Sizzling and staying healthy in Paris

July 7, 2017 – Paris is in the middle of a four-day heat wave: la canicule.  Not nearly as deadly and long as the heat wave of 2003, this bout of bad weather does make walking in the afternoons and evenings uncomfortable and unhealthy.  So the best thing to do is what I did today: forget the normal morning routine of reading the news, writing, and editing.  Instead, get out and walk early – do those other things in the afternoon.  In addition to one long walk from 7 to 8AM, make several short outings (to the bakery, to the fromagerie, to the grocery, and to the wine store) later in the morning. 

You’ll be surprised at how the steps add up.  It is midday now, and I already have walked 9,000 steps.  Our walk to dinner at Le Pario tonight will add a few thousand more steps to that number, so that in spite of the heat wave, I will have had enough exercise for the day to stay healthy.

Art Deco building detail in the 15th arrondissement.

The bad ozone builds up in the late afternoon, too, so that’s another reason to stay in, with windows closed, in the afternoon.  (NEVER overdo physical activity when bad ozone levels are high; that can damage your arteries.)  That’s the time to laze about and watch the Tour de France (AFTER work at the computers is done, of course).  Late at night and in the early morning, we have windows open, so we can trap the cooler air in the apartment for the day.  Like the vast majority of places in Paris, we have no air conditioning.

Yesterday evening, I reserved a table for the five of us at the Bermuda Onion because we know that place is air conditioned adequately – after all, it is in a modern shopping mall -- and because we know they have food that our 16-year-old granddaughters will want to eat.  But we adults were unexpectedly surprised at the high quality of the cuisine that we were served.  There must be a new chef in the kitchen.  He or she is terrific.  The reason to go to Bermuda Onion at the Beaugrenelle Center now is the food.

Art Nouveau building detail in the 7th arrondissement, facing the Champ de Mars,

We started by sharing a Planche Asiatique­  ­- an assortment of shrimp tempura, chicken spring rolls, and vegetable samosas with a sweet and sour dipping sauce.  All this was perfectly fried, tasty, and non-greasy.  Tom and Dan had tender veal mignons with mushrooms and little potatoes in a dark, rich sauce.

 I had a healthy but delicious serving of barely poached salmon marinated in a clear, spicy Asian sauce on a bed of chopped fruit and cucumbers; called Escalopine de saumon and described as an “exotic salad,”  it was extraordinary.  I suppose many French people might not like it because it is so spicy, but I loved it.

Dan had two mojitos, which he said were the best he’d ever had.

Veal mignon with mushrooms and potatoes

The girls loved their hamburgers.  We didn’t mind the slow service so much because we were enjoying the air conditioning, which almost kept up with the dining room even though it was filling up with hungry people.  We’d never seen the Bermuda Onion so full.  We relaxed there in our plush, upholstered chairs for a couple hours.

My dessert, a Peach Melba, was also extraordinary.  Tom had a beautiful and generous café gourmand, and the girls each had a rich and good moelleaux au chocolat.  (Dan just had a glass of sweet white wine for dessert.)

Escalopine de Saumon

We were seated at a nice table by the window so we could look over the newly completed plaza below, the Seine just beyond it, and the Statue of Liberty at the end of the Ile aux Cygnes.  The plaza includes a sizeable Velib station (inexpensive bicycle rental) and some tasteful landscaping in what used to be an ugly, improvised parking area.

By the time we walked home, the temperatures were barely tolerable, but okay. 

I should mention enhanced security because people often ask me about that.  This year we are seeing more security measures, including guards checking bags as people enter attractions like the Beaugrenelle shopping mall – not just the museums.  

Bermuda Onion's hamburger and fries.

Even though my handbag is small, I always unzip it and hold it open for the guard to check, even before he asks me to.  And I always say “bonjour” and “merci” to the guard.  The girls have copied me on this, and so we leave a nice impression on these guys, who probably are hassled by at least a few people every day.  I don’t envy them their jobs.

Peach Melba

Treats served with the cafe gourmand.