Versailles, Macaroons, and An American in Paris

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My dear friend Austin came all the way from the States to visit my in Paris for her spring break last week! It was at the perfect moment, I was just getting to that point where I was getting slightly homesick after being in a foreign country for 2 months...
After meeting her at Charles de Gaulle airport and dropping off her stuff at my apartment we went to the 9th and the 18th to do some sightseeing and shopping. We went to the Palais Garnier (also know as the Opéra de Paris) and walk around the grand avenues that all lead to the enormous and beautifully decadent building from the late 19th century. For lunch we wandered through the narrow winding streets in the 9th and went to Chartier, a classic french brasserie at 7th rue du faubourg Montmartre . The restaurant was founded in 1896 by brothers Frederic and Camille Chartier in an old train station hall. The restaurant seemed frozen in time, the building has barely changed and the staff is dressed in classic black with long white aprons. The food was very delicious, we both had the poulet frites, and the atmosphere of the restaurant was relaxing and nostalgic. After dinning we headed to the Galleries Lafayette a place that i had been dying to take Austin since she loves shopping and this is a heaven for any shopping addict (the look on her face when i took her to the middle of the giant department store was priceless)! We went all the way to the top of the building which is a large open terrace and has beautiful views of all of Paris including the Eiffel Tower, Louvre, Notre Dame, and the Arc de Triomphe, we had a fabulous view of the city nearing dusk. After hours of shopping and walking around the 9th we headed up to Montmartre to see Sacre Coeur and to have dinner at Le Refuge des Fondues. We climbed the hundreds of steps to the summit of the butte that gave Montmartre its name (butte meaning little mountain, and Montmartre meaning mountain of the martyr). The Roman Catholic basilica built towards the end of the 19th century provides a vast and gorgeous view of the city since it is the highest natural point in Paris. The area right around the basilica is full of musicians, artists and people picnicking and just enjoying the beautiful view of the city. We toured the inside of the majestic church (but be aware that you CANNOT take photographs inside, i learned this the hard way) and saw the dome's beautiful ceilings. We walked back down the steps and headed to a very unique fondue restaurant for dinner, Le Refuge des Fondues, which is pretty much directly below the basilica on the winding steep streets of Montmartre. The restaurant which only has enough seats for 40 people is so bizarre (but good bizarre) and is a place that is only understood once you have eaten there, but I will do my best to explain. The tiny restaurant has two very long tables with a bench on one side and chairs on the other, if you are sitting on the bench side one of the waiters (there are only two) will help hoist you onto a chair and help you step over the table so that you can sit down (since you cannot move the table out or anything), don't worry it is not dangerous or anything, but a little adventurous. The menu is a formule (or fixed menu) and you are immediately served sangria and random h'orderves like pickles, cubes salami, cheese and olives. Afterward the waiter asks you two questions: white or red & cheese or meat, these refer to the kind of wine you would like and the kind of fondue you will be eating. The wine is served in baby bottles (real baby bottles with the nipple and all), i actually have no idea why but it is just one of those things that makes this place the way it is and the fondue (we got cheese) comes out bubbling hot and is served with lots of bread. We got full pretty fast between the rich and delicious cheese and sucking down our wine so before the place got to crazy crowded we got the check and headed home. Of course, being Austin's first night in Paris we had to top off the nigh with her first nutella crepe and a trip to the sparkling Eiffel Tower.
The next day we headed to Versailles, which is just a quick 20 minute metro ride from Paris. The royal palace was the home of the monarchy and capital of France from the late 17th century when Louis XIV, the sun king, reigned through Louis XV's reign and ended with Louis XVI (avec his famous and fashionable Marie Antoinette) before the French Revolution in the late 18th century. You can be told over and over again how majestic, beautiful, luxurious and huge the palace is, but you wont believe it until you see it in person. Room after room, hour after hour you think it cannot get any better but then it does, from gilded doors, marble staircases, a private opera house, the most luxurious curtains and bedding, acres of gardens, fountains and and the beautifully painted ceilings and walls the chateau is absolutely incredible. We spent about an hour and a half in the main chateau with a self guided tour of the many drawing rooms, bed rooms of the king and queen (last decorated for Maire Antoinette in delicate florals and bright colors), the glorious hall of mirrors and the royal chapel. There is a lot to take in and the chateau is incredibly decorated with artwork, statues and furniture so we took our time in each room admiring the wealth of the French monarchy... no wonder there was a revolution! After the main palace we explored the gardens which had just began to bloom with the nearing warm spring weather. Once you step out of the main palace you get a much better sense of how vast the property is. When standing between the two large, rectangular ponds/fountains and looking down upon the grand canal, acres of garden mazes, and the Apollo Basin it is almost to large to wrap your head around. We decided to conquer the grounds on foot, but you can also take a trolley or rent a golf cart or a row boat or horses to explore the different parts of the park.
After about a 15 minute walk we arrived at Marie Antoinette's domains, including the Grand Trainon, Petit Trainon and the Hamlet, as well as acres of lots of ponds, gardens, fountains and farm land. Since i am quite a girlie girl and have been in love with anything related to Maire Antoinette for quite sometime I could not wait to get to her domains and immediately feel in love with everything there. We probably spent twice as much time here even though it is half as large as the main chateau simply because everything was so beautiful, detailed, whimsical and charming, like a luxurious princess fairytale. The Grand Trainon was like a mini-palace with elegant drawing rooms, bedchambers and dinning room and a gorgeous marble terrace over looking the fantastic gardens and fountains as well as its very own grand canal. The Petit Trainon, still very large, was much more like a home rather than a palace. Don't get me wrong it was quite a home, but it just felt more quaint and private rather than completely elaborate. The Petit Trainon has a wonderful garden and Opera House, which is not attached to the actual house, and was probably one of my most favorite parts of all of Versailles. It was beautifully decorated in porcelain blues with a small stage and a private audience, so enchanting! After touring both Trainon's we explored the grounds around the homes which include a music pavilion, ponds, a pavilion of love (with a lovely statue of cupid) and fields of trees, grass and flowers. Wandering along the paths we ended up at Marie Antoinett'es Hamlet which was created as her own fantasy village where she could live freely and naturally like a maiden of the countryside. There are around 8 or so little houses that serve different purposes and one large house where she lived when she was at the Hamlet. All of the architecture is very homely and modest, except for this strange spiraling tower that sits over the small pond; it looks more Islamic or like something from Aladdin than a quaint country village. We lost track of time and realized that the park was about to close so we hoped on the trolley and took it back to the main chateaux, made a quick stop at the gift shop and then got back on the metro to Paris...
After we returned from Paris I got up the courage to actually try ethnic food in France which usually is not very good, but Austin and I were both craving Mexican and went to a place in the 16th called Sally's Place and I was pleasantly surprised at how good it was. The spices and such were very authentic and the tacos and margaritas I had were delicious. The only bizarre thing was that unlike in America where you get endless, warm and salty tortilla chips and fresh salsa, here in France we were given a tiny bowl of Doritos from the bag and awful salsa that tasted from like ketchup, oh well it cannot all be perfect.
Over the next few days I took Austin to the Musee Louvre and the Musee d'Orsay where we ate lunch at he incredible Café des Hauteurs which allows you to enjoy a light lunch while watching the time and the city pass by through a giant window clock. We also spent a day shopping in the Marais and along the Camps Elysee where Austin acquired a taste for French fashion as I have at some of my favorite boutiques including Tara Jarmon, Les Petites and Sandro. We went out to a classy dinner at Cafe l'Homme which is attached to the Musee l'Homme in Trocadero. The food and wine was absolutely amazing! I had a oysters to start, the grilled samlon fillet and the most incredible mashed potatoes for dinner and then cafe legoise for dessert (which is vanilla and coffee ice cream that you then pour espresso over). If it is possible the atmosphere of the restaurant was almost as glorious as the food. With very high ceilings, enchanting lighting, and a beautiful terrace that looks over the Eiffel Tower and Champs de Mars along with tranquil music. The service was friendly and on the way out you are given a free silver Eiffel Tower key chain!
Austin was mean to leave the next morning but Air France is a very peculiar airline that over books all their flights and if you are unlucky enough to not be chosen to be on your flight you are given either 600 Euro or 800 Euro worth of travel vouchers. Though it was stressful have to get to and from the airport for no reason the extra cash for Austin softened the wound and also have us an excuse to go to the elaborate Ladurée bakery, salon de the and bakery for dinner and dessert. Ladurée is any little girls dream, they actually did all of the food for the film Marie Antoinette, and walking in everything is covered in pastels and golds and the smell of their famous macaroons fills the air. I must explain that French macaroons are not the same as Jewish macaroons made of coconut and egg whites, but rather they are like two moist cake-like cookies with a light frosting of jam (depending on falvor) smooched between the two cakes. Ladurée macaroons are the most luscious, delicious and adorable dessert I have ever had and they come in dozens of flavors (even seasonal ones), some of my favorite are: chocolate, vanilla, fruits rouge, citrus, passion fruit with chocolate filling and coffee. Ladurée has been making these macaroons since 1862, and let me tell you they are PERFECT in everyday and come in lovely little gift boxes in beautiful colors. Dinner at Ladurée is very good as well, we had some delicious onion soup then amazing roasted chicken and of course dessert; I opted to have glaces à macarons which is where you get to chose your three flavors of ice cream and they match each flavor with a matching and slightly frozen macaroons... it was divine.
After her second attempt to make it home Austin was successful and my American in Paris left Paris.

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