~Bon Appetit~

We are not connoisseurs of French cuisine.  I'm a bit more adventurous than my husband. He's a beef bourguignon, poulet (chicken) and porc roti (roast pork) guy.  Nonetheless, it is possible to eat well in Paris without busting the budget and have really good French food.

Most of the photos of food that I'm including are my meals.

I love  soupe a l'oignon gratinee (French Onion soup), so I have it often and try to find the best.  I have had some really bad french onion soup and I've had some that was 'to die for'.  I like it with a big slice of french bread and lots of gruyere.

This was OK, I'm not exactly sure what kind of cheese it was though~and if the cheese isn't running over the bowl, it's not enough.

This is more like it.  It was good but the more I ate, the more I sensed that it had "something" in it giving it a distinct flavor.  I couldn't put my finger on it until I got to the bottom of the bowl and scooped up a clove.  This was an Alsatian restaurant, maybe that's the way they flavor their food.

I always  lean towards quiche for lunch.  I do not know how they do it but every quiche I had was twice as big as any that I've made or had in the US.

Quiche lorraine

These are not small plates and the slice of quiche was quite large.  The salad was wonderful and as with most green salads the dressing is dijon vinaigrette.  The quiche was tomatoe and vegetables.  The carrots were finely grated and it was SO tasty.            

I wish I could cook like that!!

I voted this the BEST cheese omelette~Le Conti on rue Buci in St. Germain.

(And the omelettes are light and fluffy like the quiche~I wonder what the secret is?)

This is a favorite on every French cafe menu~Croque Madame.  It's an open-faced grilled ham & cheese on texas toast-sized bread with an egg on top.  The Croque Monsieur is the same without the egg.

This was my favorite lunch~at Le Centenaire near Invalides.  It's an avocado salad. 

The best part were the 2 pieces of toasted bread topped with thinly sliced ham and melted cheese. 

Dijon vinaigrette dressing of course.

Lunches were definitely my favorite meal and it's generally less expensive.  You can get just about anything that you can get for dinner; the servings may be a bit smaller.

When we didn't want to bother going out and eating in a restaurant, we had sandwiches.  They are like our subs, made fresh each day~sometimes to order~in the boulangerie.  Tuna (thon) sandwiches are the best. (and it's another way to save on the food expense)

For dinner we used the charcuterie quite often.  It's not only easier on the budget than eating in a restaurant but it was fabulously good with the added advantage of being able to eat in the apt. whenever we wanted.

Roast pork, spinach souflee and sauteed potatoes.  We would get extra potatoes and Woody would have them for breakfast with an egg. I asked for a serving pour deux (for 2),but it was usually enough for 2 meals.

Haricots vert (green beans), sauteed potatoes and chicken (emincees de volaille).

When I chose this, I only knew that volaille was chicken.

This was a meal that Woody had. The meat on the skewers is chicken with the standard frites.

Fries come with just about everything. After a while you really get tired of frites!  It's surprising to me that French restaurants don't serve more meals with vegetables.  This was another advantage of picking up our dinner at the charcuterie; there were always several choices of vegetable dishes.

My favorite of favorites ~ravioli avec quatre fromage (4 cheese ravioli) at La Perla.  I had it 3 times.

I got hooked on the Prosecco too.  The container in the middle is water.

Honestly I didn't eat too much dessert.  Occasionally we went out for gelato after dinner.  

When I did have dessert, I usually ordered profiteroles.

This photo does not do justice to this tasty delight.  Three cream puffs filled with vanilla ice cream, topped with thick decadent chocolate and topped with whipped cream.

I think I had this more than 3 times.

I think after 4 trips to Paris we finally have the eating routine down.  We have a list of favorite restaurants and we can read the menus better; now going out to eat is not such a 'chore'.

~A day in the Sixth~

We cross the Seine via the oldest bridge,Pont Neuf , and make our way to the sixth arrondissement usually referred to as the St. Germain des Pres district.  It includes the  Eglise St. Germain-des-Pres and St. Sulpice (mentioned in the DaVinci Code), wonderful shopping (especially shoes), educational institutions such as the Ecole des Beaux Arts, many famous cafes and the Jardin de Luxembourg.

The Eglise St. Germain des Pres is actually the abbey church of the Abbey of St. Germain des Pres.  The abbey was built in the 6th century and at the time it was outside of medieval Paris.  It has been frequently plundered and burned and rebuilt. The porch tower of Saint-Germain-des-Prés (built 990-1014) sturdily 
buttressed to support the weight of its massive bells, is one of the oldest bell towers still standing in France.


Across the Place St. Germain opposite the church is the famous Cafe Les Deux Magots.

It once had a reputation as the rendezvous spot of the literary and intellectual élite of the city. Its historical reputation is derived from the patronage of Surrealist artists, intellectuals such as Simone de Beauvoir and Jean-Paul Sartre, and young writers, such as Ernest Hemingway. Other patrons included Albert Camus and Pablo Picasso. It is now a favorite tourist destination.


Making our way towards Jardin du Luxembourg, we will walk/ browse many of the shops of St. Germain.  It is especially renowned for Pierre Herme Chocolates and Macarons, the stationery/card shops and shoes!

The Jardin du Luxembourg, to me, is the most beautiful park in Paris.

The lovely open space near the Palais is used for a respite from work by Parisians, who come to catch some sun or eat their lunch.  On the weekend, kids can rent sailboats and sail them in the pool.  The Medici fountain above is beautiful~in this photo, the nose was part of an 'art exhibit' in the park.  The paths through park are lined with Chestnut trees.  In the open spaces you will see many different activities from Tai Chi classes to practising gymnasts.  There are pony rides for the kids too.


This will be a full day.  On the way back to the apartment we will pass through 5th arr. to see St .Etienne du Mont, the site of the 'midnight scene' from the Woody Allen movie, "Midnight in Paris".

It's less than 3 weeks until we leave...I'm getting excited, though I'm not looking forward to packing 2 bags with a month's worth of clothes.

Foiled Again~

Only two days left....

We must get the last of the "souvenirs" and we want to return to the Minerology Museum at the Jardin des Plantes.  We went there last time, but none of my photos turned out.  Now that I have a camera that does better in low light, we wanted to see it all again.

To get to the Jardin des Plantes, we decided to walk along the river on the Quai de Tournelle.  There is a path with gardens and sculpture~it will be our "something new" today.

We started near the Notre Dame.

 Looking back to the Ile St.Louis.

Most of the sculpture was abstract..and most was vandalized with grafitti.

This is such a quiet peaceful walk.  We didn' t see very many people at all.

 As with all the other garden areas, the flowers were very colorful.

 In no time we were at the riverside entrance to the Jardin des Plantes.  This was such an easy way to get here.  If you go through the Latin Quarter it is all uphill!

There is a very small zoo.

The last time we were here it was May and the gardens were blooming prolifically~

especially the rose garden.

Fall really isn't the best time if you want to see flowers.

There were some dahlias.

When we got up to the Museum entrance where you buy tickets the door was locked.  Read the sign, open every day except Tuesday.   Today is Tuesday.  Then we walked over to the Minerology Museum...big sign on the door, closed for "travaux"...they're working on it.  We wouldn't have seen it even if it wasn't Tuesday.      Recalculate the plan.

We decided to walk over to rue Mouffetard, a pedestrian street with lots of shops and restaurants.  It was about time for lunch.   We passed the Mosque de Paris.  We went to the Mosque the last time we were here. It is a beautiful, serene place.  (Click on the link to see photos.)

About a block from the Mosque we came upon this little shop that sold Moroccan items.

It was small and very dark inside.  Woody said let's go in.  (Woody and his family lived in Morocco for 4 years when he was a teen.)  This shop was incredible, like an exotic bazaar...or what I imagine a bazaar would be like.

These lamps were beautiful!

As well as the hanging ones.

The earthenware was so colorful....we did buy a plate.

After we got home, I wished I had bought one of these lamps.

Our plate...it goes with my dining room color scheme.

 It's time for lunch!

 I had the french onion soup and  tomato & mozzarella salad.
Woody had his favorite beef burgundy.

We found  Le Grenier.  We ate here the last time we were in Paris and it was really good. When we checked the menu, the had Boeuf Bourginon~Woody has had a craving for this ever since we got here.

After lunch we walked leisurely back to rue du Louvre, stopping in several shops along the way.
When we reached the Seine, we walked along the river to browse the bouquinistes.  They sell mostly old books and tourist stuff but sometimes you come across something different or interesting.

It was a good day...a walking day~we didn't use the Metro at all. 

 I have to think about packing now......

Sunday at the Petit Palais~

Another lazy morning... this is a good thing.  I think perhaps it's the slow way we ease into our days that is making this trip so relaxing.  No rush and scurry. No feverish pitch to "see it all"...

Today, we jump on the #1 again and head up to the Petit Palais.

Petit Palais is across the street from the Grand Palais.

The beautiful entry.

When you walk in you are in a huge rotunda.  To the left are the permanent collections and to the right are the temporary exhibits.  We began to the left.  The first hall is mostly sculpture and vases.

The statue in the entry rotunda.

The beautiful leaded glass window is also in the rotunda.

"Look at the mosaic design" Woody said.

"Get a shot of the ceiling" (in the rotunda.)

The permanent collection hall.

"La Pensee"

"La femme au singe" (woman with monkey)

Neo-grecian urn by Baccarat

This was a very large vase, we both loved it.

The next room was filled with furnishings from the 18th century.  We've seen alot of the 18th century these past few days.

The entire display case was full of these pocket watches....simply amazing!!

I wish you could experience the splendor of this mantle clock.
I don't know where to begin.  So intricate and it must have close to 2 feet tall.

Then onto another very large hall of sculpture and oil paintings.   We had the option to go downstairs to view the photography exhibit but decided to do the first floor first.

"Bacchante"

"The Triumphe of the Republic"

My favorite paintings:

The Newborn

This woman had the most seductive eyes.

"Bal Blanc"
This is my favorite~The white ball.

Next we went out into the courtyard garden.  The garden is encircled by the Palais.  There is a circular "porch/arcade" decorated with Ionic columns and gilded garland.

There was also a small cafe off one side of the garden.

The temporary exhibit, was titled "Revelations".  This was the most ingenious, creative and awe-inspiring exhibit.  With the support of Samsung,  several dozen "masterpieces" were digitally recreated.  On one side, a copy of the original and just next to it, it's digital alter-ego.

Photographs were not allowed.  Photographs would not do this justice!

Here is an excerpt from the exhibit brochure:

"This digital era also provides the opportunity to bring some forty masterpieces together virtually, thus taking up the concept of Malraux's imaginary museum and updating it using new technologies. Great masters including Veronese, Rembrandt, David, Delacroix, Courbet and Van Gogh are brought together in a digital pantheon that goes far beyond the confines of the Petit Palais!

Alongside reproductions of the world's most famous paintings, a number of films, some of them made in 3-D, take viewers into the very heart of the images to help them understand and appreciate them better. Atmospheric sound adds a further dimension to this new genre of immersive experience. The installation also offers an opportunity to think seriously about the idea of originals and reproductions."

Each painting was different.  Some painted themselves.  Some magnified each area of the painting so you could see it up close, some came to life ~like the one with blood oozing from a wounded body.  We stayed quite awhile!

This was really a very special day.  Totally awesome.  We spent a long time here and, again, it was free.

We left the museum walking passed the sculpture of Winston Churchill.  We walked along side of the museum viewing the Cours de Reines, a long promenade lined with chestnut trees.  It was originally created by Marie de Medici.  The statute is Albert I, King of Belgium, one of France's staunchest allies in World War I.

Continuing towards the apt.  We walked through the Tuileries garden and came to the rue de Rivoli.  How fortunate that Angelina's was right there!!!  One of the most fashionable salon de the in Paris, famous for its hot chocolate, it would be our lunch stop.

There is a gift shop and pattiserie.

Oooops!  I forgot to take a picture of my Quiche Lorraine....sooo good!

I did NOT forget the chocolate eclair...to die for chocolate!

From here we walked home, then as usual,  we DROPPED.
It is Sunday and I was supposed to go to St Eustache for the organ concert tonight....I slept through it!

We watched NFL football on the computer!  It was all graphics but really rather fun and you didn't have to listen to the inane banter of the commentators.

We were too tired and too full from our late lunch...so we didn't venture out tonight...there are still "snacks" to munch.

Bon soir~