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Published: June 26th 2013
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Back in Paris! It is starting to feel comfortable now each time I come back. And the more I come the more I get familiar with the streets and remembering my way around. I meet up with my new apartment people and drag my luggage up the 5 flights of curved stairs, which were uneven and loose. She shows me inside and the apartment is full of charachter and charm. Strips if dark wood exposed beams and a stone surface half way up the wall. The kitchen is small but efficient, its got a great living area with satellite tv ( yeah!) little dining area and a seperate bedroom with very comfortable linens. The best part is the 4 big windows that let in this incredible amount of light. Ironically i was concerned initially when I was in the south of France that this place didnt have air conditioning. Well, no need to worry as it is cold.Ok not canadian cold, but back home I have jackets, and boots and proper attire. Here I have beach wear. Its not the nice 15 degrees, its a cold one. And especially since I had just come from warm weather,this is a bit of
a shock. My poor tan. I worked so hard at it. So mission Paris is to fill in the blanks of thongs I have missed before, and walk around as much as possible and explore the streets, and eat.
Spent the first day wandering and shopping a bit. I was desperate. Like an addict. First things first I ran to Starbucks and got a chai tea latte. That day, I was Charlie. Man will anyone ever get in right? Then I warmed up the credit card with some purchases. It filled some void that I have been dying to replenish. Wow that makes me sound so shallow. I swear Im not......
Second day, first things first, went to Starbucks again. And again let me reiterate that I dont drink coffee. Or I would be doing the whole cappuccino bar experience. I would never go and eat at an american style restaurant, because I feel its a waste when theres so much good local food to try, but I can only get tea lattes, with soy, and sugar free syrups, at Starbucks. Its my happy zone. But I digress. second stop is the Panthéon ,an amazing domed building,that actually
back in time, was the tallest building in Paris, until the eiffel tower. It was originally built as a church for st. Genvieve but was turned into a mausoleum with important french people buried inside. Political figures, writers, scientists. Voltaire is held there as well as some of Napoleons army. The actual architechture of the building, in which they copied from the romans, is amazing. It still boggles the mind when you see what they were doing with architecture back in the 17-1800's. The inside of the Pantheon is grande , with vast marble flooring and high domed ceilings.On the wall are painted murals, and in the corners are white stone sculptures. As you walk to the far wall, there are doors off to your right and left that lead to a spiral staircase that lead you to the crypt. You can feel the temperature drop the deeper you go, until you come into a slightly darker room filled with yellow light that hugs the curves of the arched ceilings. Its a series of arteries that branch out into other arched hallways that feed into passages containing the crypts themselves. Most were closed, with half iron doors tht allowed you
to see into the rooms. Some were completly open and you could walk in to a closet type room with a rectangle window up top, and 4 stone built in coffins with the name inscribed in front. A bit eerie to think that there is dead bodies in them. What was ever spookier was coming across a dark crypt iron mesh door locked, and peaking inside and seeing one of the stone panels removed from the coffin and revealing deep black nothingness. I assume it was empty but the image gave me shivers.
Well enough with dead people, I spent the rest of the day traveling around and walking down different streets and exploring, sometimes getting lost,but really just committing more and more of Paris into my memory. I stopped by the institut du monde Arabe, I just looked at the building basically, because the windows are filled with mechanical apertures that, like a camera, let in or block light, similar to a human pupil. Did a bit of wandering down rue St Dominique and ended the day doing a big loop down Rue Moufftard- a great cafe, pub street- and ending back at Jardin du Luxembourg. If I
end all my days there I will be very happy. Love it there. Oh I cant forget my food count! Ill make it simple,
Macarons.
Pierre Herme: voted, by some as the best. I waited in line, got four and was disappointed. One was experimental "garden" flavour but I dont think cucumber and lettuce belong in a cooKie. Chocolate too rich, raspberry too sweet and my marker of indication, the beurre sale,salted butter caramel, tasted too burnt. The meringue wasnt chewy enough and the other broke apart before i even got it out. Fail.
Bon marche: I dont even know why I got these, but they were there, but actually better than Pierre. the beurre sale had better flavour but the meringue was dry.
Restaurants.
Brasserie Baltzar: I was recommended this place. Got the cod, was served served it upside down, and I think it may have caused some stomach issues.
La fontaine de mars: highly recommended by a client. Cute atmosphere, got duck foie gras terrine, and " hard cooked eggs" which is hard boiled egg with small diced vegetables inside, covered, and I mean covered in mayonnaise. I know a certain person
who would really appreciate this, *coughsonjacough* but this was too rich a dish for me. I kinda felt sick after,and didn't eat dinner later. Felt too much.
Conclusion: already need a break from the rich french food and just eat salad and fruit.Pain au chocolat, however, does not apply in the category....
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