The Fourth of July in Paris

July 5, 2017 – The five of us celebrated the fourth of July by walking 20,000 steps together in Paris.  We started by taking the metro to the Gare d’Austerlitz station so that we could visit the Menagerie at the Jardin des Plantes. 

The Menagerie is the old Paris zoo, still laid out in an early 20^th Century style.  The more modern Paris zoo is the “Parc Zoologique” in the Bois de Vincennes on the city’s east side.  We could have taken the metro there, but I read that on a hot afternoon, one doesn’t see so many animals there because they seek shelter from the hot sun.  They have more shelter to seek, since the Parc Zoologique is a modern, spacious zoo.

The Eiffel Tower photo I took during my morning solo walk (5,000 steps).

The afternoon was predicted to be hot, and Dan was interested in being in “his old stomping grounds in the Latin Quarter” (he has stayed in the apartment in the 6^th a few times – a place we used to occupy in September).  We decided our zoo experience would be better in the Menagerie of the Jardin des Plantes, on a sizzling summer day.

We saw monkeys, exotic birds, tortoises, large cats (including a snow leopard!), a panda, vicunas, yacks, a desert fox, and much more.  After we’d seen every creature we could, we had refreshments at a shady table near the ice cream and beverage stand. 

Storm troopers and Jedi knights that we saw at the foot of the rue Rollin.

At that table, I was pleased to hear the girls babble on about American politics.  They swear they’ll vote as soon as they’re 18 and that they will make sure all their friends vote.  Hearing this filled me with hope.  I love the girls’ politics, and I’m proud of the way they care about other people.  They have good moral fiber.

We explored the hill in the Jardin, and then exited to the rue Linné where we could easily walk to the Arènes, the old Roman arena turned into a ball park.  Tom had been wanting to walk down the colorful rue Mouffetard, and so we did.  The girls enjoyed that, but they were starting to be footsore and tired.  We could have taken the metro that’s near the end of the rue Mouffetard after we visited the St. Médard church.

But Dan wanted to walk by the Panthéon, so we walked all the way back up the hill and then down again to the Luxembourg Gardens.  Then I led them to the nearest metro, which wasn’t so near (Odéon), but somehow the girls made it, even though they were hot, tired, and hungry.

Sunflowers on the Champ de Mars.

For some reason, Dan and the girls wanted Japanese food, although I’m sure they can get better Japanese food at home in Louisville than they can in Paris.  In fact, Paris is kind of famous for having bad sushi.  Nevertheless, I took out my phone, and in the shadow of the Panthéon, I found a fairly well-rated Japanese restaurant on lafourchette.com, and it was located near our apartment.  I booked it.

Gazebo at the top of the hill in the Jardin des Plantes.

When we arrived home, there was only time for several minutes of rest before we walked the few blocks to Wako on the rue Mademoiselle for dinner.  The restaurant was sparkling clean, and the food was beautiful and good, but not great.  I was surprised that the girls could not use chop sticks, even though they do know about Japanese food.  I tried to teach Sarah how to use them, but Tom finally asked the server for a couple forks. 

Later, Tom and I talked about the evening and agreed that we should take the girls to a North African restaurant, something that would be far less common in Louisville.  This would be a more culturally enriching experience for them.  So we will go to Le Tipaza sometime soon.

Taking time to see and smell the roses

The Pantheon.

June 26, 2017 – Roses are still blooming in Paris in June.  They are past their prime, but still beautifully expressing exuberant splashes of color.  When I think of roses in Paris I think of the Jardin des Plantes, over in the 5^th arrondissement.  Of course, we have roses in the 15^th arrondissement, too, including the red beauties in the neglected front garden of the École Militaire – roses in a blood red hue, appropriate for that War College.  But we do not have roses in Sanibel, except for the ones in bouquets that Tom brings home from Costco (rainforest-friendly roses).

Roses in front of the Ecole Militaire.

The roses in the Jardin des Plantes are arranged in a well-tended formal corner near the natural history museum entrance.  Some grow on trellises which grace a lovely walk.  How I remember seeing my mom and dad on that walk, under the rose-laden trellises, years ago when they visited Paris before taking a river cruise.

Before the bloom was any more off the rose, Tom and I decided to visit the Jardin des Plantes.  After an easy and direct subway ride, we left the Austerlitz train station and entered the Jardin.  We strolled slowly through the main garden until we finally reached the rose garden.  After soaking that in, we visited the new/renewed biodiversity garden and saw a photographic exhibition about the gardeners.

Flowers adorn the steps leading up to the rue Rollin.

From there, a short stroll took us out of the Jardin and over to the former Roman arena, recreation area, called the Arènes de Lutece.  Tom’s goal was to wander through the heart of the 5^th arrondissement, which is full of sights, one right after the other.  Shortly after we traversed the arena and we found ourselves across the street from Hemingway’s tackiest apartment in Paris, on the rue Cardinal Lemoine near the rue Monge.  We decided to save the colorful rue Mouffetard for another walk on another day, and instead headed past the famed Lycée Henri IV to the stately Pantheon, where so many of France’s heroes are interred.  Another short stroll down the rue Soufflot took us to the gateway into the Luxembourg Gardens.  We enjoyed refreshments at the outdoor café in the Gardens, and then tried to walk out the gate onto the rue Vaugirard near the Musée du Luxembourg, but that didn’t happen.  Some formal event was taking place in the Orangerie, and a huge area around it was barricaded and posted with security guards.  We exited across from the rue de Fleurus instead, and decided to take that charming street, past Gertrude Stein’s old place, in the direction of home.

A small boy practices on his cello while mom works on her Ipad on the rue Rollin.

Dinner was next door at Le Café du Commerce.  The special of the day was a whole dorade royale (golden sea bream), and I could not resist it.  When a server brought it to me, she asked if I’d like to have her “prepare” it.  She meant debone it, and I replied, “No thank you, I will do it.”  She was surprised and said, “Are you sure?”  To that I replied, “I’m from Florida,” by way of explanation.  She said “Okay.”  (That conversation was all in French, by the way.)

If I debone the fish myself, I get more fish off the bone and it does not get cold before I can consume it.  Tom had beef carpaccio again.  Then he indulged in a café gourmand, which was pretty and nice.  My dessert was a little glass of Grand Marnier.  Mmmmm.  So good.

Cafe gourmand at Le Cafe du Commerce.