Across the channel in search of pastries

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As cliched and dull as it may sound Paris definitely lives up to its tag of being one of the gorgeous and magical cities that this world has to offer. Last time I left Paris, newly engaged I left with some sadness, sure that I would probably never see this enchanting city again for many, many years. So you can imagine my excitement when just short of four years later I found myself on the Eurostar on my 29th birthday whizzing through the English countryside en route to gay Paris. We couldn't wait until we got there for pastries and coffee so having filled out bellies we sat back and opened birthday cards and presents, only to look over to the couple in the seats next to us to see them doing exactly the same thing!

In the past weeks London had turned grey and chilly - 'feeling very autumnal' as the English weather forecasters would say - so it was even more special to arrive to a Paris bathed in brilliant sunshine, perfect blue sky and a late summer feeling in the air. We checked into our cute little hotel in the Latin Quarter which was complete with wrought iron balcony and a view down a charming little street, and headed off in search of lunch. It is hard to say what makes Paris so special, of course it is the amazing food and tasteful architecture but just wandering the streets there is a fantastic serene atmosphere, that is even more noticeable after coming from the bedlam that is down town London. I couldn't imagine anywhere better in the world to spend my birthday. We wandered through a bustling Friday street market its stalls loaded with the most beautiful fresh fruit and vegetables, cheese, bread and the typically French and rather gruesome looking meat stall. We stocked up on bread, cheese, ham, salad and fresh berries and made our way to Jardin du Luxembourg for a picnic. We had done the same thing on our last visit here and the park was just as beautiful as we remembered with its grand palace, elegant fountain, extensive manicured gardens and woodland, and absolutely full of people making the most of the great weather.

After lunch we wandered through the trendy St Germain de Pris area admiring the windows full of exquisite pastries, and the fashion shops full of elegant frocks and shoes. We spotted a gallery with a small photo exhibition of India and could not resist going in for a look. On leaving we were accosted by a group of three students who were asking us questions in French that we couldn't understand (despite our extensive eight week French for fun and travel course!). They finally worked out that we spoke English and proceded to ask us how we had found out about the exhibition, if we enjoyed it etc then wished us 'have a good day' in their lovely French accents. It is always nice to have an unexpected encounter with the locals! On a friends recommendation we paid a visit to the charming Saint Chappelle not far from the banks of the Seine. The church has two floors of amazing stain glassed windows, which looked even more stunning given the bright sunshine of the day. The rest of the day was spent wandering through the Marais District and Ile Saint Louis. Paris is a fantastic city for just wandering and we had a great time watching the buskers, window shopping and getting disorientated on the narrow cobblestoned streets. We wandered back to our hotel to get ready for dinner via Notre Dame and over the bridge where we had got engaged. I had already had a perfect birthday but the real treat was still to come.

On the recommendation of some gourmet friends in Adelaide we had booked in for a degustation dinner at a restaurant located in the midst of the Armani, Gucci and Prada shops just off the Champs Elysee. The restaurant, Flora, was owned and run by a female head chef and was decorated in suitably girly style. There was lovely golden art deco wallpaper and mirrors, huge chandeliers covered in pink and blue butterflies, plush carpet and even the crockery and cutlery was pink and baby blue. I wanted to move in! Luckily our young, charming waitress was able to speak English as our attempts at French were far from fluent. The degustation menu - seven courses plus appetisers and petit fours - was also a sensible choice as it meant we didn't have to decipher the menu. We were in the hands of the chef! We began with champagne (French of course) accompanied by appetisers, which included foie gras on toast. I was a bit worried about what the evening may hold when the next course arrived. It was an egg shell filled with something that tasted and looked like the consistency of raw egg mixed with goodness knows what else. Andrew seemed to enjoy it though! Thankfully things only looked up from there. The next course was more foie gras in a red wine sauce which was rich and delicious. To follow came a beautifully presented dish - a hollow bone was set in the middle of the plate and filled with a snail and bean cassoluet. The snails were surprisingly good and it was nice to have them cooked differently to the usual garlic sauce that we had heard about. The food kept coming and next up was swordfish with salsa followed by a very earthy dish of wild pheasant and pureed eggplant. The cheese platter is a piece of French genius and this followed served with crusty baguette and moist walnut bread. Delicious! Dessert was a platter including cream puff with chocolate sauce, stuffed date with cheese icecream and classic creme brulee. By now I was just about defeated - but I did manage to sample one of the petit fours and left Andrew to the rest. All this had been washed down with some lovely French wine. The chef came out to greet the diners at the end of the meal. And I couldn't think of how a birthday could be more perfect (unless of course all my friends and family were here with me).

Waking up on a sunny Saturday morning is always a good feeling, waking up on a sunny Saturday morning in Paris - my idea of bliss! After a phone call home to Australia we left the hotel and walked again through Saint Germain de Pris and the Ile de la Cite in search of breakfast. Croissaints and pain au chocolate from a suitably quaint cafe set us up for the day. We spent the rest of the day walking and walking and walking. Past Notre Dame where admired the exquisite detail on the outside of the church and took dozens of photographs, through the Marais where we stopped off at a boulangerie for a baguette, along the banks of the Seine to the Louvre where we stopped to rest our legs and enjoy the sunshine and beautiful views at the pond between the Louvre and the Place de la Concorde. The locals do not look kindly at people sitting on the grass in their parks ... it is there to look pretty not be practical, which seems such a shame but they do provide comfy chairs in most of the parks which is a fairly dignified compromise. We continued up the elegant Champs Elysee which was packed with shoppers and ascended the hundreds of steps to the top of the Arc de Triumphe to admire the view from the Eiffel Tour to Montmartre and beyond. We were pretty tired by now but thought sitting on the steps of Sacre Coer with an icecream whilst watching dusk descend over the city would be the perfect end to another magical day in this gorgeous city. After a shower and rest in our hotel room we walked through the steep cobblestoned streets of the Latin Quarter in search of a place for dinner. We also thought we'd try and find the restaurant where we had got engaged however all the streets looked familiar so we could not be sure exactly which one it was. We found a lovely little bistro with a tourist menu but good atmosphere and tried our best to order in French. Salad with goats cheese followed by steak and frites and creme brulee we thought was a suitably French menu, followed up with a not traditionally French but fun night cap of a cocktail in a lively student bar next door.

Sunday morning was still sunny but a little fresher and we began the morning eating pastries and watching the runners and walkers pass on the other side of the river from the bench near the bridge where we had got engaged. It was lovely to sit and reminisce and think of all the time and events that had passed since that day. We walked again through the Marais and Ile de la Cite - something that I think I could do every day without tiring of it - and treated ourselves to a coffee at a curbside cafe overlooking the roundabout and statue of the Place de Bastille. On our way to the Louvre we found ourselves in the midst of a street market and took the opportunity to spend some time admiring the way the French shop and the exquisite produce - a huge variety of cheeses, freshly baked bread and pastries, and ripe fruit and veg. It made shopping in the huge soul-less supermarkets that we are used to even less appealing. We had not been all that excited about our trip to the Louvre but it was a fantastic experience to be in such a beautiful building with the light streaming through the glass roof illuminating the exhibits that looked like they had been placed to enhance the space, unlike some other galleries where the exhibits look like they are artefacts to be analaysed not admired. Of course we didn't have nearly enough time to do the place justice but that just gives us even more reason to return to Paris one more time.

I had had such high expectations of our return to Paris and the city lived up to all my expectations and more. I had been in awe of Paris before but it had impressed itself upon my mind even more this time with its calm and serene atmosphere, exquisite blue skys, stunning buildings, delicious food and wine and quaint streets. I am sure that I will one day return to this magnificent city and that it will again impress me more than I thought possible. Next year's birthday will certainly have a high standard to meet up to!

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Comments

[Lin]

Fabulous

[Lin]

What a great weekend - and the photos look great. So pleased your birthday weekend went so well - I know I'll be dreaming about those markets tonite. cheers Lin

[Kelley]

Takes me back...
to our week in Paris in '04. I agree wholeheartedly that wandering in Paris is the best way to experience it. I hope you get to New York for your next birthday!