From the Seine to India

The Square Dupleix is a small and typical Parisian park that we frequently walk through on our way to the Champ de Mars.  It is the centerpiece of an attractive, quiet neighborhood that is surprisingly close to the Eiffel Tower.  The square is dominated by two playgrounds for children, and an old-fashioned gazebo in the center – a good place for band concerts, although we’ve never heard one there.

There is just enough open space left over to erect a small circus tent.  Every summer, the Gontelli circus sets up there for weeks.

When we walked through Square Dupleix yesterday, the circus was in action.  Moms, dads, and kids were lined up to enter the colorful little tent, to see what wonders it might hold.  Recorded circus music drifted though the air.

The flowers at the Square Honore Champion on the rue de Seine are gorgeous.

We crossed the Champ de Mars and crossed the avenue de la Bourdonnais so that we could walk through the magical tropical garden at the Musée du Quai Branly.  As we entered through the gates, the security guard took a really good look inside my little bag, instead of the cursory glance that the bag usually gets.

We crossed the Quai Branly and descended to the banks of the Seine.  There was no mob walking along the banks because it was a weekday; on weekends now the banks are crowded with pedestrians.  The Berges de la Seine project has been a huge success; pedestrians rule, and the highway along the Seine is no more.  Yesterday, we walked comfortably among just the right number of pedestrians.

Faust, the restaurant under the Pont Alexandre III, was heavily damaged by flooding last year.  Now
it is looking better than ever, and it has added high-top "terrace" seating under the bridge.

Nowadays you can count on seeing several temporary attractions set up along this stretch of the left bank.  Yesterday’s attractions included a vibrant section featuring the wonders of Colombia.  We sat on a bench for several minutes to watch the scene, which included some Latin dancing.

Later, we checked out a photo display about Dalida.  The purpose isto promote an exhibition about this French entertainer’s wardrobe, currently showing at the Palais Galliera, the fashion museum for the City of Paris.

At the Pont des Arts, between the Louvre and the French Academy, we climbed back up to the street level to walk along the rue de Seine, looking into the many trendy art galleries, until we reached the busy little rue de Buci.  By the time we were near the Mabillon metro station, it was close enough to our dinner reservation time that we decided just to take the metro all the way to the Charles Michel station, and spend a few minutes sitting on a bench, watching people in the Place Charles Michel.

At rush hour, this is entertaining because so many people are criss-crossing the Place, and they make a diverse display of almost-frenetic activity.

Looking into Faust as the restaurant prepares to open for the evening.

Then it was time to walk over to Annapurti, and Indian restaurant on the rue Lourmel.  I’d noticed its good reviews in lafourchette.com, and when we’d walked past it on our way home from Le Blavet the night before, I thought it looked clean and inviting.

We had no idea how good it was going to be.  What a surprise!  This little place with not-so-lavish Hindu décor is a gem.  The food did not arrive at the table too quickly; we took that as a good sign, that everything was being freshly prepared.  And it was!

The samosa and pakora starters were perfectly and beautifully presented.  The three classic Indian chutneys were clearly homemade, and the spicy one made my taste buds dance.  The garlic naan also seemed to be homemade, and was infused with some herbs in addition to the garlic.  It was served piping hot from the oven.

An old sealed-off well tucked into the end of a street in the Village St. Paul.

Tom’s lamb biryani was served with a separate bowl of tamarind sauce; its deep, rich, dark red color was very representative of its taste.  The korma sauce was heavenly – made with crème fraiche instead of heavy cream, and incorporating only the choicest ingredients – like clearly top-quality cashews – this was a sauce you’d expect to find in a pricey restaurant. (Our total bill for dinner was just 62 euros.)

The top-quality lamb in both the biryani and korma was tender, moist, and flavorful. 

We shared a kulfi for dessert.  In the past, I have not particularly liked this Indian version of ice cream.  But at Annapurti last night, I learned to love it – because it was so good.  The flavor we had was saffron and pistachio.

Now we have a new favorite Indian restaurant in Paris, and we’re delighted.

Hopeful surprises and favorable hazards

Notre Dame, as seen from the Pont de l'Archeveche

July 26, 2017 – The adventure often starts with a ride on the metro.  All five of us took the line 10 to the Place Maubert.  We climbed the metro steps and emerged on the Place as the last of the vendors were packing up their wares.  Market day was over by 2PM. 

Olivia, Sarah, and Tom Cooley ride the metro.

As we walked up the rue de Bievre, Tom and I told Olivia and Sarah about the Bievre (a French word for “beaver”), which is a stream that flows into the Seine.  As “civilization” progressed in Paris, the stream became an open sewer, and eventually was covered over.  But the street name of Bievre lives on, and so does its story. 

Graffiti in the Village St. Paul

[Translation of the graffiti at left:
There aren't accidents, there are hopeful surprises of fortuitous circumstances, and the favorable hazards.]

Graffiti in the Village St. Paul

The Bievre enters the city near the border of the 13^th and 14^th arrondissements, according to Wikipedia.  But you can’t see it; it is under the street level in Paris.  You just have to believe it is there.

Once upon a time, the Bievre served the famous Gobelins tapestry factory, which is in what is now the 13^th arrondissement.  Perhaps we will visit Gobelins sometime this summer.

When we reached the end of the Bievre, we crossed the Seine on the Pont de l’Archiveche, which gave us a lovely backside view of Notre Dame.  We entered the little park which is now the entrance to a memorial monument to those deported to concentration camps during World War II.  The guardienne of the monument told us about how to enter and move through it. 

Cleverly painted shop window
 in the Village St. Paul

Trompe l'oeil painting of a door
in the Village St. Paul

Olivia and Sarah have been learning about the World Wars and the Holocaust, so they were interested in seeing the exhibit.  The guardienne had instructed us to be very quiet as we proceeded through the exhibit, and the girls were indeed quiet, attentive, and respectful.

When we exited the monument, Tom and Dan decided that we should walk up the middle of the Ile Saint Louis.  The girls were content just to walk along the colorful street; they felt no need to go into the shops.  They’re like me.

We left the island so that we could explore the St. Paul neighborhood in the 4^th arrondissement.  Wandering aimlessly through the courtyards of the Village Saint Paul and then into the Marais, I temporarily lost my sense of direction.  That rarely happens.

We stopped for refreshments at Le Sevigne (15 rue de Parc Royal).  I was excited to see that the place serves Mariage Freres tea.  I’d told Olivia and Sarah about that brand, and was pleased to see them have the opportunity to try it.  We sat under a large crystal chandelier at a plain table in a room with old stone walls.  The girls each consumed a thé gourmand while Dan and Tom had ice cream treats and Dan drank some strange red martini-like cocktail.  We all shared a plate of excellent, piping hot fries.  The Sevigne did not look like much from the street, but it was a delightful surprise. 

We carried on, walking through the Marais, including the rue de Rosiers in our path, and finally reached the Hotel de Ville (Paris City Hall).  As part of the pervasive campaign to promote Paris as the site for the 2024 Olympics, an athletic track has been set up in the big square in front of the Hotel de Ville.  It is a strange contrast with the decorative old building.

We crossed over to the Ile de la Cite where we saw plenty of souvenir shops.  Olivia wanted a black “Le Chat” t-shirt and Sarah wanted a Paris sweatshirt.  Olivia and I ventured into a shop together.  I found the right shirt for her, in the right size, and bought it.  Then Tom, Dan and Sarah entered the shop and, with lots of help from the shopkeeper, found the right sweatshirt for Sarah.  The girls also bought Eiffel Tower keychains for their friends and a beautiful, pink silk Paris scarf for their half-sister, Hannah.

Sometimes those ubiquitous sourvenir shops can be helpful.

Shops in the Village St. Paul

I led the pack through the swarming crowd in front of Notre Dame, through the Square Viviani, past the ancient church of St. Julien le Pauvre, past the odd little green medieval house that Tom and I could have bought at one point, through the Huchette, past the church of St. Severin, the Canadian bookshop on the rue de Parcheminerie, and right down to the metro at Cluny La Sorbonne.

And so ended the day’s adventure, but the evening’s fun was about to begin.

The athletic courts on the other side of the fence here in the St. Paul
neighborhood are on the site of what was once a crowded and colorful
Jewish ghetto.  The neighborhood was demolished in an ill-advised
"urban renewal" which was undoubtedly fueled by anti-Semitism.

Dan, Olivia, and Sarah deciding which way to go when exiting the Village St. Paul.

We dined near the apartment, at l’Alchimie, my favorite restaurant in Paris.  Situated in a quaint, country-looking building on the rue Letellier, the resto is run by the talented Chef Eric Rogoff and his elegant wife. 

I ordered one paté foie gras starter dish for us all to share.  The girls had not yet tried foie gras, and Eric’s foie gras was definitely the one to use to introduce them to this classic.  They both liked it, even after I told them it was goose liver!

Gargoyles on the St. Severin church.

Tom and the girls had beef tenderloin in a luscious brown pepper sauce; Dan had a turbot filet; and I had a stunning whole sole meuniere – perhaps the best I’ve ever tasted.  Madame had asked me ahead of time if I would like the chef to debone the fish, and she was not surprised at all when I said I would do it myself. 

That heavenly fish came with the absolutely correct steamed potatoes.  The others each had a dark, rich moelleux au chocolat for dessert, and I was content to watch them eat while I finished a glass of cold, crisp sauvignon blanc. 

Panorama of the Hotel de Ville (thanks to Autostitch software).

Back at home in the apartment, the five of us settled down to quietly use our devices, as we often do.  Tom checks his email on his computer, Dan checks on airline reservations using his phone, the girls use their phones to text their friends about all they saw and did in Paris today, and I read the Washington Post on my Kindle Fire – a modern day Norman Rockwell scene.