Paris at the gentle speed of walking

Paris is still the territory of flaneurs like us -- people who love to walk.  We have the time to walk.  We let the city soak in at that gentle speed of walking.

For those who need to move faster and who want to stay above ground, out of the subway, bicycles and scooters are available everywhere for a minimal rental fee.

Walking home along the Rue Mademoiselle last night, toward the church of St. John the Baptist of Grenelle.

The City of Paris has been making improvements to bicycle lanes and paths at almost every opportunity.  This morning, I noticed the bike lane on the broad Quai André Citroen, which is said to be representative of the City's currently favored type of bike-way.  It is part of a network that includes bike-ways paralleling the full, parabolic length of the Seine in the city, connecting the suburb of Issy-les-Moulineaux on the west to Ivry-sur-Seine on the east. 

Bi-directional bike lane on the Quai André Citroen.  The
same type of lane was created this year on the Quai de Grenelle.

Many narrower one-way streets in Paris have bike lanes that go in the opposite direction -- the contre sens.  The Rue du Commerce, where we walk most often, is one of those streets.  As pedestrians, we must always remember to look both ways when crossing this street since this contre-sens bike lane was painted.  That's easy to forget.  A number of serious accidents have resulted from these opposite-direction bike lanes.  So the elected officials of the 15th arrondissement have "denounced the quality of the implementation of the opposite-direction bike lanes."  Subsequently, the Paris City Council has recommended improvements to be made.  We shall see . . . .

Foot-operated bike tire pump in the Place St. Charles.

This year, we have noticed that City has installed bike tire pumps in many public squares.  How nice!

Tom and I think bicycling in the city is still too dangerous for us, and we do not own bike helmets.  One should never bicycle without a helmet when surrounded by concrete, metal, and stone!

We walk.  Our goal is about 5 miles a day.  If we walk much more than that, we risk damaging Tom's hip and my knee.  But I consider 5 miles of walking to be a minimum amount of daily exercise. 

Parisian women are increasingly wearing sneakers instead of stylish shoes.  I do have sneakers that I wear here sometimes -- but they have a floral pattern, so I think they're acceptable.  I bought them last year, right here on the Rue du Commerce.

Yesterday, we made the mistake of putting our walk off until evening.  Then it rained enough to nix the long walk after dinner that we'd planned.  Even so, we walked over a mile just to go to dinner and back.

Dinner was at Bacco, and French-Italian restaurant on the Rue Mademoiselle, near the old center of the former village of Grenelle.  We began by sharing a Burratina (Italian cheese that's better than mozzarella), and then proceeded with milk-fed pork and risotto for Tom and prawns with risotto for me.  It was all very good, if a bit too salty, and the service was warm and professional.

Bacco, a French-Italian restaurant on the Rue Mademoiselle.

I like the modern decor of Bacco, plus the fact that the old wood beams of the old village-y building are still visible on the ceiling.

Cochon de lait (milk fed pork) and risotto cubes at Bacco.

Prawns with risotto at Bacco.

The welcome rain intensified as we walked home, hugging each other under my little umbrella. 

This morning, I walked the full length of the Rue Saint Charles outdoor market (Tuesdays and Fridays).  Then I strolled up to the Beaugrenelle shopping area, and down the ramp to the Port de Javel to get a look at the Statue of Liberty's face before I went home; I usually see her back, from the Allée des Cygnes.

There she is, lighting up the world with the promise of welcome to the tired, the poor, the huddled masses yearning to breathe free.

The facts and a fine Italian evening in Paris

The hot weather reminded me that Bacco, a relatively new fancy Italian resto in our neighborhood, is air conditioned – sort of.  So I made a reservation via lafourchette.com -- with a 30 percent discount.

We were warmly greeted when we arrived.  We think we were remembered, but I’m sure the database maintained by lafourchette.com helps to prod the restaurant owners’ memories.  That’s all well and good, if you ask me.

We were seated at the same table we always have when we dine at Bacco -- by the front window.  Our shared starter course, a Burratina (Italian cheese served with raw vegetables and fine Parma ham) was beautiful and delicious.

The Burratina at Restaurant Bacco

Tom had a tender and tasty onglet of beef that was served in medallions, and I had a barely seared red tuna and vegetable croustillant that was superb.  Dessert was a glorious tiramisu that I should have photographed but did not.

By the time we left, the restaurant was filling up with people and the air conditioning was struggling to keep up.  We paid the bill before we melted and then had a pleasant stroll home.

There is another, less fancy, new Italian place nearby, on the picturesque Place Etienne Pernet, which we will try tonight.  We’ve passed by there during the dinner hour recently, and it looks promising.

Italian olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and sparkling
water at Restaurant Bacco

Today I arose early and went for a 10,000 step hike before the heat and humidity intensified.  Tom went for a mid-day walk that was a little less demanding.  Both of our walks involved ambling through the outdoor market under the Grenelle tracks.  I saw it in the morning as the vendors were setting up; Tom saw it in late morning, when it was going full swing, but still was not too crowded because it was Wednesday, not Sunday.

Yesterday, Tom had ventured out solo to go to his second doctor’s appointment of this summer (just routine). 

After Tom’s appointment, we had another pleasant French pharmacy experience in which Tom bought a month’s supply of his blood pressure medication for 4.20 euros.  This isn’t the co-pay; this is the entire amount.  Health care, including prescription medication, is far less expensive here than in the U.S.  An ordinary office visit with the doctor, with a full 20 minutes of the doctor’s time, is only 85 euros.  Again, this is not the co-pay; this is the FULL cost.  This is not a political statement folks; these are facts.

Tom is very pleased with his primary care doctor here in France.  He wishes there was someone just like her in Fort Myers or Sanibel.

Paris in the summer, when it sizzles

August 27, 2016 -- The restaurant Bacco on the rue Mademoiselle gets into the spirit of the 15^th arrondissement’s past with a décor that is “industrial.”  The tables have metal tops, the colors are dark, lighting is good, and lines are simple.  We were warmly greeted when we entered; the hostess called me “Madame Barbara.”

We were pleased that the air conditioning was turned on for this sizzling hot evening, but we noticed that it seemed a little weak.  Sure enough, as the dinner hour went on, more people filled the space, and the kitchen fired away – the dining room became uncomfortably warm.

Mural at the top of an apartment building near the avenue de la Motte Picquet

We were given a mis en bouche of velvety, cool potato soup with several other flavors blended in – too many to remember.  But it was delicious.

Our starter course was very good, too:  la burratina: mozzarella burratina D.O.P.*, pesto de pistache, caviar d’aubergine et jambon de Parme Ferrari 24 mois.  This was a mozzarella burrata with pistachio pesto, eggplant, and Parma ham aged 24 months.  Balsamic vinegar and olive oil were brought to the table with it, so I drizzled some on the plate.  I’ve never had a burrata that was so good!

Tom’s main course was l’onglet d’Angus : cœur d’onglet de bœuf Angus, sauce au poivre sauvage de Madagascar, pommes « Pont-Neuf », asperges vertes et carotte nouvelles.  These were morsels of Angus beef steak with wild pepper sauce from Madagascar, “Pont Neuf” potatoes (essentially, steak fries), asparagus, and baby carrots.  Tom said the beef was good, and correctly prepared given the type of cut.  But most interesting was the way the dish was arranged on its rectangular plate (below).

My main dish was le risotto tourteau-gambas: risotto à la chair de tourteau et au safran, gambas juste poêlées, pointes d’asperges vertes, coulis de pousse d’épinard au beurre noisette.  This was a crabmeat and jumbo shrimp risotto with saffron asparagus, and a spinach sauce with brown butter.  It looked beautiful but the flavor was a little heavy and dull.  The shrimp were almost overcooked, but not quite.  I didn’t finish the risotto, which caused the waiter a little concern.  He asked about it, and I explained that it was good, but “c’est beaucoup” – too much.

Crabmeat and jumbo shrimp risotto at Bacco.

Our shared dessert was le canon de cacao: Parfait glacé à la mangue, fruit de la passion, cylindre de cacao croustillant garni de mousse légère au chocolat blanc.  It was excellent!  The centerpiece of it was a cylinder made of a thin crust of cocoa filled with a light white-chocolate mousse. 

The cocoa cannon with white chocolate moose and mango sherbert.

Chef Olivier Thiebaut is doing a good job at Bacco, but the menu is short, so it is difficult to visit the restaurant very frequently – there just isn’t enough variety.  But it is open for both lunch and dinner, and its style of cuisine – a mix of French and Italian – is unique for the neighborhood.

The neighborhood was quiet again as I walked early this morning.  Joggers, delivery truck drivers, and a few walkers like me were the only people out and about as the sun rose just after 7AM.

I walked up the Avenue de la Motte Picquet.  When I was near the equestrian statue across from the Ecole Militaire, a little woman passing by me stopped to say, in French, that this is the only time of day when there is a little coolness for walking.  We chatted about the weather for a minute or two, and then went on our separate ways. 

The St Francois Xavier church on the
Boulevard des Invalides

If this were a small town, I wouldn’t have been surprised.  But to be stopped by a stranger on the streets of Paris just for idle chit-chat is very unusual.  I took it as a sign that this will be a good day.

I walked to rue Cler.  The only action on that market street was – you guessed it – several trucks making deliveries.  After inspecting that sleepy market, I continued on the rue de Grenelle to the Place Salvador Allende, then turned back to the Avenue de la Motte Picquet toward home.  On the way, I looked up to see a cute mural of an old blue race car at the top of an apartment building just off the avenue. 

I went on to the Place du Commerce again, because I’ve learned that pausing there for a rest before going home is a great way to cool off.  The park benches are clean, and the flower beds are stunning.

I sit beneath the trimmed chestnut trees with my back to the Commerce Café, so I just hear the pleasant clinking of tableware being arranged and set.  I pretend to look at my phone a little, but I’m really listening to the birds.

Another sizzling summer day has dawned in Paris.

----

*Denominazione di Origine Protetta