Ted and Gina's Excellent Adventure

Paris France
September 20-25

After two and a half weeks in Paris, Shaun and I had really gotten to know the city well and we felt like we were really living like Parisians. (Well, Parisians who don't have jobs!) We had explored the outdoor markets, the parks and the festivals. We had shopped in the grocery stores and of course, the wine stores. We had gone to the cinema and the bakeries and the museums. And we had walked. And walked. And walked.

We ate mostly street food for lunch and for entertainment we kept to things that were either free or very low cost. In a city like this, with so much to see and do, it didn't even feel like a sacrifice. We knew the time to splurge would come and we wanted to save for that time. Well last weekend the time was finally at hand! We were having visitors who had never been to Paris before and we wanted to really show them the city. Ted and Gina were arriving on Thursday for what would become a whirlwind three day visit that would test our stamina for exploring... and our livers.

First, a bit about Gina and Ted. Ted, Gina and I all went to college together in the early 90s at a small Catholic college in Vermont. I met Gina freshman year and we have been the best of friends ever since. Ted and I became friends sophomore year while Gina was abroad in London and when she came back and met Ted it was obvious that they were both smitten with each other. They dated during college, but broke up for a while in the early years after college. In the meantime, I had met Shaun at work after college and we had become great friends (with an underlying current of love). Ted met Shaun through me and they eventually became roommates in Cambridge. One weekend Gina made a last minute trip to visit me. I was already planning to meet up with friends from college, including Ted, so Gina came along. There is much debate as to whether I forewarned Ted about this, but either way it worked out for the best. They married a few years later and now have three beautiful kids.

In the meantime, Shaun had moved to Waltham. He was newly single and living in a house by himself. We still saw each other quite frequently, but just as friends. Ted was the one who suggested we should become roommates. I moved in in January of 2003 and it was on one of our European adventures three years later that everything changed for us. We married in 2007. Gina was the "best woman" at my wedding and I was the same at hers. We've vacationed together many times, but usually much closer to home! So needless to say, we were really excited to have them join us in Paris.

The visit started out innocuously enough. They arrived at Charles de Gaulle airport at around 11am on Thursday. The plan was to take the RER train from the airport into the city and switch to the metro to get to their hotel. I was impressed with their sense of adventure already. I gave them all the info we could think of about what they would need to do, including how to order their tickets into Paris and a Carnet of 10 tickets for later metro rides. Then we waited to hear from them. It seemed to be taking a long time and I was hoping they weren't having a misadventure, but it turned out the French bureaucracy was to blame. Apparently there was only one guy at customs and immigration and he decided it was time for a break while they were trying to get through! After that mess, getting into Paris was easy!

Ted and Gina upon arrival in Paris at the Saint Michel Fountain


After checking into their hotel, they came to meet us and we were off to get lunch. They were both starving so we decided to go somewhere local. Our area is pretty touristy but we found a place that had things on the menu for everyone's taste and settled in for our meals. We had a glass of wine with lunch just to "take the edge off" and then headed down the street to show them the Seine. It was an absolutely gorgeous day so there were people everywhere on the river. Some were just hanging out reading, others were in groups, usually with a bottle of wine and some food. A classic Parisian experience. Next we took them over to see Notre Dame but the line to go in was outrageous so they just took some pictures and walked around the area. It didn't matter anyway because we had other places to be! It was Gina's birthday so they had booked a champagne tasting cruise on the Seine for all four of us!

The cruise was really fun. We took the metro out to the Eiffel Tower where the boat set sail. We got on first and picked some seats up by the front of the boat. The tasting consisted of three different types of Champagne, a dry (Brut), a semi dry (semi Brut) and a rose. The champagnes were nice, but the cruise was the draw. We went from one end of the city to the other at that perfect time of day when the sun is just starting to set. You know what would have been great? If I had remembered to take some photos of that? Oops, but don't worry there are plenty more.

We thought that Ted and Gina would have been too tired after such a long day, but they were good to go so we headed off to find dinner. There is a bar over by the Louvre called Willi's Wine bar which was our intended destination, but we got completely sidetracked and as always, it worked out great. On our way to find Willi's we passed by a really cool pub that Shaun and I had gone to a few years ago called Au Caveau Montpensier. It's a really neat cellar bar in the 1st with an Irish owner. We got to talking to them over beers and mentioned that we were headed to Willi's wine bar at which point he suggested another place. He said it was small but far less touristy than Willi's with better food. When we said we liked that idea, they called over and made a reservation for us. The place was called Juveniles. Perfect for us.

We got to Juveniles and the place was packed. It only seated maybe 40 people at best, mainly because there were crates of wine all along the walls. It was a wine shop/restaurant, a very popular trend in Paris. I told the waiter we had called and made a reservation and he let us know that the table would be a few minutes but motioned for us to head inside to the back of the restaurant. First off, let me say, I thought that was a little strange considering the fact that it was so packed. But they said to go back, so we did and we were happy we did. They poured us glasses of champagne for the trouble of waiting, which we probably didn't need but gladly accepted! Then it was on to eating and we were famished! Dinner was excellent. We started with a salad with quail and squash soup for the entrees and then Duck for Ted and I, and Veal for Shaun and Gina. By the time dinner was over, everyone was beat so Shaun and I headed home on foot, while Ted and Gina got a cab back to their place in the 14th. We made a plan to meet in the morning at the Eiffel tower.

Shaun took this picture on our walk home from dinner. It is outside the Louvre at night with the floodlight from the Eiffel tower in the background

The next morning we all got back together, refreshed and ready to see the town. Even though we got to the Eiffel Tower ten minutes after it opened, the line was long. Luckily, it didn't take very long to go through. I had already decided the second floor was good enough for me, so Shaun, Ted and Gina headed to the top, while I stayed on the Second Level. I ordered a coffee and a pastry from the cafe inside and chilled out over the top of the city while I waited for them to come down.

The general plan we had made only really involved doing about 5 things, but man did we blow that plan out of the water. After telling them about a few of our favorite places in Paris, we ended up getting a two day museum pass and giving that thing a work-out!! From the Eiffel tower we went to the Arch de Triomphe, where we climbed the 284 steps that take you to the top. The views from the top are totally worth it. By that time we were starving so it was Mussels and Fries on the Champs Elysees for lunch. Then it was off to Invalides to see Napoleon's tomb and then to the Rodin Museum to see the Thinker and the Kiss. We had the pass so we were able to skip the lines and walk right in, which saved us boatloads of time. When we finished up at the Rodin Museum we needed to relax a bit so we went to the cafe and ordered some wine and a dessert. By now it was about 4pm so I kept checking to make sure our guests weren't getting too tired. They were in good shape.

Ted and Gina at the top of the Arch de Triomphe

My favorite picture from the visit. That is Ted doing his very best imitation of a French Guy while we ate Mussels and Fries


We decided that a late afternoon trip to the Louvre would be the last touristy thing for the day. The lines die down after 5pm or so we had to kill some time. What better way than an impromptu picnic by the Seine!? We picked up a bottle of red, a baguette and some cups and made our way down to the river. As I mentioned before, the weather was absolutely beautiful so it was perfect for picnicking.

Ted and Shaun in the shade. Is it just me or do they look a little sketchy?

Just a couple of BFFs hanging out on a beautiful day!

With our bellies full of bread and wine, it was time to tackle the Louvre. If you are only going to be in Paris for three days, you need to go into this with a plan and for us that plan was called Denon! For most people, everything you want to see on a whirlwind Louvre tour will be in Denon. The Mona Lisa, Winged Victory and the Venus de Milo are all in the Denon wing. The hilarious thing is that so many people come to the Louvre just to see the Mona Lisa that there are now signs at practically every intersection pointing you in the direction of La Giaconda (her Italian name). I've been to see her a few times over the years and this was the best viewing yet. Normally you have to stand behind 50 people and jump up and down to see her, but at the end of the day it was nice and quiet. We even got a few up close and personal shots!

Hanging out with La Giaconda

Winged Victory- one of my favorites

Everybody always takes pictures of the Venus de Milo from the front. I decided to be different! Did you know she had Le Plumbers Butt?


After the Louvre, we made the terrible decision to walk to the Pompidou Center. It was just too late in the day, we had walked for miles and everyone was tired and hungry. To add insult to injury the restaurant at the top was only allowing diners to sit outside. We were just there for a pre-dinner drink (see what I mean about my liver?) so we took some photos and left. We needed a new plan.

The bar may have been closed but the sunset was incredible regardless.

Luck was on our side again. Our sweet landlord, Bernard, had left an old Frommers guidebook in the hotel and we had taken it with us. One of the restaurants listed was nearby, a place called Le Felteu. The description pretty much said "it ain't pretty to look at but the food is good" so we knew what we were getting into. Sort of. When we arrived there was a burly older gentleman with tattoos all over his arms was behind the bar. When I told him we wanted dinner for 4 he escorted us into a fairly dingy dining room. He brought us the chalkboard menu and left us to make our choices. When he came back to take our order he started with me. I ordered a salad and tried to order my main plate but "NON!", that was not to be done. He wanted all the entrees (apps) first. A few times we strayed from this by asking for something (water, wine etc) before he was ready but he put us back in our places "NON!". And by the way, he was sitting down next to us the whole time, which is the second time I've seen that.

Once the regimented ordering was done, it was time for the food. It was excellent. The guidebook was right, not much to look at but delicious food. And we all noticed that the place filled up with locals as the night wore on, always a good sign. I ordered Lamb and the others all ordered duck confit, which is a duck leg cooked for hours in fat and one of the greatest food items in the world if you don't mind me saying! The best though was the side dish. Along with your vegetables and a little thing of mashed potatoes, they served us two casserole dishes of some sort of potato gratin, which was hot and bubbly and delicious. We washed it all down with the house Bordeaux and some homey desserts like Tarte Tatin, a baked apple dish that was fabulous.

You might think at that point we were tired of all the sightseeing and drinks and food, but NON! You would be wrong. It was off to bed for the night to get ready for Versailles in the morning and a very long afternoon and evening of celebrating Gina and Ted's last night in Paris.

The next morning Shaun and I were about to leave the apartment when we called Gina and Ted's hotel to make sure they were leaving as well. When Ted answered it was obvious that I was waking him up, so we got a bit of a late start on Versailles. We took the RER train out of the city and arrived at Versailles mid-morning. Like the Eiffel Tower, the line was long but went quickly. We toured the castle and took a cursory look at the grounds but decided not to pay the extra to tour the gardens as this was their last day and we wanted to spend it in Paris.

Gina walking through the Hall of Mirrors in te Versaille Palace. The castle is beautiful but it was crazy crowded inside and we all felt a bit like cattle. Very wealthy cattle.

Ted and Gina outside the Palace

Shaun and I outside the Palace from the opposite side

When we arrived back in Paris, we walked over to Rue de Buci where we picked up things for lunch at the apartment. First and foremost was a chicken, which I went to get. Shaun went to get wine and for some reason thought sending Gina and Ted to the charcuterie was a good idea. After they got yelled at for touching the goat cheese they came and found me. I explained that in a shop like this, you have to tell them what you want and they will get it for you. (I also explained that that was the last place Shaun should have sent them alone!) We picked up some cheese and prosciutto with no yelling and headed back to the apartment for lunch. Chicken, olives, figs with proscitto and goat cheese, and of course, bread and wine. Yum.

After having our fill of food and wine we headed out for the last thing on Ted and Gina's list, the catacombs. In the 18th century, the graveyards of Paris had become so overcrowded that they decided to empty them all out and put the bones, neatly stacked, under the city. It is estimated that there are the remains of 6 MILLION Parisians under the city. Don't believe me? Look it up. Anyway, I would love to tell you how creepy it was but like many Parisian things seem to do, they closed early.

So what were we to do? A library perhaps? A classical music show? One of the magnificent cathedrals? Or how about an Australian Pub for beers? Of course, that was the option we chose! It was quite fun. The waitress was Australian and had tips for Shaun and I for our journey. (We get a lot of that, which is great). So we had our beers and bemoaned the fact that we couldn't see dead people and headed to our respective places to shower up for dinner.

Beers at the Australian bar near the catacombs

Dinner that night was at a place called Pre Verre. It gets great reviews everywhere but it wasn't my favorite meal of the trip. Part of it was what I ordered. It was suckling pig, but it was served in some sort of cream sauce and it was braised, so there was no crispy skin. (Why get pork if there's no crispy skin?) Gina got the same thing as me and although she didn't say it, I think she was in agreement. After dinner we were thinking the night was coming to an end (it wasn't) and that we needed just a little more wine (we didn't) so I asked if we could buy a bottle from Pre Verre. The owner didn't seem to want to, but our waiter took matters into his own hands and sold us a bottle for 15 euro. We took our bottle and the cups we had bought the day before and headed down to the Seine.

Just some friends quietly having drinks by the Seine. Riggghhhhttt.


I think I'll just end the post that way. I'll leave you with the lovely idea of Ted, Gina, Shaun and I having some wine down by the water in the moonlight. You don't need to know that we were probably way too loud and silly. And you don't need to know that we later visited an Irish pub for beers. Or that I woke up vowing to forsake alcohol forever and considering elective surgery to have my liver removed. Just imagine four great friends having a quiet glass of red wine along the Seine in the moonlight. Au Revoir Ted and Gina!

Saving and Splurging in the City of Light

Paris, France
September 14-18

The last five days have been so much fun! As you know, John and Doug joined us on the 11th for a short visit. (You may also remember John from such incidents as the famous Salzburg "Ein Bahn" incident) They have both been to Paris numerous times, so they have already seen most of the major sites and visited many of the museums. It was time to test the theory that you can do Paris on a budget!

As with any big city, food will often make or break you. Shaun and I have the great fortune of having an apartment with an excellent kitchen. We decided early on to do breakfast most days in the apartment. We make coffee and eggs, with fruit and bread or pastry. Having a good base is important because we are probably walking at least five miles every day. We always get another coffee later in the day at a Cafe and that is our splurge.

Lunches are another great money saver. There's a million ways to get a decent, cheap lunch in Paris. First, there are the sandwiches. Ham, Chicken or Cheese on a freshly baked baguette is always a winner. Shaun and I have done sandwiches and drinks for less than 10 euro total for both of us. If we want a sit-down lunch, Japanese can't be beat. Almost every Japanese restaurant has a Lunch "formule" that consists of Miso Soup, a small salad, 6 sushi rolls, plus ravioli or brochettes and white rice for less than 10 euro per person. That will really fill you up for the afternoon. Another great option is the middle-eastern take-out places. As de Falafel is the most famous one in Paris. I prefer the falafel (seasoned fried chickpea sandwiches) but Shaun loves the Gyros made with shaved lamb. As with many things in Paris, ordering it "a emporter" (to-go) is always cheaper than sitting down inside.

Lunch at L'As de Falafel with the boys. Fun with Gyros!!


Between the markets and the great kitchen, I've had a blast cooking dinners over here. We usually start with a general idea (fish, meat, chicken) and then decide on what to make based on what we find at the market. There's always something on Promotion, as they call it. The lamb shoulder we had last week was one of those, as was the monkfish. I also love slow-cooked sauces and they are great because I can make a big batch and freeze half for another night. We've had Bolognese Sauce twice and a yummy Duck Ragu. With a salad, some crusty bread and wine, that's a lovely dinner. Sometimes we don't even need to cook. One night we bought a whole roast chicken with potatoes from a vendor on Rue de Buci. It came to less than 16 euro and fed all four of us easily. If we have dinner in, we can afford to have a drink and maybe a dessert out later.

Gratuitous food pics. This is the Pasta Bolognese, second time around

The ridiculously good roasted chicken from the guy with the red awning just off Rue de Buci. I tell you that because you need to get one of these if you ever come here.

But you can't come to Paris without having some great dinners out, so we had a fabulous splurge night this week as well. The restaurant was called Au Fil des Saisons. It was in a great little book I had brought with me called "Clotilde's Edible Adventures in Paris". She mentioned that it was a little off the beaten path, but we had no idea how hard it was to find. We had almost given up when Shaun ran ahead and checked down one more little alleyway. Thank goodness he found it!

The restaurant is really cute, but it was the food and the service we really enjoyed! Yep, we are in Paris and the waiter was super friendly and sweet. When we arrived at the restaurant we sat down and he brought over the blackboard. This is very common in Paris, especially at the smaller restaurants. Instead of a printed menu, there is a blackboard that lists your choices for the night. Now, my french is conversational, but as I found out last time I came to Paris, no one teaches you the words for specialty food dishes! (You don't want to guess either unless your idea of gourmet involves Veal Brains or Lamb Testicles!) You can't find these words/phrases in most normal phrase books either, so I brought along a great little food guide from Patricia Wells. It's just a list of food terms that you would find on a menu. So when the waiter asked us if we spoke French, we said "oui" and he left us with the blackboard...for about a minute. When he saw me looking up words in this little packet of papers, he asked in English what I was looking at. I told him it was like a dictionary for French food, which apparently intrigued him. Next thing I knew, he had pulled up a chair and was looking it over with me! He was impressed that the things we were looking up were in the little guide, but must have thought that was too much work, so he just went over all the items in English. The most difficult part of the evening was choosing from that menu, it all sounded so delicious!

We picked one entree to share (don't forget that means Starter in France) which was a completely decadent ravioli in a four cheese sauce, served piping hot in a little yellow pot. For meals, John and I both got the Onglet of Boeuf. It was like a flank steak, but better, much more tender. Doug got a shrimp risotto and Shaun got the 7 hour duck confit. Everything was ridiculously good, including the side dishes. We were talking about how that is a sign of a really good restaurant--when they take as much care with the sides as they do with the main courses.

Not a great photo but the food was so good I just had to put it on here!

Our waiter came and sat with us again before dessert. He was either very tired or found us very charming- I prefer to believe the latter! He asked where we were from and when Shaun and I said Boston, he told us that he had just returned from a year working at the Boston Harbor Hotel! Small world, once again. When it came time to order dessert, nobody wanted to miss out, so instead of ordering one or two things and sharing, everyone ordered their own. A Chocolate Profiterole for me, Individual chocolate cakes with a hot caramel center for both Shaun and Doug. You would think that would be the winner, but nope. John ordered a cheesecake with some sort of fresh raspberry and rhubarb center. It was just out of this world. We did try to save a little by ordering the house wine, but other than that it was a true splurge night and well worth every cent. There's nothing more disappointing than splurging on mediocre food. Fortunately for us there was nothing mediocre about Au Fil des Saisons.

But once again, I'm talking all about food when there has been so much more going on! Our great experiment with Paris on the cheap continued this week with what I will call "Eileen's Best Kept Secrets of Paris". (I can call it that because it's my Blog!!) As I've mentioned in earlier posts, there is no charge to walk along the Seine or to sit in the Luxembourg gardens. You can wander through the Tuileries and up to Sacre Couer all you want without paying a cent. But sometimes, with just a few Euro, you can see so much more. A perfect example is the Rodin Museum.

The Rodin Museum is one of the smaller museums in Paris, but well worth a visit. I actually prefer the smaller museums to places like the Louvre because you really get a feel for the artist. Auguste Rodin was a french sculptor in the 1800's who, like many great artists, has come to be better appreciated in the many years since his death. The museum itself has many of his works inside, including one of my favorite sculptures, called "The Kiss". If you have never seen it, it is worth the price of admission to the museum. However, if you want one of the best bargains in Paris, just buy the ticket to tour the gardens for 1 Euro!

In the gardens at the Rodin Musem

On this morning, we were joined by John and Doug's friend Darrel, a Canadian expat who has been living in Paris for a few years. John and Doug hadn't seen Darrel in a long time, so first we went to the Cafe where we had coffee and talked to Darrel about his experiences living in Paris. It was very interesting to hear his persepctive. Then five of us strolled the grounds where you can see some of Rodin's most famous works, like The Burghers of Calais, the Gates of Hell and everybody's favorite, The Thinker.

Oh yeah? I dare you to NOT take this photo when you come here. I've been three times now and I have three pics like this. Maybe someday I'll do my own retrosepctive.








The grounds are gorgeous. The sculptures are scattered throughout and the small cafe sells coffee, desserts and even hot food so you can stay all day if you like. There are fountains and beautiful gardens and if you know where to look, there are even lounge chairs for relaxing. I know this because the last time Shaun and I were in Paris we literally took a nap in the lounge chairs at the back of the gardens. I now refer to the Rodin Museum as my favorite napping spot in Paris!!

Another fabulous deal is the top of the Pompidou Center. The Pompidou is the Modern Art Museum in Paris and it is housed in a crazy building where all the pipes are on the outside. Its a bit of an eyesore in my opinion, but it houses another excellent deal. For 3 Euro, you can go to the top of the Pompidou where there are the most spectacular views of Paris. (This is new, you used to have to pay full fare to visit the top!) There is a fabulously expensive restaurant up there called Georges, which I am convinced is run by supermodels since they all have legs up to their ears and skirts that barely cover their butts. (I'm sure that's not why Shaun likes it so much though!) Even if you can't afford to eat at Georges though, it is worth the money to order a glass of wine and sit and enjoy the views for an hour, which is exactly what we did. Of course, if you like Modern Art, you can pay the full fare and enjoy the paint splashes and "Still life with Toilet Seat" (I made that up, but who knows, it may be real) and whatever other crazy new exhibits they have going on.

On the way up the escalator. Doug looks suspicious. Maybe he thinks we're going to trick him into looking at some Modern Art!!

Shaun and I at Georges at the top of the Pompidou. All we can afford is wine, but really, what else could you want?

The view from the top of the Pompidou.


Fabulous Deal number three is festivals, festivals, festivals!! There seems to always be some sort of festival going on here and when they do a festival there is no shortage of food or wine tasting! Since we have been here, Shaun and I have attended a Spanish food festival, a festival of biking and a REALLY fun festival celebrating the food and wine of South-West France, an area called the Garonne. Actually we attended this one twice it was so much fun! The first time we were with John and Doug. John and I spent a little time wandering the festival, but it was so crowded that day we ended up going across the Seine to a park behind Notre Dame to read after a little while. Shaun and Doug meanwhile, went wine tasting up and down the rows. Un Gout (a taste) is free and I have a feeling they both had enough Gouts to fill a few glasses that day. After filling up on those delicious wines, we all sat on the benches in the park to read for a while. Just lovely.

The festival was right along the river

John and Doug reading in the park

And what could be more exciting than a picture of people reading in a park? TWO pictures of people reading in a park!!


Our second visit to that Festival came on Sunday for Shaun and I. It was one of my favorite days here because everything we did was so completely different. We started that day with the intention of rollerblading. Paris has two huge rollerblading events every week in the good weather months. The first is Pari Roller, which takes place on Friday nights. This is one I will probably never attempt. It starts at 10PM (around my bedtime) it goes for 3 hours (way exceeding my exercise limit) and it is FAST. I'm quite sure I would make it about 2 minutes before getting rolled into one of those pancakes like you see in the cartoons. The other event is Rollers and Coquillages which takes place on Sunday at a more leisurely rate. This one is for less advanced rollerbladers. We weren't sure whether we wanted to do the group ride, but we knew we wanted to go roller blading so we headed out to the rental place at Bastille to decide.

On the advice of John and Doug, we arrived just when they opened at noon. We rented our skates and walked down toward the Seine. (We needed to pick up lunch and felt that the cafe owners wouldn't appreciate the skates!) We grabbed two sandwiches and waters and walked down to the Pont Marie (Marie Bridge). I would have been content had we just eaten that picnic lunch by the river, but there was blading to do so off we went!! Every Sunday the city shuts down long stretches of road by the river for the bikers, runners, walkers and rollerbladers to enjoy. After some initial problems with my skates (rentals are never great quality) we were off!! I won't bore you with all the details but let me just say, rollerblading in and out of the tunnels was totally cool!! We both had a great time, but after an hour or so we decided we didn't really want to follow that up with the 3 hour city ride. Maybe next week.

Lunch along the Seine, nothing but crappy scenery around here...

That blur is Shaun blading through the tunnel at warp speed. Lets just say I'm not as fast.

See, no blinding flash as I rollerblade. Oh well, we will definitely do this again. It was loads of fun.

After that we headed back to the festival. We sampled wine and bought a little cheese plate and a fabulous dessert made with pears, dark chocolate and light as air phyllo. All I can tell you is that my fingers were soaked in butter from that dessert. Mmm...butter.

I think Shaun may actually have been saying Mmmmm....Butter








We picked up a few bottles of wine (a bargain at 6 euro) and headed back to the house to put them away. For dinner that night I made a chicken piccata with pasta and steamed broccoli which we ate pretty early because it was movie night! All over Paris there are little movie theaters. Many of them show American films in what they call VO (Version Originale which means the movie is shown in English and there are French subtitles for the locals. Shaun thought it would be interesting to watch Midnight in Paris while we were in Paris, and it was. It was totally surreal to watch a movie about a guy who loves walking in the rain in Paris and then come out and walk in the rain in Paris!! The other great thing about these little theaters is that the movies are usually second run, so the price is right!

After that, we walked around the city for a little while, but we had a destination in mind. It was Sunday night and the Patriots were the 4:00 game (EDT) so at 10PM we arrived at "the Great Canadian", a pub right down the street from us that shows all the NFL games on Sunday. Maybe it isn't a very Parisian thing to do but we had a great time watching the game with the 50 or so other NFL fans who had converged on the Great Canadian that evening.

So that is Paris on a budget! John and Doug were the perfect people to experiment with. They had done most of the touristy stuff, so they really enjoyed doing the markets and festivals and dinners at home. We really enjoyed their company as well! It was fun to add someone else's perspective to the planning and wandering. And as much as Shaun and I love each other's company, it is always fun to have "special guest stars"!

And speaking of special guest stars, our friends Ted and Gina will arrive on Thursday for a quick three day visit. (You may remember Gina from such events as "Best Woman at my Wedding"). We need to start resting up! These are two of my favorite people in the world and Ted has never been to Paris. Gina has been, but only on business so we want to really show them the city. There will be lots on the agenda and lots of wine I'm sure so Au Revoir for now! I'll be back in touch later this week!

Farewell from one of the Burghers of Calais!! He happened to be on a death march, but he was later saved so don't feel TOO bad!

La Vie en Rose

Paris, France
September 8-13

Guess what we did this week?

Sorry I've been away so long. Its incredible how the days just slip away when you are living your ordinary life in an extraordinary city. We just passed the one week mark in Paris, but it feels like we have been here longer because we have done so much. I had only been to Paris twice before this and Shaun had only been once, so there was a long list of things we wanted to do here. Luckily for us, we have lots of time so there is no hurry.

We would plan each day based on the weather, the day of the week and just our general mood. The day of the week is very important here when it comes to daily activities like grocery shopping. Each district (called an Arrondissement) has their own special open air market day and the markets are all very different. The one closest to us is called Maubert (it is at the Metro stop Maubert-Mutualite) and it is a nice little market. It runs on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 7AM to 2PM and there is a butcher, a fish monger, a cheese shop, a bakery and multiple fruit and vegetable stands. It works great for a quick run to pick something up for dinner.

My favorite so far though for the open air markets is Saxe-Breteuil over in the 7th Arrondissement. It is a huge market that stands in the Shadow of the Eiffel Tower. There are only two rows of stalls at Saxe-Breteuil, but they run on forever. You can get everything from food housewares to clothing at this market, but if you like Seafood, and shellfish in particular, this is your market. The shellfish vendors here are from Brittany on the northern coast of France and they bring their clams, lobsters and mussels fresh from the sea, still kicking on the beds of ice. Shaun and I had a fun time walking through the stalls but when it came time to actually buy something, I must admit I was a little nervous.

Saxe-Breteuil Market in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower

There is a lot of market etiquette that we didn't know. Luckily, all you have to do is watch other folks to figure it out. If a vegetable stand has green bags out, you can pick your own items out and just hand them to the cashier to be weighed and priced. If there are no bags, there is usually a little line instead. You get in the line and point out the items you want and the greengrocer will choose the best ones and bag them for you. The cheese, meat and fish mongers are pretty much like deli counters at home. My two biggest issues with shopping have been my lack of familiarity with metric weights and measures and the fact that certain food words are not in my repertoire...yet. Even with those limitations, we're both able to communicate what we want pretty well. And we're learning new words every day. I knew Lamb was Agneau for example, but now I know that Epaule d'Agneau is a Lamb Shoulder.

So at Saxe-Breteuil, we had loads of fun practicing. We bought olives and some mixed nuts from one vendor, duck legs from another. We got some vegetables at one of the pick-it-yourself stands and we got slices of ham from one of the charcuterie stands. We even picked up some flowers for the apartment. This market is only open on Thursday and Saturdays but it was well worth the trip. We'll be back there many times I'm sure.

It may seem like all we're doing is eating and food shopping, but once we had settled in at the apartment, we started exploring the city much more. One really fun night we went to a jazz club in an old dungeon. It was called Caveau des Oubliettes (Cave of the Forgotten) and it is quite close to our apartment. The music was great, but the atmosphere was what I really loved. While the three piece band played, musicians sat in the audience with their instruments, hoping for a chance to jump in.

Caveau des Oubliettes

We also spent a day in Montmartre, which is the old Artist's quarter of Paris and the home of the the famous Moulin Rouge nightclub. It is also the home of Sacre-Coeur, a beautiful church that sits atop the hill and offers an incredible view of Paris from it's steps. (Montmartre is actually just as widely knows as the home of the red light district, but we don't need to go there.) This is truly is one of those areas that has two distinct faces. If you just stick to the touristy sights, you will be subjected to a barrage of people trying to sell you something, from the young men trying to sell bracelets on the church steps, to the sketch artists trying to sketch your picture in the place du Tetre. However, if you just stroll down the back streets that wind around and down Montmartre, you will get a much quieter taste of Montmartre and maybe encounter a few surprises!

Why hello Mr Statue coming out of this wall on a random street!

Standing outside "The two windmills" which is the cafe in Montmartre where Amelie was filmed!

If you love art and literature, the Montmartre cemetery should also be on your list. It has so many famous people buried there that the cemetery has guides up within the alleyways, pointing out where you can see the graves of its "residents". My two favorites were the painter Degas (of the Famille de Gas as it says on the grave) and Alexandre Dumas, writer of such classics as the Three Musketeers and one of my favorite books, The Count of Monte Christo. Shaun found the whole thing a bit strange, but I thought it was quite cool. I really want to get to Pere Lachaise cemetery as well, where the local residents include Jim Morrison and Oscar Wilde!

At the grave of Degas, the artist and sculptor. Shaun just thought it was funny that they wrote it as Famille de Gas, like it was a Family of Gas!

The fun didn't stop at cemeteries though. One beautiful morning we took the train way out to the western edge of Paris to the Bois de Boulogne, a huge public park. We rented bikes from a bike rental company on the edge of the park and rode off with no idea what to expect. It was a really fun day. The park has two small lakes and miles and miles of trails and roads. It was warm out so people were sunbathing along the lakes and in the fields. You could rent boats and take a little row along the lakes as well, but we decided to save that for another day. I love the fact that we still have plenty of "other days".

Biking in the Bois de Boulogne. This park is 2.5 times the size of Central Park in NY!!

Sunday September 11th was the day that my brother and brother in law arrived. Being here in Paris on that day was a little odd as you might expect. We were hosting John and Doug that night for dinner and the menu was pasta with a duck sauce, which is one of those recipes that takes a long time but it's mainly just bubbling away. So that day as I cooked I turned on the TV and put on the BBC and watched the 9/11 tributes all afternoon. It was quite moving and I was glad to have some way to stay connected to the events of that day. I must admit, I was a little nervous about the anniversary and could not have been happier that it passed without incident.

Dinner that night was lovely. We had a big salad and fresh crusty bread (of course)
with heaping bowls of pasta covered in the duck sauce. We finished it all off with a raspberry tart and a chocolate dessert that we all just shared. John and Doug were tired from their long travel day so we all retired early.

Monday was a bit of an odd day. Shaun and I walked out to the Marais to John and Doug's apartment and we all went out for breakfast. John and Doug had to meet Thierry, the guy who rented them the apartment at 11:30 so we decided to go to the Carnavalet museum to pass the time. No such luck. We forgot that on Monday's many museums are closed. We didn't know it at the time but that would be the theme of the day. With Carnavalet closed, we split up and did a little shopping. I got a cute scarf and a couple pairs of ballet flats to add some variety to my 3 week old outfits. I can't really purchase a lot unless I plan to ship it home since adding to my backpack is a non-starter. At least it keeps me on budget.

That afternoon we tried to go to the Eiffel Tower but the top was closed due to crowds. We walked down to the Rodin Museum (closed because it was Monday) and finally decided we may as well just get a glass of wine and a cheese plate at a bistro. Everyone was beat from all the walking and a little sleepy from the wine so we headed to our respective apartments for the afternoon. We all met back up again at our place for a pre-dinner snack and then ate dinner at a lovely bistro in the 6th called le Bastide d'Opio. I had been there years ago and enjoyed it just as much this time. Believe it or not, that was Shaun and my first dinner out in Paris!!

Our pre-dinner "snack" at the apartment

John and Shaun at dinner

The next day we all got up early and made it to the Eiffel Tower by 9:30AM. The line was very short and we were in the elevator to the second level in no time at all. I must say, I really did think I was going to make it to the top this time. But of course, that was when we were on the ground. By the time we got out at the second level, all sense of adventure was gone for me! Luckily, Doug felt the same way so I wasn't alone. He and I stayed on the second level while John and Shaun took the elevator up to the top. To give you some sense of how high you are, these pictures are from the second level, not the summit!

Seriouly, who needs to go higher than this!!

Shaun and I at the top. I am wishing they would hurry up and take the picture so I can get down from there!

John and Doug at the top. I think Doug feels the same as me!

That evening was another dinner at our apartment. Things started off badly when I couldn't figure out the oven. I thought we were in for a dinner disaster until I found an online version of the instructions in English. It's some sort of convection oven, so I'm glad I didn't just guess. With that figured out, it was time to start cooking. The previously mentioned Shoulder of Lamb was the main course. It's one of those "low and slow" meals that I love to cook. I just chopped up some fresh rosemary and garlic and rubbed that on the roast with some salt/pepper and olive oil. Then it went into the oven for about three and a half hours. While that cooked away, I uploaded photos for the blog post, set the table and made some side dishes. Shaun offered to help, but I was enjoying myself, so he went out for a long workout instead.

The dinner was lovely. Doug had picked up some homemade gorgonzola ravioli that day at a market, so we started with that in a brown butter sauce with walnuts. Then we relaxed for a while with our wine and an episode of Arrested Development. (Shaun and I had brought the DVDs thinking it might be fun to pop in sometimes). Finally, it was time for the lamb. The meat was tender and pulled away easily from the bone. We had it with sautéed zucchini and brussels sprouts with bacon and dijon mustard and of course, wine! It was such a fun night, just relaxing at home with the people I love. Good wine, good food, great company. Who needs more than that.

I wish I had taken a picture of the meal "before" but I actually think the "after" photo is pretty funny. We ate every scrap of meat on that bone!

When Edith Piaf wrote the song La Vie en Rose, she was trying to describe the feeling you get when you are in love. It literally translates to "Life in Pink" but is more like the idea of looking at the world through rose colored glasses. Everything is colored by your happiness and the world just seems softer and sweeter. That's how I feel about our extended stay in Paris. We are living La Vie en Rose!

Welcome to the Neighborhood!!

Paris, France
September 5-7

Home sweet home! That was the feeling I think we both had upon entering our apartment in the Latin Quarter. After two weeks on the road, stopping every few days in a new city, we were thrilled to unpack our stuff, put the bags in a closet and settle down for a little while. We learned a lot in our first few weeks. First, never underestimate the power of clean clothes. We started this journey on August 23rd and only managed to get laundry done once, in Salzburg. That was very early on in the trip but it had to be done because it was crazy hot those first few days. So as we got closer and closer to Paris, we were both dreaming about laundry detergent like it was chocolate.

When we arrived in Paris, we had a few issues getting our metro tickets so we finally broke down and took a taxi. It was only about a 20 minute ride, but it was well worth it to finally get dropped off on the street where we now live. The apartment is just perfect. More than perfect. We love it. It is in the heart of the Latin Quarter (that's Latin like the dead language, not like Latino Jennifer Lopez) but on a quiet little side street called Rue de la Parcheminerie. We live upstairs on the fourth floor of a building from the 17th century. The first floor of the building is occupied by the Abbey Bookstore, a used book store owned by a Canadian couple. We have met the husband, Brian, many times now. He always invites us to sit down for coffee but we are usually on our way somewhere. We will definitely take him up on it soon though as I want to hear about how he ended up owning a bookstore in Paris.

The view out our fourth floor window. I like to sit here with coffee or wine and just watch the world.

The owner of our apartment, Bernard is also extremely nice and helpful. When we arrived at the apartment, he was waiting inside for us with a list of helpful information about the apartment. He just finished restoring it last year and the detail he put into it is impressive. We were very glad for the tutorial as the appliances are all new and fairly high tech. The best part of the show was when he showed us how to use the combination washer/dryer. I could have cried. He also told us important quirky things. For example, if we leave the windows open when we are not home, pigeons will come into the apartment and roost. Trust me, we have been shutting the windows tight when we leave!

The hanging bed. One would think it would feel unsteady but its actually quite sturdy. No comments from the peanut gallery please!

The dining area and couch. Note the open window!

Our fabulous little kitchen where we cook up the yummy things we get at the street markets.

So once Bernard finished showing us everything, it was time to shop! We had decided long ago that the apartment was going to be a real home base for us in Paris and we would make it a point to really try to "live" here. So it was off to the grocery store. First, let me point out what should have been obvious. Just like in the States, Monday night at dinner time is the worst time to go the grocery store. The place was mobbed. Every commuter who had just gotten off work was in there. Regardless, it was pretty fun. Shaun's fun started on the way in. This is France so you have to go through the massive wine section before you get to the groceries. It was like a tractor beam pulling Shaun along. And then we saw the signs. Apparently in two days the "festival of wine" was starting. It takes place all over France and involves fabulous discounts. Since we are all about discounts, I was able to pry him away with the promise that we could buy more when the big sale started. Bernard had left us a bottle as a housewarming gift ("You had me at Bordeaux!") so we were set for dinner.

The apartment came with more than we expected actually. There was the usual salt/pepper and some sugar, but there was also coffee, tea, olive oil, herbs de provence, a bottle of water, two small beers and the aforementioned wine. That was a good base. At the grocery store we purchased eggs, ham, bread and butter for breakfast. (Bernard had told us their bread was actually very good). We picked up two small steaks, some rice and salad fixins for dinner. We got cheese and yogurt, mainly because the dairy section here is outrageous. These people must have a yogurt addiction- it was the biggest aisle in the place! We attempted to get something like half and half, but my french was getting us nowhere. Turns out that's because they don't have it here! We ended up with milk instead.

Next we grabbed a small package of pork chops for Tuesday night and were still shopping when we had to stop ourselves. We were shopping like we do at home where you try to buy everything in one place, all at once. The goal was to do exactly the opposite. We would get all of our basics this week and then shop like the locals, stopping at the local market to pick up what is fresh and looks good that particular day.

So we took our bags home and cooked dinner. I would love to say that the first dinner that night was "fantastique" but actually it was pretty mediocre. I had some trouble with the stove that translated to starchy rice, and the bottled vinaigrette we chose wasn't great, but the wine was lovely, and the company was fantastic. While we made dinner we did laundry. It took forever to run in the combo washer/dryer, but we didn't care. We would smell no more!! We were so exhausted from our day that we climbed into our clean PJ's, curled up onto our cool hanging bed and fell fast asleep.

Tuesday and Wednesday were all about settling in and exploring the neighborhood. We would get up and make coffee and talk about what we wanted to do. One of us would make breakfast, usually some kind of eggs with toasted bread and ham, maybe a side of fruit. (My husband is an excellent breakfast-maker, one of his lesser known skills!) Once breakfast was over we would go explore. On Tuesday we found our local market, Maubert, which had wonderful vegetable stands and a Poissonnerie (fish monger) Boucherie (butcher) Fromagerie (Cheese market) Charcuterie (Cured meats and prepared foods). On Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday those shops were supplemented by vendors selling fruits, vegetables, honeys and anything else you could imagine. It was Tuesday so we were in luck. And of course, they had wine! So Shaun was as happy as I was!

Breakfast is served, courtesy of my husband


We also explored Rue Mouffetard on Tuesday. It's one of the permanent market streets where the vendors are open every day. It is a long, winding cobblestone street of stores and vendors where you could buy pretty much anything you could hope to eat. I am so taken with the Poissonneries! It drove me crazy at home I lived in New England and had to either buy my fish at the grocery store or drive a half hour to an actual fish shop. There are probably 5 Poissonneries within walking distance of our apartment.

Random pictures from the neighborhood in case you are bored with the food talk. This is the little statue outside the Saint Michel Metro stop. Yeah, just some junky subway art.

And this is St Severin, the church one street over. Building started sometime in the 11th century.


After exploring both the Maubert and Mouffetard markets, we were starving so we bought a small roast chicken for 5 euro and took it back to the apartment. We had leftover salad fixins from the night before so lunch was done!

That afternoon, Shaun and I split up to do what we love best. Shaun went for a work out and I went specialty food shopping! Hmmm... you may be saying...what does she mean by specialty food shopping? Well, just like the yogurt section of the supermarket is a half mile long, and there are fish mongers everywhere, the French have certain very important purveyors of the foods they think are important. So for example, there is La Maison de la Truffe. Yup, a store that just sells truffles. Since we just came from Switzerland, I could hardly afford a truffle, but that wasn't what I was looking for anyway. I was on the hunt for mustard and jam!!

No, I wasn't making some kind of disgusting new sandwich, I was on my way to buy two of my favorite products, Maille Mustard and Hediard Jam. It's ironic really, because I had an old boyfriend who used to say I was "condimentally challenged". I used to like everything either plain or on the side, like Meg Ryan in "When Harry met Sally". Mustard I thought was especially disgusting. And don't think I'm being all high and mighty just because its normally served on hot dogs and bologna. I LOVE hot dogs and Bologna!! I never buy either because they are filled with crap, but my dad always makes sure he and my mom have bologna in the fridge when I come visit because he knows I will sneak in there and roll up a few slices to eat for a snack. So truly, I just always thought mustard was awful. Then I tried Maille. I can eat this stuff by the spoonful! And it is even better here! It's way spicer and more flavorful than any I've had in the States. And the way you order it at the shop is great. You pick your flavor (dry white wine for me thanks) and your size (petite s'il vous plait) and they pull it FROM THE TAP into your little earthenware crock. I have died and gone to condiment heaven.

A "floor picnic" we had one night. Note the Maille Mustard. Yummy.

Hediard was a bit of a letdown after the mustard tap at Maille, but the Jam was worth it. I picked up two little 4 ounce containers, Wild Strawberry for breakfast and Spiced Figs to have with cheese. The store is quite fancy and formal so I was glad I was wearing my newly washed clothes! Next stop for me was a cooking supply store. I didn't need anything fancy that day so I decided save Dehillerin (the mecca of cookware) for another day. I hit up Mora and A Simon for a few cheap little things- wine glasses, a vegetable peeler, two steak knives. We will be leaving them behind when we go I was careful to be frugal.

That night Shaun and I had the pork chops for dinner. I made a fried rice from yesterdays leftovers and brussels sprouts with butter and some of the Maille mustard. We went wandering down the Seine after dinner, taking in the neighborhood. Its pretty amazing to have one of the worlds most famous churches within a five minute walk of your apartment. So often on this trip I have been washed over with a feeling of gratitude so intense that it brings tears to my eyes. This was one of those nights. We took some beautiful pictures as we walked. The sky was turning a lovely pink/purple color and the temperature was just perfect, cool and breezy. Shaun took one of his favorite shots where he holds the camera out and tries to get a good picture of both of us. It may be my favorite shot of the trip so far.

Love. Enough Said.

The next morning, we walked up to the Luxembourg gardens together to get in a workout. We had tried that the afternoon before, but I brought my camera so my normal walk-run-walk, became a walk-run-stop-take pictures-walk. This time I brought nothing except my Ipod and apartment keys. I hadn't listened to my Ipod at all on the trip, there was just no need. So to have it on as I ran through one of the most beautiful gardens I have ever seen was completely surreal. I loved running in my younger days but haven't felt the same way in years. That day though, I could have run forever. George Straight was singing in my ear:

Baby, Run, Set a path across the blue sky
Straight in a straight line you can't get here fast enough
Find a truck and fire it up
Lean on the gas and off the clutch, oh baby run

I ran as my crazy running mix played on; Bonnie Raitt and Fergie, G Love and Bob Dylan, Mary J Blige and Jeff Buckley. For me its not about tempo or lyrics, its about songs that take me to another place. Bonnie Raitt singing about an Angel from Montgomery and Jeff Buckley singing about the Last Goodbye take me to those places. And so I ran. It was a brilliant morning.

How can you not be happy going to work out in this place? Of course, Shaun was later chastised for hanging from a tree. Hee hee.

I pass this on my run. Seriously.

I love the way they trim the trees into squares.

And the beauty of all this is that all the sightseeing we have done so far has been free. There is no charge for walks along the Seine or running in Luxembourg Gardens or sitting on a bench in front of Notre Dame Cathedral at night. We have friends and family coming to visit at different times and when we have our visitors we will go to the museums and eat at the restaurants and climb the Arche de Triomphe. But for now we are just loving this city from the cheap seats.

The view from the cheap seats. Notre Dame on a beautiful September evening.

I would love to write more, but I have a lovely bolognese sauce (no relation to bologna!) simmering away on the stove, a bottle of red wine open on the table and Shaun just ran out to get some fresh bread. Life, I must say, is very good indeed.