlikely as it seems, I think we spent much more time chatting than we did looking or buying.

 

After our sacs could hold no more, we all came back to my little neighborhood for lunch a la fresco. The weather could not have been more parfait our first two days…mid-seventies and only picturesque puffy white clouds sprinkled lightly in the surprisingly blue sky. (I was tempted to write azure, but that would really be pushing it, n’est pas?)

 

The forecast for Monday is rain (60% chance) so I suppose we’ll be forced to spend our time at indoor cultural traditions like Printemps and Galleries Layfayette (99% chance). I know what you’re thinking….she goes to Paris just to shop? Mais non! I come to Paris for les macarons and les baguettes and le vin, but one needs a means of ex-er-seez:-)  A bientot (et bon appetit)!

The coundown begins

TEN.....more days until I board l'avion to Paris! It's probably too early to be this excited but I am (what I yam).

There are SOOOOO many new places that I want to experience that I have decided to begin to list them on this blog because my post it notes are overtaking the two journals that I've already begun.  At the same time, there is the flaneur side of me that whispers ditch les notes! just discover!

To walk is to vegetate, to stroll is to live.  ~Balzac

Montmartre - Pl. de Tertre

A corner cafe at Place de Tertre with the Sacre Coeur dome in the background

Many tour books will tout Place de Tertre as a tourist trap and they would be quite accurate. But this same advice would probably not deter you from visiting the Eiffel Tower; so unless you despise crowds, don't let their opinions dissuade you from a quick visit. Be prepared to be continually solicited by artists to have your portrait made. If you don't want a portrait, simply give a firm NO. On the other hand, my daughter persuaded me for us both to have ours rendered in chalk a few years ago. The artist very wisely took about ten years off of my face so I was quite pleased with the results naturellement.

Artists in the square sell their paintings and will often bargain with potential customers.

Despite the crowds, the buildings and ambiance of Pl. de Tertre just ooze of quaintness.

A small side street just beyond Pl. de Tertre

London - from atop the Double Decker

Pretty lace curtains in a residential area

Because our time in London was so brief, we decided to see the sights above ground on our second (and last) day. The showers kept me from staying more than a couple of minutes on the top deck of the bus on our journey toward Westminster Abbey so some of these photographs were taken through the not-so-clean bus window and are therefore blurry.

Public Library

Westminster Abbey kept us busy for a couple of hours. When we re-boarded the bus it wasn't headed in the direction that we had hoped (this of course was the driver's fault, not are own :-). The rain continued...but the bus did not! It managed to make it to a scheduled stop and we had to wait and board another bus. By this time we needed to return to the hotel to pick up our luggage. But the rain had disapated and I was able to sit on the top deck and take photos as twilight began to fall.

The Ritz

The buildings of London read like a study in different architectual styles and periods. When I return to London (one day), I would love to just wander the city streets on foot and photograph the various structures.

Lillywhite's, a sporting goods store, was one of the most beautiful buildings at night trimmed in little lights.

London - Big Ben

Foreground, the ubiquitous rosie-red double decker buses headed toward Big Ben

Big Ben remains one of my favorite London sites. It is especially beautiful at night when its lighting casts a warm glow above the Houses of Parliment. Despite its ample size (316 feet), Big Ben does not dominate the London skyline in a pretentious manner. It's reputation rests on its reliability for keeping nearly perfect time.  (In fact the name Big Ben refers not to the tower, nor the clock, but to the largest bell which strikes on the hour.)

chiming citadel

sing true your timely chorus--

perpetual sentry

Puce de Vanves

Puce de Vanves is one of Paris's more manageable flea markets both in scope and in price. It is also very easy to get to on the Metro as the name of the market is also the name of the Metro stop. After you exit the Metro car, just follow the exit sign marked Pl. de Vanves and Voila!

Yesterday I had an adult at my workplace (a middle school) ask me if the men in Paris really wear berets. I answered that yes, some do but mostly the older men who are inclined to wear caps anyway (undoubtedly, because they are more sensible!). I didn't remember at the time that I had taken this photograph to support my theory (which incidentally, could still be quite erroneous).

Each time I have been to Vanves, the many of the dealers seem to have a wonderful variety of sewing notions and trims. I love to collect these items even in the States so it is a special treat to have such a large selection of French notions to peruse.

Montmartre - Chez Amelie

Cafe in Montmartre

Walked and walked and walked some more today...I am leaving in the morning and am just exhausted so will just leave a few photos of our walk through Montmartre and write the text later :-)  Bon soir!

Sacre Coeur from it's right-hand side.