Back from Paris

It has been a good four months since I've posted, and I apologize for my absence. But, little Ms. Iz and I went to Paris for five wonderful weeks this summer which took a lot of prep beforehand and a bunch of reorientation afterward. And, so, now that back-to-school mania has calmed down, I am back.

I did chronicle our trip on a separate blog, which you can access here  at Summer Jet Setter. There are a few days missing on the end of the trip, but all of Paris is there in all it's glory.

To the left, you will see the most amazing Baked Egg dish I have ever experienced.  We managed a lot of eating in Paris, but this was the best for me. Half a dozen eggs, half a pound of bacon, some cream and lots of potatoes, and you have yourself a fabulous dish. The pan it was cooked in was brought to the table. I managed to eat almost the whole thing myself, but in hindsight, I wonder if this was meant for more than one person.

My good friend Fred went to Paris a few weeks after me. Before he left, he asked for explicit instructions on how to find the holy grail of baked eggs. I gave him the info, he missed the restaurant several times, finally found it, and sent me a lovely picture of his meal. Worth going half way around the world for these eggs, we both agreed.

Here is a recipe from Epicurious for baked eggs in ham crisps. I have not made it, but wanted to include at least a guide for how it's done.

Paris was extraordinary and I am very much prepared for the new school year and all that lay ahead!!

She Is Hungry

We made our way through St Pancras station in London and looked around for something Isabella-friendly to eat. Alas, we could find nothing, and our reservations for high tea were not for several hours.

Dragging our suitcases behind us, we discovered a Burger King on Euston Road, which was en route to the Hilton. Thankfully, we chose the same hotel we had stayed  in on the way out so we knew the route back and had remembered some restaurants on Euston.

And, so, she is pictured at left with the world's smallest burger.

We did get a toy with the meal. It was an Undertaker doll from the WWF that makes quite a noise when his belly is pressed.

I guess our theme for both visits to London will be wrestling.

EuroStar Part Deux

The lovely Michelle took the time this morning to come to our apartment and get us. We walked all our luggage to the Chatelet Metro stop. It was raining and chilly, but the walk was as good as it could have been.

Isabella took the lead with one pink case and her backpack on her back. She has certainly gotten way more comfortable in the Metro, so much so that she mapped out the way based on her train trips to Parc Asterix. Becasue she knew exactly where she was going, she got quite a bit ahead of me and Michelle and had to be called back.

I, on the other hand, was carrying both pink cases up and down the stairs, with Michelle valiantly taking the new black one. Strong though I know I am, it was quite a feat to make it to the train. Once we got on the Metro, it was just a few short stops to the Gare du Nord.

When we arrived in the train station, Michelle was an amazing amount of help again, not only in helping with the bags, but also with finding the track and assisting me with the customs forms. I had one or two minor meltdowns, especially when I filled out the customs forms wrong and had to re-do them, but Michelle kept with me.

After we said our goodbyes to Michelle, we headed through Customs. There was a British guard who asked us some questions and then a bag x-ray. No mention of our Pate needing to be removed from our bags, we made it through and headed to the waiting area.

The train arrived, we found stowed our big black bag and got our pink cases above our seats. This trip turned out to be much quieter than the one on our way out. No show girls (see post from June 23rd), only lots of sleepy people. It was so quiet, Isabella said she felt awkward even talking!

Ugh...Packing

See those two little suitcases on the left? This is just part of what needed to be packed to get us back to the US.

While Isabella enjoyed Parc Asterix, it occured to me that I should pre-pack as much as I could. When I discovered we had amassed 11 bars of soap, 3 tubes of soap and many other items. I did manage to get everything into these two cases and one duffel.

The main issue though, was the shoes. Isabella got two pairs and I got three. Not sure how it happened, but I guess being somewhere with lots of nice things for a month got me shopping (hmm, had I re-read my previous posts, I would've seen how much we bought).

We leave tomorrow for London, and then have two more days to go before we fly home. So, it is going to be necessary to unpack at least some things when we get to the hotel and then re-pack. Not going to happen with the tight packing into those small cases.

Solution? We bought a nice big black rolling bag, with wheels that roll in many directions. Everything fits, and then some. Our final BHV purchase is a really good one!

London, here we come!

Shopping, Again?!!

That's us on the roof of Galeries Lafayettes. We spent today with Kristen helping her locate a dress for her bachelorette party and her rehearsal dinner.

She had already picked out a beautiful dress for the rehearsal dinner, but wanted our opinion. Isabella helped her find a lovely beaded bolero jacket to go over it. And then, she found something spectacular...

A Missoni-print dress for the bachelorette party. We don't know if it was truly Missoni or just inspired-by, but it was lovely. Mostly reds and oranges with some purple in the chevron stripe they are known for, it looked perfect on Kristen.

Isabella managed to find a shirt that fit her like a mini dress in the Women's department and I got a tank with some ladies embroidered on it. Overall, a good haul, on second markdown for some of  the items.

From there, we decided to take a look at Fauchon and were tempted to go to La Maison du Truffes for a truffle themed luncheon, but the heat and the lack of Isabella-friendly food (not to mention the cost) sent us back down to the Metro. We headed back home to the Marais, and found another Italian restaurant.

Pizza for Isabella, pasta with amatriciana tomato sauce for me and a salad for Kristen. Isabella tasted the pasta with tomato sauce! And, she liked it enough to have several bites and declared that she will now eat tomato sauce. A banner day for food diversity.

After lunch, we found another second hand store and bought some more scarves. Oh, if we had more time to sort through all the items in those shops!

What's for Dinner? BBQ Duck!

After Parc Asterix I met Isabella and Kristen at the plaza in front of Notre Dame. We were all starving and needed something delicious right away.

Kristen directed us to a Chinese restaurant, where I spotted the BBQ duck right away. Isabella loves all manner of Asian noodles, so we headed in.

Really succulent duck was served as well as a chow fun of some sort and lots of good spicy oil, Kristen got a wonton soup (though I couldn't believe it since it was still up near 90 degrees even though it was after 7pm).

Isabella at four or five portions of noodles and a very large amount of duck. Success!! Considering most of her recent meals, if you recall, involved hot dogs, pasta or pizza.

After dinner, it was back to Berthillion for ice cream. Along the way, we came across a street performer who did crazy balance tricks involving a bicycle and duct tape. No way for me to describe it, but we did video it. Of course, the soundtrack for Amelie was his background music, which always makes me cry, while Isabella laughs at my sentimentality!

What a day!

ParcAsterix

There is a very funny French comic book character named Asterix. That's his friend Obelix with Isabella and Kristin. See them here on Amazon.

The last time we saw Kristin I was we saw a poster for ParcAsterix and I mentioned how much I hated amusement parks and that there was no way I would take Isabella. Kristin immediately said she would love to go and maybe she could take Isabella.

Later that night, I emailed her and she was serious. And, so, today, she and Isabella headed out at 9am to explore ParcAsterix. It took the 40 minutes in two trains, and then a shuttle bus for another 20 minutes to get there.

They had a wonderful time, and I need more information from both of them to include here. I will repost as soon as I have a more descriptive account of their day.

Greek Sandwich

GREEK SANDWICH!!

Oh man, this is good!

Michelle took me to her favorite greek sandwich place in the Mouffetard (Rue de Contrescarpe is just nearby).

It's a sandwich that includes fries....on it! Did the purveyors of such a treat say to themselves "what kind of sandwich would Tashi like best?" and then add the fries to make it my favorite thing ever?!

Chicken marinated in secret spices, though I definitely tasted oregano in there. And the white sauce they put on there may have had yogurt. Oh, the pita bread was fresh and the tomatoes, too.

I do believe this kicked the L'As du Falaffel's sandwich down to number two, but either would be delightful.

Bon Marche Epicurean

While Isabella and Kristen were at Parc Asterix, Michelle helped me find the Bon Marche Epicurean store. Oh, my, I nearly passed out. How to describe that first impression?  So many beautiful products everywhere. Not to mention on such a hot day, the freezing air conditioning was a welcome relief. I couldn't get over how calm the store was, as well, in comparison to the large gourmet stores back home.

There was an international section where they showcased foods from all over the world. The meat section was very impressive with a whole section dedicated to duck products. Not to mention the huge selection of both fresh and packaged pate.

But, I'd have to say the assortment of treats was my favorite. The color of the fondant, the smell of the chocolate and the overall displays were amazing. There was a whole house a al gingerbread houses, covered in gummy bears. Another one covered in marshmallows and a third one in a variety of treats.

It is just next door to the Bon Marche department store and well worth a trip!

**the picture is from versailles, i couldn't find any food-related shots that were worth it here!!

High-Low

Who's to say you can't go from hot dogs and onion rings right to fancy tea?

Worked out well for us, since we hadn't had dessert yet, and are always up for tea at Mariage Freres. Before we went in to the tearoom, we went across the street to the tea annex that sells pre-packaged loose teas. I wanted to smell them to see if something less heavy than Lapsang Soucahng might appeal to me.

With our choices made, we headed into the tea room about twenty minutes later.

As lovely as the last time, and a bit more crowded,  we were seated right next to the cake display, in front of the tea bar. I settled on the Carre D'Or- 24 Carat and an iced Himalayn Rose tea, Isabella chose the creme brulee scented with their Marco Polo tea and an iced Earl Grey.

We both thought I'd be getting a few pieces including a chocolate mousse and some kind of caramel. Turns out, they made a little stack of everything included in the description and it was all wrapped up in an edible 24 karat foil. Very nice indeed, but oh so rich.

The creme brulee we had had last time was more of a coffee scented affair. Marco Polo tea added a fruity flavor that was ok, but not as perfect as the last time.

Regardless, we had a lovely time people watching, evaluating the white linen suits of the servers vs the beige linen suits of the men who worked in the tea shop measuring out tea for customers. The beige ones, overall, looked better on the men, which does not surprise me.

Over tea, we discussed Isabella's next big adventure: a trip with Kristin to ParcAsterix the next morning!

A Nice Sunday

Not everything is open on Sunday in Paris. We knew this and planned on another round of tea at Mariage Freres later in the day, but wanted to get out and do something with our morning.

We headed out to an area we had discovered the night before. It was literally only one block further away from our house than we had been walking, and there was some nice window shopping to do.

Some stores did end up being open, best of which was the soap store, La Maison du Savon.  There were over 100 varieties of Marseilles soap, all reasonably priced and smelling divine. They have every scent from sweet to spicy, including pine, rose, tilleul (which I think is Linden) and rosemary. We bought 5 bars of soap and Isabella got some special rose and angel shaped ones for herself.

Realizing that tea wasn't until after 3pm, we decided to eat. Yes, as the picture denotes, hot dogs. It being Sunday, all of the kosher restaurants were open. We chose Schwarz's since they seemed to have a nice looking deli counter and a good NY deli menu.

It did not disappoint. Isabella got hers plain on a bun. I got the sauerkraut and relish on mine. They also brought some house-made dill pickles to the table, which were not too salty and just tart enough. Isabella was a fan of the onion rings, too.

We thoroughly enjoyed out American hot dogs, and thought it would have been nice to have celebrated Fourth of July at Schwarz's as well.

Flowers After Dinner

After Versailles, we rested for awhile in our tiny apartment. I had no energy to cook, and we had seen a Japanese restaurant about 100 yards from our house, so we decided to try it out.

Turned out to be a great place. The fish was fresh, the miso soup pleased Isabella, and they had Yakitori skewers of all kinds of meat and fish. Scallops (sorry, coquilles st jacques) and salmon for me, chicken and beef for Isabella.

By the time we left, we were exhausted and giddy so we took a walk. A few nights earlier we had eaten dessert at a small brasserie and decided to go back there again. We remembered that the owner was very nice to us that first night.

When we got there, it was clear he remembered us. He gave us each a big hug and chatted a little. When he brought Isabella's chocolate cake and my creme brulee, he gave us water and chatted again.

As we finished out treats, a flower vendor walked in and asked if we wanted flowers. I politely declined, but then the owner came out and said to him "they are my friends", and bought us each a small garland of jasmine. The vendor also gave Isabella a small bunch of flowers, both of which you can see in the picture.

We paid our bill and thanked the owner. He gave us each a hug and told us his name was Sam and we went on our way.

What a nice end to a long day!

Flowers, Versailles

Near Marie-Antoinette's little hamlet of buildings, there were a bunch of very pretty flower beds.

Isabella spent a long time shooting these and really got into all the different types.

We also found a really pretty archway that was covered in grape vines fully in bloom with tiny green grapes. Not to mention the veggies they had also planted in one of the areas.

Truly, can't do it justice here, but take a look at our flickr stream for the Versailles pictures and maybe you can see a little more of what we saw.

Bike Riding, Versailles

Here it is. A picture of Miss Isabella on a bigger kid or smaller adult bike.

Remember a few days ago, I said that we didn't want to rent the bikes in Paris because it just seemed too daunting to ride in city traffic? As luck would have it, we were wandering through the gardens in Versailles and saw a sign for bike rentals.

Isabella immediately asked if we could do it. I hesitated only because I myself really hadn't been on a bike for over 15 years (even though I used to ride a lot as a teenager, oh so long ago). I had a flash of me sprawled out in the lovely French countryside. The idea, though, of finding myself in such surroundings with a lovely French bike with a basket on the front won out and so, we rented the bikes.

It really is true. You never forget how to ride a bike. The weight of my camera bag on the front of the bike made the balance a little bit off, but I was able to ride pretty much as I had remembered.

Isabella got a little scared, since she had only ridden in a paved playground on a smaller bike. She did a fine job, though yelled every now and then because she was a little unbalanced on the new bike.

I tried to impress upon her the greatness of the feat of her riding on a dirt path and cobblestone roads for the first time in a non-playground ride. It was difficult to keep the bike stable on those roads. I know that she can handle a big bike. Now to get home and get her one!

Croque Madame, Versailles

I will admit that up until this point, I was afraid of the cheese aspect of the Croque. But, last night, Kristen ordered one and assured me it was just a mild cheese, so today, I ordered one.

To be honest, I didn't realize that the croque madame came with an egg on top. It never occured to me to ask what the difference was between the monsieur and hte madame. Boy am I happy I did.

There are probably better specimens of the croque madame, but this made my day! The oozing egg over the ham and melted cheese was divine.

I am totally going to make these as often as my waistline will permit. What a treat!

Versailles Finally

Another success for us...Versailles!

A very impressive chateau (though less of it is on display than we had hoped), with gardens that go on for days.

We got up at 7:30, walked to the Metro and this time, just took the RER (another kind of commuter train within the Metro system) to a direct train to Versailles.

This time, I bought our tickets the night before, so all we had to do was wait in the security line when we got there, around 9:45 this morning. We got into the chateau, got a map and joined the crowds going on the tour of the rooms. There weren't as many furnished rooms as we would have liked and the crowds were huge. But, we did get to see Marie-Antoinette's bedroom and Isabella was really into the chandeliers all over the place and so, it was well worth it.

The real fun began when we hit the gardens. We chose a Saturday to visit because we knew they had classical music playing in the various gardens that were supposed to complement said gardens. The fountains also went off at certain intervals to go along with the music. It was really great, and the cooler weather stayed with us, so it was a nice way to spend a day.

We probably only saw one-third of the gardens, but what we did manage to see was beautiful.

Galeries Lafayette

Shoe sale.

That's all Michelle had to tell me.

She was not able to join us, but our other lovely Parisian-American, Kristen, was.

We bid farewell to Michelle on the Metro and headed out to the Opera station. We passed an Apple store housed in a centuries-old building, Sephora and most importantly, found our way into the swanky department store, Galleries Lafayette.

Overwhelming is an understatement. The building itself which became the store's first location in 1893 (they added a few more buildings as they grew) is incredible. There are a few pictures that show the details which you can see on the flickr stream.

Kristen found us (we have cell phones that won't communicate with each other, who knows why) in the shoe department. She joined us specifically to find shoes for her American wedding celebration later this month. Sadly, we came up empty on her shoe needs.

I, on the other hand, found a pair of red plastic wedges. Not the most conscientious purchase seeing as I am still on a no-heels regimen due to the healing of the broken foot. But, you only live once, I guess.

Picnic at Parc Monceau

Our lovely friend Michelle met us at Parc Monceau today. It's located in a ritzy part of town, where Michelle said there are private streets.

We went specifically to see the mini replicas of monuments that Isabella had read about in her walking tours for kids cards. The cards, though useful to some extent, overstated the monuments. Unless we were missing a large part of the park, there were only 2, a pyramid and some Roman-type pillars.

No matter, Michelle brought some wine and cookies, I brought along salami, baguette, fruit and nutella for Isabella and we had a really fun time. Isabella had her soceer ball with her so we all played together.

As the clock past Noon, many people came to the park to enjoy their lunch hours. They were there well over and hour, which Michelle said is more typical, since they usually take a two hour break midday. It was nice to see everyone spreading out their lunches, dressed for work, but on a blanket in a park.

Overall we had a good time just having a regular park day, which just so happened to be amidst some beautiful old Parisian homes!

Baked Eggs?! Really? So Good!

This picture does not do the dish I had enough justice.

Baked eggs, have become an interest of mine in the recent past, but I have not had the opportunity to make them. I was pleased to see this traditional version offered on the menu across the plaza from Notre Dame. After all those steps, I really wanted to eat (not really that hard to climb, but any excuse for a big meal, I always say).

Isabella was going to order this, but decided on scrambled eggs with bacon as a safer bet. Probably good, this dish had cream, 6 eggs (no kidding) and maybe a half pound of bacon. I thought it was going to come in a small ramekin, but take a look at that pot!

Oh, I forgot to mention, it also had 3 to 4 good sized yellow potatoes sliced amongst the goodness. I ate almost the whole thing. It was so good.

When I get home, I will recreate this dish every now and then. Not too often, though, or I will have the cholesterol police knockin' on my door.

Notre Dame: Success!

We did it!

The early morning wake-up call (ok, it was only 7:45am) was worth it because today we got to climb the steps to the top of the Notre Dame Cathedral bell tower.

We left the apartment, got some excellent pain au chocolat and headed across the bridge to wait. We had to wait about an hour plus, but the weather cooled down drastically to 75 degrees or so, so it was pleasant.

The only people ahead of us were another group of Americans (one of whom lives in Greece the other three being some kind of relation of hers and hailing from the Chicago area), and one guy who lives in America but was from Panama originally. How did we find out this much about them? They had a lot to say. We sat quietly so as to not be invited to discuss the topics at hand (mostly complaints about what they didn't like about Europeans) and listened.

In the end, my snarky attitude should be put in check, because when the door opened it said we needed exact change (8 Euros for me, free for little missy). I was short by 50 centimes. The woman heard this and gave it to me. So, I take back some of my opinionated remarks, but only some.

The stairs are stone and very narrow and curvy. The first stop is a forced layover in the small gift shop for 5 minutes. Since we were in the first group to go up, it seemed silly, but they do it to stage the number of people up on the parapet at any given time. Next up, the first panaromic viewing level. Absolutely amazing!

There was a tiny wood door (which even Isabella had to bend down to get through) that led into the original bell tower. Wood stairs led up to the bell. Think "High Anxiety" (ok, "Vertigo" for you movie snobs) and you'll get a good idea of the kind of structure we were in.

I am very afraid of heights, but Isabella usually isnt. She had a really hard time up there, got very shaky, but was determined to do all of it. In the end, I had to help her, thus, was unable to be afraid myself, so it worked out well for me to be able to finally experience some high flying sites. She was amazed by all of it, it was just hard for her.

Next up, the top level, which I think was somewhere in the neighborhood of 400+ steps up from ground level.  There are passageways that everyone has to go through that I had to turn flat to fit through. I was unclear of how the general non-shorty population was making their way through, but everyone did.

Overall, it was amazing to see the interior workings of the tower, and the views of the city. There was some cool grafitti up there, too, check out the flickr stream for today to see some of it.

Form up high, we spotted a promising looking brasserie, so as soon as we dizzily hit ground level, we headed across to it.

Bastille Day!

Not only did we go to the Champs-Elysses for the Bastille Day Parade, but we also got to see some of it right down the block from our apartment on the Rue du Rivoli.

We went up to the parade route, with me vaguely aware of the fact that it was probably going to be pandemonium.

Yes, I was right.

The biggest issue we had was our height, or lack there of. I had forgotten how hard it is in huge crowds and events it is for me to see, let alone my little lady. We did our best.

The planes overhead were awesome, got some video of them, too. We heard the music of the marching bands, and saw the members of the band coming off the parade route.

And, we did manage to see a bunch of horses and their regiment dressed up ready to go. As they were preparing, the skies opened up and there was a huge downpour.

At this point, we were right near the Franklin Roosevelt Metro stop, so we ran inside. Our size here was an asset, since we had our tickets and could wiggle our way in between the crowds.

Once back in our neighborhood, we noticed the military out in the street and that the big thoroughfare was shut to traffic. As we walked around, we started seeing crowds gathering on the corners. It occurred to us that the parade was coming down our way.

And, so it did. We saw many tanks filled with crisply outfitted military men (only one or two women in the bunch). They were not slowly going down the route. No, they were booking down the road towards the Bastille where presumably parade ended. We have video of this, too, which I will try to post soon.

The skies opened up again somewhere around when the first tank appeared. We stayed put with a completely unobstructed view of the parade. But, eventually, we had seen enough and it sure felt like we were being pelted with hail, so we went home to have a crepe and dry off.

Velib' Bike Rental

Look at that bike! Isn't it cool?
These are for rent all over the city. They cost only 1 euro or so per hour and can be taken from location and dropped off at your destination. It's the greatest system.

We wanted to rent them, but did not. I let Isabella sit on one to get an idea of the size, which seemed ok. But, we started talking about it, and realized cobblestone roads, no helmets and the fact that she has never ridden anywhere but the basketball court in the playground led us to decide it wasn't the best idea for this trip.

And so, enjoy the visual and image Isabella with a baguette in her basket riding down the road.

Bastille day is tomorrow. This city knows how to celebrate their independence.

Two big events were going on, just in the Bastille/Marais neighborhood we are staying in.

First, there was the Bal de Pompier (fireman just does not have the same ring to it as pompier). We saw everyone lining up and much later in the evening, we looked in at a very happening party with a disco ball and crazy lights.  Seemed fun, and I believe it's a fundraiser of some sort.

More importantly, and where we ended up, was the Concert for Diversity in the Place de la Bastille. Granted, most of the music was not up our alley, but the event was fun nonetheless.

We've watched quite a bit of MTV here (can't understand most of what's going on, but found some good videos). Ben l'Oncle Soul and Shi'm both played at the concert. We had seen their videos and liked them, so it was a nice surprise to see them live.

The crowd was really well behaved, there was no pushing, no jockeying for position, no negativity. The craziest part was that, apparently, it's ok to drink anywhere. There were tons of people with open bottles of wine wandering around, chatting with the cops.  No one was super drunk, and overall, everyone was enjoying themselves.

We left around 9:30 (when that picture was taken, still light out) and made our way back home to watch the last hour of it on TV.

A really nice start to the holiday.

Many Trains to the Bon Marche

This was our third type of train today. It resembles our MUNI in SF, only way swankier. We took the large commuter train out of Versailles from a different station than where we started.

The Gendarme (police) were there telling everyone that the train to Paris was free from Versailles. I wondered if it had to do with it being late the day before Bastille Day with celebrations starting that night. No one asked, we all just piled onto our free commuter train and went on our way.

Since we had pretty much just been on trains all day (a total of 8 by the end of it) I decided we needed to go to the upscale department store, Bon Marche.

I am glad we did. It was amazing to see suc beautiful clothes up close. And there was no one hovering, we were able to touch all of it. Exquisite silks, sequins and linens all. Isabella loved it.

She found a cute sweater in the women's department that was a mere 10 euros and so made a purchase at one of the fanciest stores we'd been in.

We looked at the beautiful pen selection, books, binders and my favorite school cartables (backpacks, the one I am most interested in is a horizontal rectangle that has super cute graphics or is made of leather). The kids clothes were fantastic, including the Chloe and Christian Dior items. The only disappointment, I could not find the fancy food section I had read so much about.

Alas, it was mostly a window-shopping trip, but well worth the trip.

Lambrusco

After the Versailles debacle, we needed lunch. We went to a nice little block with many restaurants and found ourselves with a few choices. Of all things, I chose pizza. It was my choice this time, not even Isabella's.

We split a margharita pizza that was really good. Isabella got herself a nice lemonade. I decided on a Lambrusco. You know it? It's a fizzy red wine from Italy.

As it turned out, there was only a full bottle available, unlike most other wines, which were available by the glass or a demi-bottle. I ordered it anyway, what with the disappointment of Versailles and all.

I drank 2 generous glasses and left the rest behind. Well worth it!

Versailles? I Don't Think So....

We woke up and decided to go out to Versailles today. My friend Michelle supplied us with the local's train route and we set out.

We got to the second train, which was not on the Metro line, but rather a large commuter train that took us out of the city into the suburbs. I swear, some of the stops looked just like the LIRR, backs of the houses and all, if you ignore the 18th century architecture thrown in here and there.

We had left Paris without a map for the other trains, nor any knowledge of exactly where the Chateau was located. Luckily, the train had a clear announcement system and lots of other tourists, so it was easy to tell when we were nearing our stop.

When we arrived, the information desk had pre-printed walking maps to the Chateau and so we set out.  It was around 90 degrees out at this point, at about Noon.

Rick Steves had warned us: don't go on a Tuesday, and bring your tickets with you.

We were there on a Tuesday, and we didn't bring our tickets with us.

And, so, an hour of waiting on a line that was really going nowhere led us to the conclusion that we needed to leave.  We talked it over and decided we would go back on Saturday, and stay over to enjoy the music in the gardens in the evening.

Good test run for Saturday!

Fish Head

See that fish head?

Isabella orderd Sea Bream for lunch today (some white fish, which I'm unclear what the US equivalent would be).

We had a talk the other night about her trying to expand her eating out main course choices beyond steak. As we walked around the area below Notre Dame with all its many Greek and varied restaurants, Isabella chose one and said she'd like fish.

I prepared her that a whole fish with head would show up in front of her and that she could share my duck, too.  She ate more than half of the fish, didn't complain about bones and had a good amount of my duck, too, just pulling off the poivre vert along the way.

I was so very proud of her, though the fish lacked any discernable flavor, she tried it and enjoyed it enough to suggest we try some other things soon.

Adrian Mole

Anyone who knows what book I'm referring to must have been my age in 1982.

One our second attempt to view Notre Dame and climb to the top, we were again denied. The crowds were massive again, so we decided to take a look on the Left Bank for Shakespeare & Co.

Along the way, we stumbled upon another space invader mosaic and a few interesting parks. The store is only a block from Notre Dame, but we had gone further down the river (not to jail, mind you) and had to work our way back (yes, due to my weird map reading skills).

The shop was very great. We were both thrilled to see so many English language books that we spent over an hour there. It's a small shop, but has a really nice kids section, which Isabella excused herself to. When I came back to find her, she was sitting on one of the couches engrossed in a small book.

The minute I saw the cover, I knew it was a meant-to-be-book-moment.  She was reading "The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13 3/4" by Sue Townsend.

I had to sit down. This had been one of my very favorite books when I was just a little bit older than Isabella. There was also a British TV series that had aired on PBS. The style of writing is smart and funny, even after all these years.

The nicest part about re-reading this, is that Isabella will read passages aloud with Britishisms in them, and I will immediately recall the next part of the story and the visuals from the TV series.

Really, a nice coincidence (or coinkidink as Isabella likes to call it) and a great book, too.

Love Locks

Really, just about the sweetest things we've come across are locks attached to the pont des artes (and also one near Notre Dame).

Lovers put their names or initials on it, attach is to the bridge and throw the key in the Seine.

Leaving the lock on the bridge is a symbol of their everlasting love.

Fantastique, non?

It's 92 Degrees!

There's a bear on the loose!!
Oh no, that's just Isabella, super hot from the heat of the day.

After our adventure at the Museum of Decorative Arts we went back to our tiny apartment. We've noticed that we get along swimmingly outside of said apartment, but argue a bit more when we are confined here.

And so, after a little rest for me, we headed out for Amarino gelato. It's about a 10 minute walk from here, towards the Bastille. There are always lots of people out, and the street was closed to traffic it being Sunday. We also noted that a lot of stores were open, since Sunday is traditionally when shops are shut.

When we arrived we assessed the line and figured about 30 minutes wait. It was hot, not a breeze in sight, but everyone was in a good mood as they waited for their ice cream. Isabella got a mix of coffee and dark chocolate. I got lemon sorbet.

Then we walked. We found another space invader (check out the filckr stream, I'm going to make them into their own set). As we walked along, I heard a song and asked her if she knew who was singing. she said no. I told her it was Janis Joplin and she should try to remember her voice.

She stopped walking and said, "Hmm. Why do I know that name?" Waiting for her to figure it out, we both came to it at the same time....

30 Rock.

You know how Jenna was in an unauthorized biopic of Janis Joplin and they had to change her name? This is the reference my child had.

Huzzah!

Museum of Decorative Arts

We tried our best to get to a park on the outskirts of town today, it being so hot and all. But, alas, the transfer we chose for our Metro (from the 11 to the 7bis) was inhabited only by three very lively homeless men. No harm was intended, but we decided to cut our losses and get back on the 11 and head to the Museum of Decorative Arts.

And we are glad we did so.

What an amazing collection of furniture dating from the early 19th century through the 2000's. Isabella's favorite was the 60's and 70's becuase of the shapes and colors. I leaned more towards the 40's and 50's.

There was a small exhibit where you could sit on some of the chairs (see at left) and they showed a movie with lots of clips from French movies that had fantastic decor displayed.

The museum also has a toy collection and a two floors of fashion. The fashion included a lot of early 80's French designer's pieces, which was shown in front of fashion show video footage. It was really interesting and Isabella got to see real pieces up close.

She also really enjoyed the 1800's exhibit poster lithographs that were on display.

Really, so far, I think we found this to be one of our favorite spots.

Grocery Store

Isabella was allowed to go to the grocery store tonight by herself. To be clear, I was right next door at the fruit market, both markets we have been going to almost every day. She was very proud and did her job well.

I gave her 10 euros for eggs, water and chocolate. She managed to get everything, pay, and drag it over to the fruit market before I even paid. She even gave me back all my change.

She has asked me if she can do this again, to which I replied, sure, because I know she can take care of herself in French way better than I can, is city-smart and can run to the fruit market real fast if there is any trouble.

Good job, kid!

(disclaimer: she didn't buy the wine in the picture...it was the only food related picture I had!)

Gnomes: Caged

OK, so I love gnomes.

I only keep one in the house, since my fear of becoming That Crazy Gnome Woman who the kids fear on Halloween is always quite high.

It is unclear to me what these gnomes did to deserve being caged.

Could be the creepy one with the lantern was peeping into people's windows at night.

Or, maybe it's the half-nude who was pulled inside for drunk and disorderly behavior.

Whatever happened, I may need to go spring them.

Le B'autobus

With our Notre Dame plans dashed against the rocks, we set out to find a stop for the tour boat, the B'Autobus. It stops along the Seine at ten different tourtist-friendly locations, including Notre Dame.

We hadn't climbed down to the road that runs alongside the Seine yet, so it was a nice adventure all around. The idea of spending a warm day on a boat appealed to both of us so we got our tickets and boarded.

Since we had been to almost all of the monuments the stops went to, we stayed on longer than any of the other passengers. The ticket is good for a full day, so you have the option of on/off access throughout your monument hopping.

The ride lulled both of us (neither of us had been sleeping all that well and I guess the soft waves and wind relaxed us quite a bit) and we had a really nice trip along the river. The best part was as we were pulling up to the Eiffel Tower and the view of it.

We had planned to take it all the way back to Notre Dame and walk back from there, but we got too tired and wanted to move around. So we got off at the Musee D'Orsay and walked across the Pont des Artists and looked at the stalls set up with keepsakes for sale along the way.

Fats Waller In Paris

Once we got to Notre Dame this morning, it became abundantly clear that it was not in the cards for us to clim to the top of the tower. Throngs of tourists mobbed the square and the line for the tower climb reached around the corner. It was already 90 degrees, at 11am.

And so, we decided to get ice cream at Berthillon on the Ile St Louis, which is just a short bridge from the church. Along the way, we first saw a trio playing Johnny Cash songs, and quite well, at that.

The trio pictured here was playing "I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Right Myself a Letter", by Fats Waller.  The guy on the horn also sang, with a slight French accent. I managed to video this on Isabella's Flip and will figure out how to upload it. It was a great find on a Saturday morning.

Souvenirs

It was time.
Souvenirs for some had been acquired (and quite a few just for the two of us), but we had a list of things we wanted to get and realized the time was nigh.

Really, it all came to a head when we discovered the post office in the Caroussel de Louvre shopping mall. Used to dealing with Americans, the clerk was very helpful and he showed me the prepaid boxes used for international shipping.

A few caluculations and the realization that if I shipped our things, I would not need to buy a bag and lug said bag through three countries, two airports and two train stations (not in that order), and I was sold.

We spent the rest of our afternoon organizing what we had, getting a few more things and packing them all up. The boxes were sent, and we no longer have any worries about bringing back more than we came with.

Oh wait, there's those sneakers, dresses and several swim-related items purchased for Aqua Boulevard....

M'aitre D' Indeed!

As we wound down our tour of the Louvre, our stomachs were growling. We talked about going to the food court at the mall in the Carrousel de Louvre, but I couldn't bear the thought of more strange medium-fast food.

The Grand Restraunt Louvre located on the lower level of the building looked like a good choice, and it was. The food was very nice, I had salmon in some kind of butter sauce of loveliness. Isabella had steak hache and frites, oh and a brownie and ice cream desert.

But, the best part was the spectacular M'aitre D'. I'd heard about it being a calling in France, that it's a serious professional pursuit, but I had yet to see it fully in action. The man who was in charge, was really in charge.

Not a moment went by where he wasn't tending to new people walking in the door, or setting a table or generally making sure the staff was where they needed to be. We watched and counted the seconds between when a group of people entered the restaurant and either understood to wait or just waltzed in and tried to seat themselves. It usually took him less than 20 seconds to attend to everyone.

He was unfailingly nice, but very clear to those who seated themselves that it would be just two minutes as he pointed out the groups of people waiting. He made time to chat with Isabella and each of the older Spanish threesome at our next table.

Mr. M'aitre D' was all business, charm and sass, but he got the job done and made everyone feel right at home.

Louvre: Complet

We headed back to the Louvre today to see the rest of the collection. There are three wings, and we thought we had only seen one. Turned out, though, that we had seen two (which is why we were so darned tired after our first trip), and so a leisurely walk through was had.

The gentleman at the left cracked Isabella up, his beard being the funniest to her. We looked at all of the marble statues and went through Napoleon's apartment. It was amazing to see the rooms and imagine what kinds of parties that little man might host.

A few other items we liked were some of the portraits in the late French paintings, especially those that featured children.

This day's walkthrough was much more relaxed and less crowded than our other visit. If'n you are heading to the Louvre steer clear of the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo wing until the end. It's totally worthwhile to deal with the crowds, just know there is way more available that most of the people aren't bothering to see!

I know we are fortunate because we are able to be here so long that we can go back to places if we haven't finished looking around, so it's fair to say, if you only have on day, deal with the crowds, but make time for the other wings, too.

Charming

Isabella found something special to spend her own money on. Grandma Judy and Bill (thanks!) gave her some Euros to spend and she ahd some American money she had earned doing chores at our house.

She chose a bracelet and some charms.

There is a nice jewelry store here called Agatha. They sell all sorts of cute things, but mainly, they have dozens of sweet silver charms.  The quality is great and the choices are really nice, too.

Isabella had enough for the bracelet and one charm, the Eiffel Tower, of course. I helped out and got her the sunglasses and the Agatha license plate.

And then, Gran Fran told her to get herself one more on her (thanks!).  She chose a yellow spool of thread because both she and Gran Fran love to sew.

She is already plotting how many chores she will have to do to fund more charms. It's a great keepsake for her, and since I, too, am a charm bracelet fan, I fully support her efforts.

Tea Cakes

Once we were seated, I had a chance to catch the song they were playing. It was "Rum and Coca-Cola" by The Andrews Sisters. Gran Fran and Joe must have put that request in.

The tea service was different than what we are used to, as, in general, we've gone to English tea. The teas were all listed out on a seperate menu (2 pages long).

We chose sweets instead of sandwiches. Here is what we got:
* creme brulee that Isabella proclaimed as her favorite ever
* a little pound cake (like the size of your thumb) which was green for some reason but didn't have much flavor)
* the tiniest madeline i've ever seen
* a tart berry coulis
* a canale (not sure I spelled that right, but it looks like a muffin but fluted)

The tea choice for me was, of course, Lapsang Souchang and for Isabella, also of course, Earl Grey. I took mine hot even though it was 92 degrees here, hers was cold.

We would like to go back and try other food, since none of it was that memorable except for the creme brulee, but the tea is what is bringing us back.

Slurpee...Wait, its Fancy Tea

Check it out. Isabella got herself the largest, most delicious iced tea at our fancy ladies tea today. It was seriously as big as a Big gulp, only far superior.

Mariage Freres makes some of the nicest teas I've found and the place is beautiful I have posted the pictures I have from tea on flickr, but I want to go back and take some shots of the shop, too. IT's like stepping into a 1930's spy movie. I kept waiting to be passed some kind of instructions for my next mission, but alas none came.

There are huge wood shelving units behind the counter, where all the tea is stored in giant tins. The staff, all men as far as I've seen except for the cashier, wear white linen suits, white button downs and white bow ties. They measure out your tea to order, hand you a slip from which the cashier rings you up and then gives you your tea. So nicely done!

Next time, we will go in the morning, so the caffeine has time to work its way out and not keep us up until 1am!!

Yum...Macaroons

We took the train today to L'Opera Metro stop. Isabella's walkig cards for kids outlined a walk for the Glamour Trail, so we thought it in our best interest to take the walk.

 

But, as usual, I got us a little further down the road than we wanted, and so we had to do some good map reading (and I even asked a magazine stall guy in French, whether or not we were on the correct path), but we found our way.

 

Our final destination was Laduree, the famous and fancy maccaroon baker. Along the way, we came across some beautiful boutiques and all the famous names: Chanel, Gucci, Prada (under construction), Dolce & Gabbana.

 

We went into quite a few high end shops, where we didn't touch, just looked, but boy was it nice to see all that beauty. There was a Japanese department store where we spent some time and got a few items. They had a nice assortment of small accessories, from different French desingers all in one place.

 

Lunch was at a nice French bistro, where Isabella ordered the Poulet Roti (not enough skin for her liking) and I got the Escargot and a Salade Nicoise. Isabella helped herself to the Escargot sauce again, which made her less than exciting chicken acceptable.  The Nicoise had rice instead of potatoes, which I didn't love, but the flavors were good.

 

Finally, we found our way to Laduree. A quick survey of the flavors on offer, and we ended up with 6 total: coffee, chocolate, caramel and a dark chocolate one. The texture was amazing and the flavors just right.

 

Totally worth the trip!

PointWC

Remember how I mentioned that you have to pay for publice toilets here?

We found the top-of-the-line of pay toilets in the mall below the Louvre (which happens to be at a central Metro station for the past few days' adventures). It's called PointWC.

It costs 1euro for each person (yes, this includes strollers or toddlers who need their parents help). There are about 3 attendants on duty at any given time. One takes your money, the next holds the line and the other one is busy wiping down each stall after each use.

These stalls are like no other. The toilets and all the fixtures are for sale. It's like going to a Kohler showroom and being able to test-drive the toilets and sinks. There is mood lighting in each stall, and they are impeccably clean. And, a Dyson hand drier extraordinaire is situated just behind the bank of custom sinks.

I'd say it's well worth our money for the fanciest toilets in Paris!

Cite des Sciences

Today was a trip 40 minutes from home to an interactive science museum. First up, a 3D iMax movie about prehistorice sea monsters. It was really cool and they even had headsets that gave us the story in English.

The complex is as large as any NY state university campus I've been on. I could not believe how vast it was. There was even an actual submarine on-site.

After lunch, which was from a fast-food pasta stand, we went upstairs to see the exhibits. Our first hour was spent trying out a lot of exhibits that were very similar to the Exploratorium in SF. A little disappointed, we went back through and found a few more fun and different exhibits.

The best of which involved learning all about food and how to determine the best kinds to buy, where food comes from, etc. There were lots of hands-on activities that Isabella loved.

We also spent some time in the math area, though the English translations were not quite clear enough for us to grasp (yes, us, I, too found it confusing, no surprise there, what with my math-challenged background and all), but enough of it made sense to Isabella that she figured out what infinity means.

The last stop on our tour was the space exhibit which again, was huge, and a little hard to grasp, but very interesting.

After our ride back, we really needed a crepe. Good thing the stand downstairs was open and a Nutella crepe was available immediately!

Happy and Pink

After our huge day in the amusement park, we went out for pizza. Yes, it is France, not Italy, but we've found a good place just a block or two away, and it makes both of us happy.

To be fair, we've had some ordering challenges. Since Isabella only likes plain pizza, the margherita is our pizza of choice. But, the description seems misleading, because it lists tomatoes as one of the ingredients, not tomato sauce. So, we have ended up the last two meals with just cheese on crust. Pretty good, but odd.

The wine pictured here is one of my favorite styles of rose, from Tavel. It made me happy to have this petite bottle all to myself.

After dinner, we took a nice walk and looked at all the windows and all the people still out well after 9 just waiting for their dinners.

Oh, not only am I afraid of heights, I'm also petrified of roller coasters and water rides.

So, after the ferris wheel, what did we do next? The log ride.

Can you see my expression in the photo? Yes, we bought the souvenir photo since it is unlikely you will ever find me on one of these things again.

Isabella was very proud of herself for going on since she was afraid. And, so was I. She delighted in telling my dad that not only did I scream, but that I also used some choice curse words.

But, I'm good on dry land for the forseeable future.