The Petit Palais and Le Tipaza

July 6, 2017 -- My granddaughters, Olivia and Sarah, did not have handbags, and so they had been carrying their smartphones in their hands every place that we walked.  So my morning’s solo walk was to the outdoor market under the elevated tracks on the Boulevard de Grenelle.  I walked the whole length of the market, examining the wares at the stalls that sell handbags, and finally picked out two small, cross-body zippered bags – one in beige, and one in navy blue.  Each is big enough for a smartphone and a few other small items, such as money, eyeglasses, and keys.

The girls seemed to be delighted with the bags when I returned from the market and presented them. 

Looking at the garden from the cafe at Le Petit Palais

During our long walk yesterday, the girls walked with me, while Dan and Tom followed several steps behind.  Our goal was the Petit Palais, a City of Paris Beaux Arts museum in a gorgeous building just off the Seine, at the foot of the exuberantly decorative Pont Alexandre III.  When we approached the Esplanade des Invalides, we saw lots of police cars, barriers, and police.  A thin crowd gathered along the barriers.  Somebody famous was about to pass through the Esplanade and the bridge.  We kept on walking where we were allowed to walk, and I was hoping we’d be allowed to cross over the bridge.

Just as we approached the bridge, whoever the famous person was rode by in a dark sedan, with plenty of escort vehicles in front and behind.  Another escorted sedan passed by shortly after, and then the way was clear.  We were able to cross the street and walk along the bridge to the museum, no problem.

The "plat bistronomique" at Le Petit Palais

We never did learn what famous person(s) passed by. 

We arrived at the museum at noon, and the girls were already hungry and a little footsore.  So we went straight to the charming café off of the museum’s garden, where the girls had hamburgers, Tom had a Caesar salad with chicken, Dan had a pasta dish, and I had the “bistronomique” plate:  poached chicken with sautéed strips of turnips and carrots, in a creamy mustard sauce, with a little barely cooked baby spinach.  It is much like a dish that I make at home (one that I learned at La Belle Pomme cooking school), with the addition of the baby spinach.  Now I know to add the spinach, one of my favorite vegetables.

Dan and the girls were pleased with their lunches.  Tom and I were enthusiastic about ours – such healthy food, so well prepared!  This must be one of the better museum cafés in the Western world!

Olivia and Sarah stuck with me as we looked at all the works of art.  We didn’t arrange it that way; that’s just what the girls wanted to do.  Tom and Dan were left to each other.  When we women were finished with seeing the museum, we simply sat in front of my favorite painting (Leon L’hermitte’s huge and chaotically wonderful depiction of Les Halles in the 19^th Century), knowing that the two men would come find us.  We sat and chatted away, and sure enough, Dan and Tom showed up after a short while.

Olivia and Sarah rest their feet in the garden at
the Quai Branly museum.

We walked back along the Seine, passing a new exhibit being installed now.  It features a large, sleek hydrogen powered boat.  When the exhibit is completed, I’m sure we will visit it because it looks fascinating.

The girls were very tired again when we reached the apartment.  We all rested, and then I was asked to make a reservation at Le Tipaza for dinner.   That I did, so by 8PM we were at the restaurant – another 30-minute walk.  The young ladies and I wore dresses (at my suggestion) because the weather was hot and Le Tipaza is sort of fancy.  Olivia and Sarah experienced North African cuisine – something they’d not done before.  Dinner was a success, although the grilled meats were a bit tough.  The tagines that Dan and I ordered were great.  Sarah’s couscous dish was good, but somewhat lacking in meat.  So I gave her some of my braised beef; there was plenty of it.

Tom and I find that our granddaughters do whatever I ask or suggest, no questions or arguments.  And they listen to what I have to say.  Of course, I listen to them at length, too.  When Tom or Dan try to tell them about something, their attention drifts away after a minute or so.  None of us are sure why this is the case.  It’s like I’m one of the girls, but Tom and Dan are the boring adults. 

It isn’t like I don’t act like an adult.  If I see some bad table manners, for example, I will mention it gently, and then say what the appropriate behavior would be.  I don’t get any bad feedback from the girls when I do this.  I’m not sure why – they are teenagers, after all.

I’m just enjoying it while I can.