New places to go

There is nothing like a fine French dinner after a long day of work.  I just discovered the restaurant L'Etape  on the Rue de la Convention, although it has apparently been there for some time.  It reminded us of places where we used to dine regularly, like Oh Duo!, Le Tire Bouchon, Le Vieux Pressoir, and L'Epopée under its previous ownership -- all wonderful French restaurants that formerly existed in the 15th. 

I used to fret and wring my hands over the closings of these favorite places.  But now that we've been coming here for 21 years, I realize that this is just the way it goes.  Like all of us, these restaurant owners reach a point when it is time to move on.  New places will come, perhaps not in the same locations, but they will come.

The couple that runs L'Etape will probably retire in the not-too-distant future, so we shall enjoy the place while we can.

Tom wanted to share the paté foie gras as a starter course, and so we did.  He prefers foie gras in a terrine or paté, and I prefer mine as foie gras entier (the liver itself), but we both are flexible on this point.  Last night's paté foie gras came in alternating layers with apricots.  It was delicious!

Dorade Royale at L'Etape restaurant.

Tom then had a perfect rack of lamb with a beautiful potato purée, and I had a spectacular Dorade Royale and veggies cooked softly in butter.  A specialty of the house is chocolate soufflé for two, and we just could not resist that.

Rack of lamb and potato purée at L'Etape.

We were the only non-French people in the place, and Madame la Patronne, who was as nice as can be, spoke no English.  She was highly complimentary of our French. 

Tom went back toward the kitchen and thanked the chef, Christian Blondeau, just before we left.  The walk home took about 20 minutes -- just about the right amount of time to work off just a little of that soufflé.  We will return to L'Etape.

Chocolate soufflé at L'Etape.

This morning I took a long walk as I was completing my 13-hour fast.  When I reached the Boulevard de Grenelle, I remembered that it was market day on the Rue Saint Charles.  So I turned in that direction.

Soon I noticed a luxury hotel that I don't remember seeing before.  It is called Le Parisis, and it is near the rue Violet on the Boulevard de Grenelle.  Here are some photos of the place -- it looks nice, and seems to have been recently renovated.

The Academy for Flamenco dancing, on Rue de l'Eglise.

Then I paused to look at a classic brasserie called Les Prolongations, located mid-way between the rues Violet and Lourmel on the Boulevard de Grenelle.  This place isn't in Lafourchette, but it seems to have good reviews on TripAdvisor and Google.  It is owned by Nathalie and Jean Laffargue, who also have another attractive brasserie called Au Dernier Metro nearby.  The specialty at both places is Basque food, which I like.  So we may try one of them soon.

L'Abreuvoir restaurant on Rue Docteur Finlay.

I turned and walked down the rue Docteur Finlay to the intersection with the Rue Saint Charles, pausing for a moment to look at a place we've enjoyed in the past, when it was called the Bistrot D'en Face.  It has changed names and ownership, evidently.  Now it is called L'Abreuvoir.  It isn't in Lafourchette, either.  Like Prolongations, the Abreuvoir also has good reviews on Google and TripAdvisor.

On the Rue Saint Charles in the Beaugrenelle area, I paused to look at another attractive place we've seen but not tried, Le Pareloup.  It specializes in the legendary beef from the Aubrac region.  Tom loves steak, so we must try this place, too.  It also is getting very good reviews (and is not on Lafourchette).

A new flowerbed in the Square Violet.

Just before I reached the market area on the Rue Saint Charles, I noticed that the Bistro Champetre, a place where Tom and I had dined with some success (and a little frustration because it could be a tourist trap at times), has now become a Korean restaurant.  Korean restaurants are popping up everywhere!

I took the less-travelled Rue de l'Eglise on the way home, stopping to rest in the Square Violet.  This park's lawns and flowerbeds are being re-done, so temporary wood picket fencing is draped about here and there.  One of the flowerbeds is finished, and it is lovely.

Little tents set up for the Fireman's Ball for Bastille Day.

An animal darted out in front of me, taking me by surprise.  It was a cat.  So I sat quietly on a bench near the place where it had disappeared under a bush.  Soon I saw the cat's tail twitching, and behind the leaves I could see that she was playing with something in her front paws. 

My initial thought was that this was a feral cat, because we used to see so many feral cats in Paris, particularly in parks and cemeteries, years ago.  But the City had all those cats neutered and spayed, so eventually the feral cats were gone.

But when this morning's kitty darted out of the bushes again, this time to surprise and try to play with a little boy who was passing by, I could see that the young cat was too clean, healthy, and playful to be feral.  She probably lives in one of the apartments facing the park.

I walked over to look at an informative sign in the park, and then turned back to where the cat had been.  Now she was sitting out on the grass, looking in my direction, as if wondering where I went and was I coming back?

I approached slowly, and the cat let me take her picture.  She's a lovely tabby.

Young tabby cat in the Square Violet.

The local firehouse is in a former chateau that backs onto this park, and there I could see that the firemen are making preparations for the Bastille Day fireman's ball -- a big, raucous party that is open to the entire neighborhood.  

We went to this ball once, with our friend W, and found that it is a very drunken affair.  Once was enough.  We like knowing that these balls are going on at the firehouses all over the city, but we don't need to be there.  We'll party at home.

The holiday is fast approaching.  Party on!

Paris, from the sky

July 24, 2017 -- Pictures bring words to life.  Writer’s block doesn’t happen to me.  When it threatens, I simply turn to look at the photographs that I took yesterday – or even earlier.  Then the story pops into my head.

The photograph of the façade of the Saint Sulpice church, which I took with my sister in mind (she likes that façade), reminds me that the weather was a little cool and windy.  Tom and I noticed posters promoting a sale of men’s clothes.  The posters were sandwiched around posts and small trees all around the Place Saint Sulpice.   We recognized the address as that of the former workshop for Emile Lafaurie.

The Saint Sulpice church

The cooler weather inspired clothes shopping.  Who wants to try on clothes when the weather is hot and humid?

From our September stays in an apartment on the rue du Canivet, we knew about Emile Lafaurie.  His men’s apparel business has grown, but back in those days he toiled away, designing clothes, right there in the little space on the rue du Canivet.  The back of the space has a metal verriere ceiling, with frosted glass, providing just the right light for sewing by hand.

Now the space is empty, cleverly renovated with interior walls of varnished chipboard, and opened occasionally for a sale of odd lots of Emile’s clothes and shoes for men.  Tom likes the shirts, especially.

Poster advertising the sale of Emile Lafaure clothing.

We entered the workshop, and Tom tried on clothes for a while until he decided upon a handsome, long-sleeved blue shirt with tiny little red and white anchors all over it – perfect for a former Navy officer who lives on Sanibel Island.  The shirt also looks great with Tom’s casual, dark blue jacket that he wears in cool, damp weather. 

When he paid for the shirt, he decided to wear it so he wouldn’t have to carry a bag.  He hates to carry anything when we walk in Paris.  He needed that extra layer between his t-shirt and jacket because the temperatures dropped to the 60s – which is cold for South Floridians.

We ambled around the Luxembourg Gardens for a while.  We admired the new message on the old pavers on the narrow rue Férou, a message that clearly tells drivers that pedestrians rule that little rue.  We noticed on that same street that the upper floors of the building that contains the best apartment that Hemingway ever lived in in Paris is in need of serious repairs.  The wooden shutters are falling apart, and that isn’t quaint or cute.

The rue Ferou, where pedestrians have priority.

While we were walking, Dan and the granddaughters were at the Cluny museum, taking a look at the magnificent Unicorn tapestries.  We’ve seen these tapestries multiple times, so we just rode the metro to the 6^th arrondissement with them, then went our separate ways for a couple hours.

After our walk, we stopped in the Café de la Mairie for a drink, and we called Dan, who has Tom’s phone.  Tom and Dan and the girls met a little later, and went to the Café Bergamote for refreshments.  I took the metro home so that I could watch the end stage of the Tour de France. 

That final stage is when the Tour comes into Paris.  I simply LOVE the aerial views of Paris that this last day of the Tour provides on TV.  Why do I love looking at Paris from the sky?  I do not know. 

The apartment one level up from the street at 6 rue Ferou was the best place Hemingway ever lived in Paris.

This time, the videographers were focusing on more left bank sights than usual because of the slightly different entry point the Tour took into the city – the Porte d’Orleans instead of the Porte de Versaille.

A huge new Defense Ministry complex south of here has recently been completed.  Observing it from the air made it possible to see what a complicated and lovely architectural achievement it is.  We’ve noticed the construction going on for the past couple years.  Now it is done, evidently.  Some are calling it France’s version of the Pentagon, but I think it is even more architecturally interesting than that.  Plus, it has the largest solar-panelled roof in the city.   The cost of the complex?  4.2 billion euros.

The Musée du Quai Branly and its beautiful tropical garden were featured.  The new domes of the Russian Orthodox Church shone brightly.  The magnificent Grand Palais was a centerpiece of the show;  the Tour rode right through it!  The Grand Palais has great possibilities for the 2024 Olympics, so the City was cleverly showing it off.

The magnificent fountain in the Place Saint Sulpice.

When Tom, Dan and the girls came home, the end of the Tour was still happening, so we all watched together for a while.  Then they asked me to make a reservation for dinner via lafourchette.com.  They wanted to go to the new Italian place, Pietro Commerce.

So we did.  It was impossible to entirely consume the copious servings of pasta, etc. But the food was very good.

I saw visions of plenty early in the day, too, when I took my market walk.  This is a Sunday or Wednesday morning walk when I take in the full length of the market under the tracks at the Boulevard de Grenelle, then retrace my steps, walk up the avenue de le Motte Picquet to the end of the Champ de Mars, pause to look at the Eiffel Tower looming over the Champ, walk on to the colorful pedestrian market street of rue Cler, walk its full length and turn left to go back to the Champ de Mars, cross it, and walk home. This is about 8,000 steps.

Add to that an afternoon walk and an evening walk and soon I’m at 15,000 to 20,000 steps for the day.  You’ll notice that by combining an afternoon walk with a metro ride, we are covering much territory in Paris this summer.

And the beat goes on.