Romancing Paris the Last Time

Having stayed here for a year, we've taken Paris for granted. Whenever I suggested going to Paris for the weekend, the Student will find some excuses somehow and suggest other towns in the area to explore. Now that we are leaving the city, I felt that we should bid the city goodbye...Happy Easter Holidays Paris!

This is a landscape that we've been taking for granted too, Le Guichet is the station where we take the train to Paris city...the houses on the slope are always a delight especially during fair weather.

The train station nearest to Supélec.

I was surprised to see the open air skating rink still in service in March!

Open-air skating rink in front of Hotel de Ville

Reminisced buckwheat crepes with a flavour from Bretagne. France in general has a very high quality of butter, which rolls down to excellent pastries and anything butter related. But butter from Bretagne is heavenly! Especially Bordier butter, which Briezh Cafe in Paris also carries. 

I prefer the traditional sweet crepes over the savoury buckwheat types.

Banana caramel with Chantilly crème on the side. Paired with Marco Polo tea from Mariage Freres.

We stopped by Puyricard, hand made artisan chocolates from Provence. The brand usually makes their chocolates every Thursday, without preservatives. And here they are, all prepared for Easter holidays. These are considered average sized, there is another egg by the window that is half my height (pity we couldn't get a good shot due to the reflections of the window).

We've tried their traditional macaroons, which are delicious! These are nothing like those from the pastry shops, when there are 2 macaroon cookies sandwiching some garnishes. These from Puyricard are just the cookie, but are made from almond powder from Provence. Very fragrant and soft in the inside.

Mariage Freres is a tea house that specialises in a humongous variety of tea blends, they even have a tea museum at their basement for visitors. But their display of pastries weren't that appealing...If only there is a tea salon that serves pastries from Lenotre, macaroons from Pierre Hermé, hot chocolate from Angelina and tea from Mariage Freres.

Price for the tea is indicated/person, so we had to get one pot each....a little too much for our bladder to take though.

Last stop for the day - L'orangerie, the museum that is showcasing the last works of Claude Monet, the panoramic view of his lotus pond. 

Free Sunday @ Centre Pompidou

We decided to go to Centre Pompidou for some contemporary art last Free Sunday. The museum opens at 11am, so we went by Notre Dame for some decent photos with lesser people in the morning. Turned out we  were still too late to beat the crowd, the queue to climb the tower was snaking to "where we can't figure where". Nonetheless, I would want to climb the tower again...it was a climb I did that I have never regretted and would want to do it again with the Student. From what I remember, the climb requires some physical tolerance through narrow spiral stairs to the room of the hunchback and the bell tower (similar to the staircases at Vatican). Since the Cathedral is the middle of Paris, it has a really good view of Paris city, and shows a clear progression on the history of Paris, through its architecture.

Pompidou is a place where I realised that ANYTHING can be art. From daily objects, to graffiti...it is amazing on how artists can portray a subject through the various medium, be it film, photography, sculptures, canvas, kinetic art, and the list just goes on...There was a particular exhibit that was very disturbing...The artist donned his birthday suit, and had himself leashed like a dog, pouncing on people on the streets, while his companions filmed the entire process of him terrorising the public. The title is: MAD DOG...and indeed he is...To avoid any inappropriate content, I chose not to post any pictures on this exhibit, but some of the more interesting contents are below for viewing pleasure.

This way to Pompidou...

A carpet of wine bottle caps and labels

This picture is not taken through the window, but a drawing of a picture taken through a window.

Sitting on these chairs will absorb all electromagnetic waves from the body I believe...

A display of "kinetic art" - an art form whereby the viewer can see various forms as he moves around the object.

I think I saw this display at Debbie's place...Debbie: You're on Pompidou!

It reads: A wall (here), a floor, four walls. a door (there)....this is art?

The projection was showing spheres moving around, and random letter trains wavering....but I have no idea what it is trying to say...

S'pore should use such fences to ward off intruders into MRT depots!

There is an Amorino outlet just outside Pompidou, so we went in for some tasting...and oh la la...I actually prefer Amorino over Berthillion! Reasons being:

1) The sorbet is even smoother than that from Berthillion. I started with a really lousy experience with sorbet in Singapore, where I equate it to flavoured ice. Until Berthillion taught me that sorbet can be smooth and refreshing at the same time. In my opinion, there is a subtle superiority in terms of smoothness for Amorino.  

2) You can choose as many flavours you like in Amorino, as long as the cup/cone size is able to fit. We just need to tell the server how many flavours we intend to order, so that they can plan on how to layer the container.

3) The presentation is so delightful, that it makes my day.

4) Amorino seems to be everywhere, so if there is a queue, we can be certain that there will be another outlet along the way somewhere.

Since we are in the 4th arr, we planned to go for some Fallafel (Israelis snack) as it is just round the corner at Rue de Rosiers. Lately, I've been depending on David Lebotviz's recommendation for dining in Paris...and he wrote that Fallafel at L'as du Fallafel is a must eat in Paris. The shop along Rue de Rosiers is unmistakable with the meandering queue. The queue for eating in was shorter than that for take aways (2 Euros extra for eating in), so the choice is obvious. Furthermore, this is such a messy meal that I think it is better to eat sitting down. Our verdict: It is nice, but not suited to my taste-buds. A little too greasy for my digestive system.

The Student needed to buy some macaroons for his professor, and we took the chance to walk down to Laduree at Rue Bonaparte nearby. By foot, the walk from the Marais (the quarter where we had Fallafel) to Rue Bonaparte normally takes about 15mins, but we took about an hour today, with so much to see on the way. Paris in summer is really vibrant I would say. 

It's summer time, and there are tonnes of music everywhere and anywhere in Paris. 

We wanted to do this cheesy thing too...but I forgot my lock (again!)

These guys were having a blast on the boat with a private event, and the music infected everyone on the Seine River to boogie with them!!!...Humph *Green with envy*

We ended the day with tea at Ladurée. Verdict: I will not step in for tea again. Simply because, they are not the only ones who can make pastries that good, for the price I'm paying and the service that I was receiving, this is totally not worth it. But then again, for some reason or another, I'm more of a supporter of Pierre Hermé for macaroons.

The Weekend that We Went Back In Time

Had a very eventful weekend last week, with a hike at Saint-Remy with our classmates from ALFAP on Saturday, and a visit to Musee d'Orsay on free Sunday. We are never the arty-farty type, so France has really taught us well in this aspect. I'm not a connoisseur of paintings, but I left Musee d'Orsay with only images of impressionists and post-impressionists paintings. 

The 2 artists etched in my mind are Edgar Degas and Vincent van Gogh, the former with a negative impression, and the later with curiosity. There was a temporary exhibition on the theme of "nudity" by Degas, all was good until the explicit paintings of prostitutes. If my understanding of "impressionism" is right, then I would think that Degas must have visited lots of brothels for his project.  

Van Gogh's works are so distinctive, that I think the non-arty me could probably sniff out his works in future.  The child-like style of his is so unmistakable that I can't help wonder what was going on in his head when he painted those crooked images. Were these the images he saw during the years when he suffered from his mental illness? I'm curious...

Oh well...we ended the day very well at Coutume cafe, based on David Lebovit's  recommendation. Haven't had such a good cup of latte ever since I arrived in France! But I guess this place is really just good for coffee, as their meals are rather sub-standard. Great place to get all kinds of coffee gadgets here, they even have a coffee mill so that you can grind your own coffee beans....cool!

It was pure coincidence that our paths just crossed with these "18th century" beings. I would probably have freaked out if I'm alone in the forest, with these ladies standing in the middle of the woods like that. Turns out that an association is having a party at the château, commemorating French history. They saw us walking past, and wanted to invite us to join in the party...can't believe that something like this can really happen out of the blue, this is my neighbourhood and I'm LOVING IT!!!

Easter Celebration in Paris

We had a discussion on Easter celebrations during French class before the Easter weekend. Needless to say, the Singaporean couple has nothing to share, since Easter is nothing big there. While the rest do have lots of yummy traditions to describe. For Paris, Good Friday is not a public holiday, however, the churches such as Sacred Coeur do have processions on this day. Typically, churches do not sound their bells on Good Friday and Saturday. After Rome sound their bells, France will follow suit, and this is when chocolates will rain into their gardens!!!! No chocolate biscuits or bons bons, but chocolate eggs, rabbits,owls and chicken only. 

Maison Georges Larnicol

We passed by Georges on Saturday, no more eggs and chicken, just 2 waist height chocolate eggs at the counter for collection. 

Our 1st Easter week, we had the company of our lovely parents who flew in from Singapore, and the Student's buddy from Holland. For the next Easter, I hope to search for chocolates in a French's garden...

Our parents' tour group had them rooted in La Défense, we thought they must be suffering from jet lag on the 1st night, so we settled for traditional french at La Scene, which is around their hotel. Decent and cosy, rather value for money too. Found the restaurant via  http://www.lafourchette.com and http://www.lefooding.com, recommended by a friend in France. Very friendly service considering Paris' standards.

After a good night's rest for them, it was a day of walking.

Beware: we realised that Le Lourve has 2 types of audio guides. The ones we used in our previous visit was very detailed, whereby you can key in the numbers of the exhibits. This time round, we went a little later, and were given audios that have limited content on the highlights only, and there are no options for you to key in any numbers.

Aren't they cute? Check out mum's leg warmers, we can definitely find her in the crowd!

Mum trying to touch 2 pyramids

Dad helping mum to touch the other pyramid

I've picked Chez Clement for lunch, as Dad was craving for Fruits de mer (seafood platter), and I'm sure they have that. Since we were at Le Lourve, we settled for this one at Place St. André des Arts. Service is a "normal Parisien bad", and they forgot about our Fruits de mer, so we didn't try that after all. However, their Pot-eu-feu is pretty nice.

 

Next stop, we stopped by Barbès Rochechouart for some "red lights", and walked up to Sacre Coeur from here. Nice blue skies for some pretty pictures...

 Sacred Coeur and Place du Tetre never fails to surprise us with new stunts.

Football balance on the pedestral

Beautiful music

He was so good, we left all our coins with him

She can whistle an entire song with different pitches

Seriously, not all the artists in the Place are good, but these 2 really caught our attention. A portrait sketch could cost about 50 Euro/pax, for about 30 mins. But beware, we saw some portraits with crooked nose and walled eyes, even though the models look beautiful. For the 1 below, the models are already pretty, but he did an even better job. 

Final shot before proceeding to Blanche  metro

No time for cabarets, but we were there!

Spring is just so beautiful....

Love this shot on how happy our parents looked

A rare picture of us together

We were going over to Musée du Quoi Branly, Les Ombres for dinner, and surprises!!! A bevy of vintage cars lined the riverside for some eye candy.

A very cute driver in a gorgeous car.

My favourite...lucky son, sitting next to his grandpa.

We had wanted to bring our parents to 58 Tour Eiffel for a nice dinner with a view. 2 weeks in advance, and there were no tables available for 4. Not even Jules Verne. And so I learnt that if a dinner at Eiffel is a must, I'll have to do that at least 1 month before.

Lucky or not, I chose Les Ombres as a 2nd choice. It is located on the ground and 5th floor of Musée du Quoi Branly. Ground floor is a café, and the 5th offers french designer cuisine with a clear view of the Eiffel Towel. Since I can't have dinner IN Eiffel, I'll have dinner WITH Eiffel. The good thing is that every table has a view, since the canopy is made of glass. If this is not enough, you can still go out into the terrace for a clearer view (if it is not too cold). Not Michelin starred, but Michelin 1 star pricing. Service is superb too! I made a good move to book in advance, as it was full by 8:00pm. Great place to watch the hourly illumination of the Eiffel. It starts from 9pm on the day we went, last for 5 mins every time, and repeats hourly till I'm not sure when.

http://www.lesombres-restaurant.com/

Starters given by the house

Appetizer: Foie gras with mango sauce and Brioche 

This is delicious...Dad was not aware that this is actually foie gras, he thought it's duck meat minced and presented in a cake form. It went very well with the mango sauce on top.

The tuna do pale in comparison, the student thought that the cream didn't go very well with the dish.

Appetizer: Tuna with herbs, wasabi and soja vinagrette

Mains were acceptable, but would think the price is worthwhile with the view in mind.

Chicken stuffed with foie gras, with taglionlini

Sea bass in banana leaf with Madra wild rice

Cod with vegetables

Eiffel sparkling like a diamond at 9.00 - 9.05pm

Last snap at the tower before mum falls asleep. 9.30pm w/o illumination

Can't see the difference? You are not NOT seeing things, the illumination can only be captured on video, probably with a good lens or in person. It involves random flickering lights on the entire tower for 5 mins, like those Christmas lights.

After bidding goodbye to our parents, we met up with Cheng Ying, Hua min and Lucas in Paris again the next day. We made a great discovery on San Fransico Bookstore along rue Monsieur Le Prince, near Luxembourg Gardens. It is a second hand bookstore with mainly English books. The shop looks like one where I can find some ancient spell books, with potion concoctions. The books are in very good condition in here, and the owner speaks very good English, so I guess he can really help if we need to.

Walk further down to Carré de l'Odéon, we found an interesting small street in commercial St. André. Looks really cool to have a cuppa and chill here on a weekend. A proclaimed oldest cafe in Paris spotted here, looks ancient with high chairs and traditional cuisine. Prices are reasonable too.

The end of this charming little rue brings you to St. André des Arts, where there are many interesting shops to explore too. Walk on to reach St. Michel. Though we've been to St Michel many times, somehow, we just miss out rue de la Harpe and St Séverin all the time. These 2 streets have lots of small restaurants with menu price 12 to 20 Euro, 3 course, many serving traditional french and Raclette. A steal in my opinion, or perhaps I've not found the real deal yet. After all, these streets were so crowded, tourists and not, so by 7.15pm, all the traditional restaurants were filled to the brim. L'Auberge Saint Séverin, and another opposite Georges' chocolatier looks really tempting to try someday.

Proclaimed oldest cafe in Paris since 1686

Cheng ying with family

After a long weekend of eating out, we now learn 3 lessons to dine in Paris:

1) When asking for water. Me: "D'eau s'il vous plait?" - Waiter: "Gaz ou plate?" - me: "non, tap s'il vous plait"...Emphasize on TAP, gas or flat is an indication that it will be bottled. Otherwise, we'll somehow end up with a bottle of Evian. (Our friend in France have taught us the right way: "Carafe d'eau" is the right way to go!)

2) Searching for restaurants in the internet may not be a good idea, we found some value for money restaurants that are not listed anywhere in the net. Seems that in France, people don't use the web too much when it comes to food. Or maybe I may have better luck if I search in French.

3) Booking 1 month in advance for popular restaurants is normal, you'll need to reserve a table if you intend to dine after 6.45pm, and many small restaurants do not provide for baby chairs.