Paris, France It’s Monday, so the day started off with laundry, which St. Donald graciously undertook to manage. We’ll have an extremely early start tomorrow and it’s time to get things organized.
We decided to do some strolling on the left bank, taking in the fancy shops and the famous cafés. The sun was out and was throwing off a bit of warmth, so the sidewalk cafés were busy.
The two most famous cafés, Café de Flore and Les Deux Magots, are right next to each other, across from the church of St.-Germain des Pres. They both served as the center of intellectual, cultural, and artistic life of Paris in the first half of the last century.
Café de Flore was jam-packed, with a long line outside. And Deux Magots is closed for renovation, putting a dent in any cultural tourist’s must-see list. Luckily, we have enjoyed both before, so we found another place nearby to serve us lunch.
We also stopped into Saint-Germain des Pres, which is a lovely small church. Just a bit further down Saint-Germain is a building where we rented an apartment about 25 years ago, and had our friend Gail join us. It was a great apartment, and a great location, and we still talk fondly about that Paris adventure.
The rest of our time was just spent strolling, in the style of true Parisians flâneurs, taking in the scene, commenting on the crowds, and enjoying the sun.
Au revoir, Paris. See you next time.
Don’s Food Corner
For our last major meal in Paris, we dropped into a fairly upscale bistro around the corner from Deux Margots.
No eggs mayonnaise today. Jo focused on a cheeseburger that promised to be served without bread. It actually featured a round saucer of fried potato on top, along with a side salad. In France, all the French eat their hamburgers/cheeseburgers with a knife and fork. No picking up the thing with your hands. It is always amusing to watch kids trying to eat cheeseburgers with a knife and fork. Apparently, they learn how, since no adult will eat them any other way. (Except when one is dining in an American palace of hamburgers, such as McDonald’s. Or, so we have been told.)
I ordered one my favorite French concoctions: Salade Lyonnaise. Namely, curly endive (frissée), with bacon bits (lardons) and a poached egg on top. The yolk from the egg, when broken, oozes onto the salad and becomes part of the dressing. Today’s version also featured some tiny boiled potatoes. What a great dish.
Come to France for the history and culture. Stay for the food…
Mixed in with our fond memories of our stay in Paris is the fact that I some how fractured a bone in my foot which I didn’t get diagnosed until I returned home. Don being Don has never failed to remind me that he dragged me limping all over Paris. Nevertheless, it was a great trip.
What comes around…. Now he’s limping around Europe with a fractured ankle. I can trace him by the sound of his clickety-clackety cane.
The potato on the hamburger! Genius. I also enjoyed the Saint-Germain neighbourhood and stayed there when I visited with my mom.
Those French know what they are doing in the kitchen.