Seafood and hunting 6-2-15

Today is the last full day for Terry and Gina, Boo hoo as we've loved their company.  However not wanting to waste the day we set out to enjoy a particular Paris day.   We started out with a little shopping for some little souvenirs for them to take back to the U.S,, like wine, mustard, and pates. Then we headed over to La Laumiere, a seafood restaurant that rates as in the top 1000 restaurants in a city with over 26000 restaurants, so it's not a trivial place.  And it did not disappoint today, Deb had soupe de poisson and Pike quennelles, Gina had escargots and lobster,  Terry had white asparagus and Dorade (sea bream) royal, while I had marinated Herrings and Dover sole.   A round of Kirs and a couple bottles of St. Veran and we were on a roll.  Wow what a great meal.

Following lunch we headed up to our bus stop at the Mairie for the 19th and down into town for a visit to the Musee de la Chasse (museum of hunting) where we were knocked out with all the beautiful arms used in the hunt for the last 300 years.  As well we saw hunting trophies, paintings and tapestries all dedicated to hunting, sculptures, and a few modern installations all dedicated to the hunt.  After the museum we headed over to the Pompidou Center to have an afternoon's drink and enjoy the animated fountain just to the south of the building.  It is staying fairly light until almost 23:00 hours as you can see here.

Another chance to see modern architecture 6-1-15

Today we decided to go see the Frank Gehry building in the Bois de Bolougne built for the Louis Vuitton Foundation.  Since it's a Monday most of the museums are closed and it makes this an appealing destination.   We followed the route that takes us west on the tram to Porte de la Chapelle and from there continues on via bus over to the Porte Maillot on the west side of the city and right next to the Bois.  On the walk over we stopped at a little cafe for a cafe prior actually entering the bois; as we've subjected Gina and Terry to our tea in the morning and it doesn't quite hit the right spot for coffee drinkers.

Another 10 minute walk had us over at the building and in line for tickets.  Since the building is for many people as interesting as the art inside, one can't go wrong even if you hate contemporary modern art.   We marveled at the cascade on the east side of the building and drank in the views from the upper terraces of the park and the surrounding buildings.   There are very interesting views of La Defense and the Eiffel Tower to be had as well.   The one fascinating exhibition that we especially wanted to show them, a room of wall sized resin impregnated canvases with intricate small patterns enclosing a several hundred pound meteorite from Russia, had unfortunately been disassembled and moved on to another exhibition.  But we were enchanted by the experience.

Back to the apartment with a quick stop at BHV, Deb's favorite store, for an additional bag for Terry and Gina to cart home swag and a quiet dinner at the apartment.  Tomorrow is the last full day we will have with Terry & Gina so we have more good things planned.

Another Sunday at the Chateau 5-31-15

Today being Sunday we decided to head out to Fontainebleau for a picnic, a carriage ride, and a visit to the chateau.  What we didn't count on was the fact that it's Mother's day in France and that there is a large fair at Fontainebleau therefore entry is free.

We got out by about 10:00 and made our way down to Gare de Lyon but of course due to it being Sunday the ticket office for the train was closed.  So we had to make our way down two levels to a ticket office for the RER which is the regional commuter train network, where we were able to get tickets.   Our train turned out to be a local, very local, train which made stops at practically every available train platform between Paris and Avon.  So the trip took a bit over twice as long as our previous rides, but it did make it.   Once we got there we caught the bus to the chateau, and even it was very different than the previous rides, this is when we found out that there was a large fair going on in Avon, the town just outside the chateau of Fontainebleau.   We ended up taking a route that completely circumnavigated the chateau grounds, an area that we would never have gotten to see had there not been a fair going on.   So once we arrived we headed into the Queens garden and had our bit of picnic lunch.  Chicken sandwiches, olives, tomatoes, rose wine, and little French cookies provided a perfect little lunch.  


After that we headed over to gardens to see if the carriage rides were being conducted, since it was raining slightly.   They were and we were able to join 8 other people in a large covered carriage for a nice trek out into the forest, our driver was the same young woman who had taken us out on the trip we took with our niece Elizabeth last week, and again it was an enjoyable jaunt.  Then we went into the chateau at which point we found out that the chateau was having a free entry day.   It ended up being the busiest day we've had anywhere by a big margin, half of Paris was out seeing the chateau with us.

Still in all it was a great visit and they had an additional painting gallery open this time that has not been previously open so we were able to see a number of beautiful paintings.  We hoped that Terry and Gina were as knocked out with it as we have been.   After the trip we stopped for a little boisson at a brasserie before taking the trip back to Paris.   Deb cooked up some delicious little fillet steaks for dinner which we paired with a nice little Bordeaux as a fitting end to a fun day.

Another family visit and jaunt to La Defense 5-30-15

We started out the day with a bit of preparation for the arrival of my brother, Terry, and his wife Gina.  They will be staying with us for several days before heading back to Denver, we have a small 2nd bedroom and now we will explore it's suitability for 2 people.  When we came over last October to inspect the apartment the then tenant had purchased a mattress for her daughter and was planning on getting rid of it.  Once we decided to rent the apartment we also purchased the mattress, so it's here for guests.  However it's a single mattress and for two people another bed is needed, that is being addressed by a sofa that is already in the room as well.  The sofa has two armrests that swing down to create another single bed but it will not fold down fully to lay flat across the width of the room, so in order to get both flat they must lay side by side and that literally fills the room.  So tight quarters for two people, but it will work.
Anyway Terry and Gina arrived by taxi and we got their baggage into the apartment and into the bedroom.   After which, we headed out to do some food shopping and to introduce them to our comestibles supply team: the butcher, the baker, the fromagerie maker, and of course our wine merchant.  We started with the wine merchant where our vendor, Christof , suggested several wines which we duly purchased.  Then it was down to La Ferme de Chloe, our cheese shop where a similar process took place, next to the fruit and vegetable vendor where we bought; pineapple, melons, bananas, and radishes;



then it was on to the butcher, where we purchased 1-1/2 roast chickens, 4 steaks, 4 sausages, celeri remoulade, and carrot rappee (shredded carrot in a light sauce).  We finished up with the baker, where it was 4 loaves of baguette traditional, the slightly thinner loaf with a crustier exterior.
When we got back to the apartment we had lunch, can you guess what we may have eaten?  Roast chicken, cheese, olives, radishes, celeri remoulade, and wine, sitting on the deck in the bright sunshine.  It seemed like a fair Paris version of what lunch should be like.  Leisurely with good conversation and some bantering about the last couple days along with some tentative planning for the next few.

So after lunch, we headed out to the tram line for a visually interesting trip around Paris to La Defense, the new, modern, commercial center complex of Paris.  Neither Terry nor Gina has ridden on the tram before so it provided many visual sights as we trundled around the perimeter to La Defense.  It lies on a direct line with the Champs Elysee and the Louvre about 3 miles further to the west of the Arc de Triumph.  It's most distinguishing feature is the "Grande Arch" a massively large arch clearly visible from many points throughout Paris and dominating the Western prospect.  The area is chocked full of large high-rise buildings with many interesting, and appealing, architectural designs.  Today it was full of people out enjoying the sunshine.

Due to time constraints and our later start we spent a short time before getting on the Metro for a run into Paris and back to home.  We rode the number 1 line down to Louvre-Rivoli where we exited and got on our normal bus, the 75, for a ride through the neighborhoods and along the Canal St. Martin. Traffic was very heavy for a Saturday and we ended up taking a diversion from the normal route to bypass some even worse traffic.  But we made it back to our apartment with half an hour before we were due at the restaurant, Art & Science Reuniss & our favorite little local establishment, for dinner. We had a delicious dinner of Duck Breast for Terry and Gina, and Black Pork for Deb and I with a nice wine from the South called Fitou.  Back to the apartment for a little nightcap and to bed, all in all an enjoyable day.

Last of visit for Jen and Scott 5-29-15

Today is the last day that Jen and Scott have in Paris before they return to Denver and real life.  It has been a pleasure to have them for a visit.  It is their first visit to Paris and so everything is new and interesting for them, which rubs off on us.  We enjoy hearing their impressions and it lets us see many familiar things with new eyes.
We split up by gender with the men making a visit to the Museum of Arts & Metiers, a historical science and technology musuem and the women off to the Grand Boulevards to make an assault on Printemps, and Galeries Lafayette.
The plan was to have the morning on those activities and then meet at the Museum Jacquemart Andre to have lunch in their cafe before seeing the museum.   Did I mention that the women were fashionably en retard for lunch?  Nevermind, we had a great little lunch and followed it up with a visit to the museum.   Edmund Andre and his wife Nellie Jacquemart were wealthy enough that their budget for art each year was actually larger than the Louvre's yearly budget.  But they were very gracious and worked with and donated to the Louvre many masterpieces that otherwise would have been exported from France.
After the museum we walked up to the Arc de Triumph for a view, then down the Champs Elysee by bus over to the Bouillon Racine for dinner reservations.






This is a traditional French restaurant and many levels simpler than Spring but exceedingly good in it's own right.  Decorated in period Art Nouveau style it is a much a feast for the eyes as for the stomach.
After dinner we loaded them into a cab back to the hotel, since Jen and Scott are leaving tomorrow, while we took the Metro back to the apartment.  An enjoyable visit for us and thanks to Scott and Jen for their patience and fortitude.  Tomorrow Terry and Gina come to visit for a few days.

First day of the Whirlwind tour of Paris 5-28-15

Today we made our way to the hotel to pick up the crew.  Todays agenda was a visit to a street market, picnic in Luxembourg Gardens, a BatoBus boat cruise of the Seine, a visit to the Tour Eiffel, and then dinner at Spring.  So just one street over from the hotel was a market to introduce everyone to Paris shopping.   While the women walked through market the men sought out and bought a cheap wine and some water after which we all jumped on a bus and went over to the Luxembourg Gardens.

We had a nice if somewhat breezy picnic then made our way down to the Seine to get tickets for the BatoBus which is a cruise of the Seine from the Jardin de Plantes on the East to the Eiffel Tower on the west with many stops where one can alight, see the local sights, then jump back on to the boat to another stop where one repeats the process.  We got on at the quai right across from Notre Dame, where we stopped earlier for people to take some photos.  Our circuit took us east to the last stop and then back again west over to the Eiffel Tower.   Interestingly, since the French Open is in progress there is a giant tennis ball with Roland Garros printed on it hanging from the second deck of the tower.


They also have a big screen set up and are covering the open live on the TV, so people were out with picnic lunches and lounging on the grass.  Very festive, with a kiosk where one could hit tennis balls into a net and have the speed of their serves recorded, and another venue where one could get on a platform and be raised above the treetops by a crane (a bit sketchy if you ask me).

After we got back on the boat we rode around another circuit and finally got off next to the Louvre. We were able to see the corner next to the Louvre where the Tour de France riders turn and go under the tunnel before heading to the west up to the Arc de Triumph for a total of 7 circuits.  It makes watching the tour so much more interesting to have been where they actually ride.  Then across the courtyards of the Louvre to a bistro where we rested up with an aperitif prior having a memorable dinner at Spring.  The owner is a U.S. citizen, Daniel Rose, who came over from Chicago many years ago and created this extremely popular restaurant.

New visitors 5-27-15

We spent the morning shopping for a dinner at the apartment with our new visitors.  Gina, Terry, Jennifer, and Scott arrive at 5:00 today from Rome.  Scott and Jen will be here for 2 days and Terry and Gina will be here for close to a week.  The first two days they will all stay at a hotel just next to the Place Bastille and we will tour from there.  Then when Scott and Jen leave for the U.S., Terry and Gina will move up to stay with us in the apartment for the balance of their visit.

We took hired van to the hotel and got them checked in and a little situated then we all jumped on the Metro to go to our apartment.   Terry and I got off one stop early to pick up some last minute items to have with dinner, while Deb, Gina, Jennifer and Scott continued on directly to the apartment.
Dinner consisted mostly of finger type foods that are available in France like: celeri remoulade, pork rillettes, Spanish & Greek olives, foie gras & chorizo from our butcher; Brie, Tomme de Savoie covered with dried wildflowers, chevre in two styles, & Sheep's milk cheese  from our cheese vendor; then of course a couple types of bread from our baker.   Several bottles of wine including champagne and then for those who wanted some we finished night with a little nightcap of Calvados, Vielle Prune, or Cognac for a digestif.  I forgot to take pics so you'll just have to use your imagination, sorry.

I walked them back to the Metro for the ride to the hotel around 10:30 and it was PACKED, wall to wall with people.  I speculate that perhaps a concert at the park must have let out and people were headed home before the metro closed.