The calm of mid-August

August 15, 2016 -- Not long ago, my friend Jean-Paul and I talked about how we like to just walk along through the market under the tracks at the Boulevard de Grenelle.  We usually don’t buy anything; we just walk along and look at all the goods, and all the people.  We’ve never done this together, of course, but separately.  Yet we know we’ve had the same experience, at the same market.

This Wednesday- and Sunday-morning market is one of many scattered throughout Paris, each with its own designated days of the week.  Most are just two days a week, in the morning, until 1PM.  A few are allowed to be open three days per week. Most of the booths sell food – produce, meat, poultry, eggs, cheese, foie gras, etc. – but many sell flowers, watches, shoes, clothing, costume jewelry, and more.

Evening on the balcony.

Tom is usually working on his textbook projects in the morning, but yesterday he opted to join me on my morning market walk.

There were plenty of people there, but not quite the crowds we’ve seen in the past.  And of course some of the market booth spaces were empty; that happens in August, when many vendors take their vacations.

Some of the empty spaces were taken over by oriental rug and furniture vendors.  The finer oriental rugs are like magnets to us, and we resist the urge to look closer.  In recent years, the U.S. has had an embargo against the import of Iranian rugs, and of course, those are often the finest ones on display.  The embargo was lifted this past January or February, as a small part of the landmark nuclear accord with Iran.

So now we COULD buy Iranian rugs, but we just aren’t in acquisitive mode.  As soon as Persian rug dealers notice what our eyes are drawn to, and then when they speak with us and discover that we know many of the names of various designs or the tribes who made them, they zero in on us.  It is hard to extricate oneself from the figurative grip of a good rug salesperson who knows just how addictive the love of Persian rugs can be.

Langoustine starter course at Axuria, on the Avenue Felix Faure.

We did well, taking in the sights yet avoiding the grip yesterday.  When we’d completed our tour of the colorful market, we veered off to the northeast to wander through the peaceful Place Dupleix.  We were surprised to armed soldiers patrolling the far edge of the Place, and we initially assumed that this was because that spot is near the Cuban embassy. 

We entered the middle of the little park and cut through to the other side, directly in front of the Saint Léon church.  Then we saw armed soldiers at the other end of the Place.  Church services were under way.  We concluded that the soldiers were guarding someone or some people in the church, not the Cuban embassy.

Today I see on the Saint Léon web site a notice in bright red, on the home page.  Here’s a translation:

SAFETY AWARENESS!
During the state of emergency, the doors of the main entrance of the church on the Place Dupleix will be closed during the Sunday services.

The Saint Léon church construction began in 1924, and in 1926, it became a parish independent of Saint John the Baptist of Grenelle (the church that is closest to our apartment).  Much of the beautiful Art Deco mosaic tile decoration of the Saint Léon church appears to be from the 1930s. 

We walked back to the apartment to have lunch, a simple salad.  In the evening, I donned a dress, and Tom put on his blazer, then we went for a circuitous hour-long walk that closely matched our wandering through the 15^th arrondissement on our first day in Paris together, back in 1998.

We discovered a FranPrix grocery store that was actually open until 10PM on this holiday weekend Sunday night!  It is at 143 Rue de Lourmel, at the intersection with the rues des Cevennes and Tisserand.  We stopped in to buy two boxes of zippered food storage bags, which we use as our own surreptitious doggy bags.  Tom usually has one in his jacket pocket when we go out in the evening.

Escargots prepared the traditional way, at Axuria.

On that first stroll in 1998, we got lost, but ended up at La Tour Eiffel brasserie in front of the St. John the Baptist church, where we found that we were no longer lost.  This time, we stopped to dine at Axuria, on the avenue Félix Faure, where I’d reserved a table about a week ago.  We could not get lost in the 15^th if we tried now, we know it so well.

I thought that the restaurant might be crowded since there are not many fine restos open in Paris on this mid-August holiday weekend.  (Today is the Catholic Church’s Feast of the Assumption – commemorating the day at the end of her earthly life when the Virgin Mary is taken up into heaven, body and soul.) 

As it turned out, only five tables were occupied as we completed our dinner – two singles, and three couples, including us.

People don’t know what they were missing.  Dinner was delicious, and the service was friendly and professional.  We were seated at a table in the window, right on the sidewalk.  We felt blessed.

Colorful leg of lamb for Sunday dinner at Axuria.

We began with a langoustine starter course.  Three of these tiny lobster tails were wrapped in a fine layer of crispy pastry, and served with a savory aspic topped with caviar.  Tom also ordered nine escargots, served in the traditional butter-parsley-garlic way.

As we enjoyed this beginning, a man in colorful Muslim attire walked past on the sidewalk, wishing us a “bon appetit.”  Tom responded, “merci, monsieur.”

Each of us ordered the tender leg of lamb for the main course, and of course Tom had to have the restaurant’s signature soufflé Grand Marnier for dessert. 

The incomparable soufflé Grand Marnier at Axuria.

That was a wonderful dinner, worthy of the Feast of the Assumption.  Tonight we’ll be dining at a slightly less formal place, Le Cap.  But I’m fairly certain that the food there will be wonderful in Le Cap’s own way.