This morning we took the metro to the Republic metro stop and followed a “Paris City Walk” route along the Saint-Martin Canal. Someone at our cooking class had recommended the Canal Saint-Martin boat cruise, but many of the comments I read about this excursion said it was long and slow. So, we decided to explore the area on foot.
The 4.5 km canal was originally built in 1802 to supply fresh water to the city. It was interesting to observe the lock system in action.
Although there were some lovely arched bridges over the canal, we did not find the area as charming as the descriptions we read said it would be. Part of the walk took us through a little tent encampment for homeless people. Although the area seemed a bit dreary, it was interesting to see a different side of Paris.
From there we went for lunch at a charming little bistro and sat at a corner table looking out onto the sidewalk. We did a little shopping at the beautiful Galeries Lafayette department store.
We ate dinner at Le Florimonde, 19 ave de La-Motte Picquet. We walked through a soft rain to get to the warm and welcoming small restaurant. Although not everything we ate on the 38-euro three-course meal was rave worthy, the risotto was amazing and I would return to eat it again.
When we went to the Centre Pompidou the last time we were in Paris, most of it was closed to visitors, so we were excited to return today. The museum is the largest museum for modern art in Europe. Although there was a line to get in, it moved quickly and we only had to wait about thirty minutes.
Named after Georges Pompidou, President of France from 1969 to 1974, the building was completed in 1977. Unique with its exposed skeleton of brightly colored tubes for mechanical systems and a clear tube for the escalator, it offers beautiful views of the Paris skyline.
The Pomidou has a great free app that provides wonderful commentary about both the permanent and temporary exhibits. Many of the Paris museums offer free apps, so I check the museum web site before we go. The apps can be downloaded at home or in the museum using the museum wifi. I try to remember to bring ear buds with me. We were very lucky to see the new exhibit of the works of 20th century surrealist Belgian painter Rene Magritte.
It was a large and thought-provoking exhibit. The excellent museum app provided commentary by the artist and the curator of the exhibition.
The Beat Generation exhibition, a very large retrospective of more than 500 works, was in its final week. This multi-media exhibit focused on the literary and artistic movement born in the late 1940s after the end of WWII that ushered in the hippie culture as well as the civil rights movement during the 60s.
A very long, narrow box displayed all the pages of Jack Kerouac’s On the Road laid out end-to-end.
A large board displayed newspaper headlines and magazine covers from the 50s and 60s. It was interesting to be reminded of the major events of those years.
There was an interesting film of a very young Bob Dylan singing Subterranean Homesick Blues while showing cue cards with the lyrics in 1965. Perhaps it is the first music video.
The Singing Posters is a display of Allen Ginsberg’s poem Howl using phonetic spelling to look like it would sound if he were reading it aloud.
Today we visited the beautiful Foundation Louis Vuitton art museum dedicated to contemporary art. Designed by Frank Gehry, the museum opened in 2014 in the Bois de Boulogne. We were disappointed to learn that there were no exhibitions today but soon learned that the building and the few permanent art pieces were worth the trip. Dan Burin’s beautiful temporary installation of colored and striped panes over the normally clear glass sails is stunning.
In the lower-level grotto forty-three prism-shaped columns designed by Olafur Eliasson. Of varying widths and lit from within, two sides are mirrored and one side is yellow glass.
Standing in just the right spot, it is possible to see forty-three images of yourself reflected at one time.
A beautiful fish sculpture designed by Frank Gehry hangs in the lobby over the restaurant. At night the fish light up.
On the west terrace is an interesting piece by Adrian Vllar Rojas called “Where the Slaves Live.” It looks like an archeological find with layers of natural materials and everyday objects.
The beautiful rose sculpture in the lobby by Isa Genzken is presented as a gift to visitors to thank them for coming.
The white parts of the building are called igloos, and this walkway is called the canyon.
Hidden Passages Walk
Paul has a wonderful app called “Paris City Walks” that maps out different routes and points of interest. It’s great for people like us who like to get off the beaten path and explore new areas. Today we did a great walk called “1st and 2nd Arrondissements Hidden passages.” The hidden passages are old-fashioned arcades with beautiful architectural features.
Many of them are glass-covered passageways lined with cute little shops and restaurants.
We ended up in parts of the 1st and 2nd Arr. that we did not know existed. On one street we looked up and saw a beautiful view of Sacre Coeur.
First stop today was a return visit to the Palais Garnier to see the auditorium that was closed when we took a guided tour earlier. We especially wanted to see the Marc Chagall ceiling. Completed in 1964, the beautiful ceiling was controversial at first because it was replacing the original ceiling and was in a contemporary style unlike the rest of the 19th century building.
Palais-Royal Garden
Our next stop was the lovely Palais-Royal Garden, created in 1633 for Cardinal Richelieu, King Louis XIII’s chief minister. The two long central gardens are bordered by flower gardens designed by American Mark Rudkin.
The long gardens are fenced off, but sitting areas with benches are at each end of the gardens.
Parisian Police
Crosswalks on Parisian streets are marked with wide white lines, and some have crossing lights. We think cars are supposed to yield to pedestrians in the crosswalks when there are no crossing lights, but we aren’t sure and always make sure the way is clear before we cross. This morning as we were crossing a road with a large group of people, a car sped up, changed lanes and looked as if it would have hit us if we hadn’t run the rest of the way across the road. We heard a loud whistle, turned around and saw a police officer wave the offending car over to the side of the road. The driver had to get out of his car, and as we walked on, he was still detained by the officers. I was pretty impressed with how the police handled this situation.
Musee Picasso
The Musee Picasso was closed for renovation the last we were in Paris, so we were excited that it was now open. When Picasso died in 1973 art work in his own collection was donated to the French government as payment for the inheritance tax on his estate and is the foundation for this museum.
The museum did an excellent job of chronologically presenting Picasso’s work and the influences on him.
Post Musee Picasso
We enjoy the musicians that play in the metro stations and try to make sure to have change with us so we can show our appreciation. Today we saw the biggest group ever. I think their peppy music made everyone walk a little lighter and smile a little more.
Can’t believe I have been in Paris for over a week and am having my first crepe today.
Images from an Evening Stroll
Replica of statue commemorating Christmas 1914 cease fire.
Clarence “Cobby” Saatzer, Paul’s grandfather, led a platoon of fifty men onto Utah Beach on D-Day, June 6, 1944. He lost fifteen of those men the first day. From his first battle at Utah Beach, Cobby went on to fight many other WWII battles and was awarded three Purple Hearts, a Bronze and a Silver Star. He was recommended for the Medal of Honor during the Battle of the Bulge.
As we traveled to Normandy to visit some of the D-Day sites, we remembered his stories about that day and thought about the sacrifices made by Cobby, both our fathers and so many others.
Caen Normandy Memorial Center for History and Peace
Three-fourths of the city of Caen was destroyed in the summer of 1944, so museum founder Jean-Marie Girault felt it was a fitting location for the museum, which focuses on WWII, D-Day Landings and the Battle of Normandy, and the Cold War. The museum covers these events with the goal of keeping these memories alive to save us from “man’s inhumanity to man”. I highly recommend visiting this museum for anyone interested in WWII and D-Day.
Large flags from the countries involved fly outside the entrance of the museum.
Our visit started with a moving film about the D-Day Invasion. Using mostly actual footage, the twenty-minute film powerfully conveyed the horrors of that day. The museum did an excellent job presenting complex historical information, and I left having a much greater understanding of what happened during WWII and why.
Since the original copy of “Unconditional Surrender” was first installed in Sarasota, FL. where I live, I was especially interested to see another copy outside the museum.
Pointe du Hoc Ranger Monument
The highest point between American D-Day landing points Omaha Beach and Utah Beach, Pointe du Hoc was fortified with German concrete casemates and gun pits. The monument here was erected by the French to honor members of the American Second Ranger Battalion who scaled the 100-foot cliffs and seized the German artillery pieces that could have fired on Americans landing on Omaha and Utah Beach.
We went in the gun pits and got the same view the Germans did.
We saw casemates
and craters made by the bombs.
Omaha Beach
It was sobering to look out over Omaha Beach, where more than 2,000 soldiers died in the initial attack.
Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial
As we walked down the central mall and saw the 9,387 headstones of American soldiers who died in the Normandy battles to liberate France and drive into Nazi Germany, we felt overwhelming sadness at the loss of life. From some views, it seemed that the headstones went on forever.
A single rose lay at the base of many of the headstones. I wondered who had put them there and felt warmed by the thought of people remembering these soldiers.
The Garden of the Missing is outlined with polyantha roses. Names of the missing are engraved on granite walls surrounding the garden. Bronze rosettes mark the names of soldiers whose remains were found and identified later.
At the center of The Memorial the statue “The Spirit of American Youth Rising from the Waves” faces west toward the headstones.
An impressive granite illustration on one wall of The Memorial shows the movement of the troops and the progress of the assault.
It was a very emotional day, but we appreciate the opportunity to experience the power of these places and be reminded of the sacrifices made by so many.
We took advantage of the exceptionally gorgeous day and went to our favorite park in Paris, Luxembourg Gardens. It has beautiful flowers, more than 100 sculptures and more grass than most Paris gardens.
Grass seems pretty precious and in short supply at most Paris parks and most of the time people are not allowed to walk on it. Not only are there grassy areas for people to use at this garden, they even have signs making sure people know it.
Created beginning in 1612, Luxembourg Garden was originally the garden for the Luxembourg Palace, home for the widow of King Henry IV of France. The palace is now the meeting place of the French Senate.
There are beautiful tree-lined walk ways.
Because this weekend was Fetes des Jardins (Garden Festival), a celebration of nature in the city, there were special activities in the garden. We saw a bee hive demonstration, unique flower arrangements, and an exhibition about new ways to grow fruit.
We always see people doing tai chi and playing chess when we visit this garden.
One especially beautiful view in the park is from this statue looking down the to the Pantheon at the end.
After enjoying the park we decided to check out Le Comptoir Relais, 5 Carrefour de l’Odeon, a restaurant Paul was interested in trying because he had read such great reviews.. By the time we found it, we were ready for lunch and decided to wait in line for a table. Good thing we did because we later found out that it is booked months in advance for dinner. It was a typical French bistro with the tables so close together, many of them had to be moved out for someone to sit down. We were able to translate enough of the menu to have a pretty good idea of what we were ordering.
Our lunch was amazing. Paul had roast pork and I had a salad of seasonal vegetables that were truly the freshest, most flavorful, most beautifully prepared I have ever had.
After we ordered I noticed the woman at the next table, less that two feet from ours, and was pretty sure it Frances McDormand (Oscar winning actress from Fargo.) I heard her speak and was sure it was Frances McDormand. She was with her husband, Joel, half of the famous Coen brothers directors. I discretely told Paul who was sitting next to us, and I think we were pretty cool about it. As she was leaving, she touched my shoulder and said, “Have a good trip.” I touched her arm and said, “We love you.” She said, “I love you, too.” Not sure if it was the great food and 1/2 bottle of wine Paul and I shared or the close encounter with a most-admired and obviously warm star, but I felt pretty rosy for the rest of the day.
A tour of the Palais Garnier, home of the Paris Opera Ballet, was the highlight of our day. Called “probably the most famous opera house in the world”, it is over-the-top opulent and beautiful.
We took an excellent guided tour, which I recommend for anyone visiting the Opera for the first time.
Palais Garnier is the setting for the 1910 novel The Phantom of the Opera which is the basis for the subsequent films and play of the same name. Our guide shared some interesting information about what really happened and how it appeared in the 1910 novel. In 1896 a piece of the six and a half ton chandelier in the auditorium fell from the ceiling and killed an opera patron, inspiring the story of The Phantom of the Opera. A plaque on the door of the number five box identifies it as the phantom’s box. There really is water under the building-a cistern that was built to address the water in the unstable ground. Although it is big enough for a small boat, our guide didn’t think a boat had ever been there. The Phantom of the Opera has never been performed in Paris, but that will change in about two weeks when it comes to Paris.
Because the auditorium was closed for rehearsal, we were given tickets to come back and see it on another date. We were able to see the rest of the building, including a special exhibit about American choreographers who had a connection with Palais Garnier.
The Grand Foyer
One of many painted ceilings.
A preserved set model for one of the operas performed there.
The Rest of the Day
It was a multi-ethnic day of eating-Italian for lunch at Alfredo Positano, 9 Rue de Guidarde
Vietnamese for dinner at Les 3 Sapeques, 30 Rue Bosquet, the very homey, but very yummy restaurant next door to our apartment
And a little pre-dinner walk in a new part of Paris
My day started with an early morning coaching call with a client who lives on the west coast. Because of the time difference, it was 10PM for him and 7AM the next day for me.
Paul found a new park in a part of Paris we hadn’t visited before for a morning walk. Parc de Monceau, in the 8th arrondissement, was a favorite spot for Claude Monet to paint. Established in 1769, it has lovely architectural and landscape features.
It was a beautiful morning and people were reading on park benches, pushing babies in strollers, running, walking and doing tai chi.
We spent the rest of the day going back to favorite places from our stay three years ago. We visited our old neighborhood in the 16th arrondissement and had lunch at Au Petit Bistrot d’Auteuil, one of our favorite restaurants when we stayed there.
The Musee D’Orsay is one of our favorite museums, so we had to go there. On Thursdays they are open until 9:45, so I thought we could go in the evening and miss the crowds. A huge line greeted us when we arrived, and I discovered that they do special events – musical performances, art and bar happy hours and a few other activities I couldn’t translate – on Thursday evenings. The line moved quickly and we were soon inside enjoying the beautiful art. Paul even told the cashier how many tickets we wanted in French!
The view from the museum windows of La Basilique du Sacre Coeur de Montmartre glowing on a distant hill was almost as stunning as the art.
Finding Le Palais de Raja-Maharaja, 21 Rue d’Ouessant, the Indian restaurant we loved the last time we were here was a great ending to our museum visit. The owner was as personable and welcoming as we remembered, and the food was even better than it was three years ago.
The night was so warm and beautiful we walked home from dinner and were treated to beautiful views of the “City of Light”.
On the way to our cooking class I saw a great example of French metro etiquette. When we got on our metro car this morning, it was already quite full. With each new stop more people got on and no one got off. I wasn’t sure the car could hold any more people, but as new people got on everyone quietly shifted around and made room; it was almost like a dance. About five stops after we got on people started to get off. Once again, everyone shifted around, making an opening for those exiting.
Our cooking class this morning at LaCuisineParis (www.LaCuisineParis.com) was wonderful. We learned to make eight classic French sauces- Bechamel, Port Wine, Red Wine and Shallot, Bearnaise, Vinaigrette, Mayonnaise, Salted Caramel and Chocolate.
We were a small group of seven women and Paul.
Chef Erik would show us how to make each sauce, and then we made it ourselves. He also shared great tips and techniques.
We sampled each sauce as we made it and then sat down to a light lunch with all of our savory sauces in little cups for us to use. The salted caramel sauce was served over sliced apples and the chocolate sauce was served with a madeline, a small traditional French cake.
Before leaving the cooking school, we received information about E. Dehillerin, the famed French cooking store and G. Detou, a small French specialty grocery store, so, of course we had to visit them.
E. Dehillerin was established in 1820 and looks it. There was an amazing array of copper pots, cooking utensils, knives and more.
Some of the smaller items were stored in bins like you would see at a hardware store.
After eating all the wonderful, rich sauces, we decided walking rather than taking the metro home was in order. I am so glad we did because along the way we saw sites we would have missed on the metro. We walked around Les Halles, a huge shopping hub and metro transit center. When we were here three years ago, it was undergoing major reconstruction. Today, all but a small part is completed. We also visited two free sites- the ” Made in Paris” exhibit, celebrating Parisian products and the Museum of the Legion of Honor, a small and very beautiful museum devoted to awards and decorations.
It was good to get back to our neighborhood and have a little aperitif at a local cafe-
Restaurant H
Tonight I had the best dinner of my life. Really. It was beautiful, delicious, unique and artfully presented. I had read about chef Hubert Duchenne’s new restaurant, Restaurant H on 13, rue Jean-Beausire, before we left for our trip. The article mentioned needing to reserve a table two months in advance, so I wasn’t hopeful when I requested a reservation online a month before we wanted it. But we got lucky and got our reservation.
There is no menu. The waiter asks if you have any food allergies and if you want five courses or seven. We chose five courses but there were eight different presentations.
Two of the eight dishes were desserts-my kind of dinner.
We love walking in the beautiful city parks of Paris, so this morning we headed northeast to Parc des Buttes Chaumont in the 19th arrondissement.
Parisians were running, walking exercising and relaxing in the quiet green space. Views from the fifty-meter high cliff revealed Paris skylines we don’t usually see.
Leaving the park we walked through parts of Belleville, an interesting Paris neighborhood. Having enjoyed the animated film The Triplets of Belleville years ago, it was fun to actually be walking through the neighborhood. More ethnically diverse than most other parts of Paris, it is home to one of Paris’s two Chinatowns.
Paul had a very French experience at lunch-a dog sat next to him-in its own chair. As in so many Paris restaurants, the tables are very close. We had just ordered when a man and his dog came in and were seated beside us. We thought the dog would lie under the table as we see in outside restaurants at home. But not here. This little dog had his own booster seat that went right in the chair. He seemed pretty fond of Paul and kept looking over at him.
We had one little “lost in translation” moment with our waiter at lunch. I changed my order from pork to fish and red wine to white. Or, at least I thought I did. I ended up with white wine and pork, but it was all good. The lime, caramel shortbread dessert was the highlight of the meal.
The three-course lunch formula meal for 15.90 euros at Le Reminet, 3 Rue des Grands Degres, is one of the best and tastiest deals in Paris.
Rather than taking the metro home, we decided to walk the five miles back and passed the Rodin Museum. We visited it the last time we were here, but the back gardens were closed because Dior was holding a Fashion Week show there. We bought tickets for the gardens and enjoyed the beautiful sculptures and plantings. A big temporary structure was being erected in the back, but we still were able to see most of the gardens and all of the sculptures.
