The main task for today is to find a restaurant for Wednesday when we have invited Georgette, Guy and Nelly for lunch. The restaurant book on which I rely describes a place not far from here, Le Pamphlet, which sounds very good. If we can get a reservation, it will be our choice and I will report on it after we dine there.
Harley decided to go to St. Gervais to hear the organ and find if it is possible to play on the organ sometime. It is the organ described earlier which is about 500 years old and on which Couperin played.I went to check out the restaurant, Le Pamphlet. It is closed today but I was able to find exactly where it is located and read the posted menu. Sounds good. That done I walked to the Bastille and took the metro to Gare Austerlitz to get tickets for our trip to Limoges on Friday. More expensive than I thought, it costs 100 Euros from Paris to Limoges, one way. Turns out I got us on the TGV rather than the local train. Not what I had planned. When you buy a ticket for the TGV it is for the specific train on the given date with reserved seating.
Coming back home, I walked across a bridge over the Seine just west of Gare Austerlitz to get some photos. With the sun shining brightly, it was the ideal time and place to get some good shots along the river including a picture of Notre Dame far to the West. The river in both directions provides interesting views from this spot. Can't help loving this city.
Had to hurry home, because with only one key to the apartment, I had to get back before Harley or he would be locked out.
Lunch was leftovers from yesterday with some couscous added. Because it was such a beautiful day and much warmer than earlier in the month, we ate with the heat off and the front window open to enjoy the fresh air and the sounds of a street filled with people out for a Sunday stroll or for shopping.
Both yesterday and today the streets were filled with people. It reminds me of what I have read of the Spanish habit of strolling about on a nice afternoon or evening. The sidewalks were packed. Part of this is due to the fact that Parisians walk! Of course, if you had to drive in Paris you might walk too. And besides walking, many use motorbikes, bicycles (either their own or ones that can be rented for the day at a quite reasonable price from stations scattered about the city), and even in-line skates to move about the city.
Thierry called this afternoon to invite us to visit him and his wife, Pierrette in the Lot et Garonne. His home is near Bergerac which is southwest of Limoges so it makes sense to go there from Limoges after we visit Yvonne. As a result of these two visits our time in Paris is now quite limited. It will be great to see our friends, but I will miss Paris. We haven't accomplished much while we have been here. Still many things to see and do. Guess we'll have to come back next year and perhaps stay for a longer time. Still stopping at every real estate agency to scan the apartments for sale!
Another note on the apartment. There are no doors except for the one to the toilet (which is the size of a small closet - the toilet that is, not the door). And it contains the toilet, a miniature sink and bookshelves over the toilet containing all manner of travel books about Paris and nearby areas of France. There is no door to the room where you bathe or to the dressing area between the bathroom and the bedroom. And instead of a door between the bedroom and living room, there is a window shade mounted in the doorway. Different, but not a problem with only the two of us.
Monday - March 16
Monday seems to be street washing day in Paris. On the way to get the paper this morning I saw many people hosing down the sidewalks in front of their buildings or shops and sweeping the water into the street. And the green men were out in force washing down the streets and collecting the trash which had been dropped over the busy weekend. The street system provides a continual water source which pours out from the curb and is then used to clear away dirt and debris. Works well.
We took a long walk this morning to find out about renting a car which will probably be the best way to travel from Limoges to Lot et Garonne. My French is improving slightly but it is still hard to follow telephone conversations. Some car companies add a surcharge to the rental fee if you are 75 or older and we weren't sure how much that would be. But Europcar, the company we visited, does not have an additional fee so if we go with them, that will make it easier.
Tuesday - March 17
The internet and, in particular, SKYPE is amazing. I hadn't gotten through to Sandy for her birthday so I decided to use SKYPE to contact her if she were online. Sure enough as soon as I "phoned" her with SKYPE she answered and I could see her and talk to her. And it is all free. What a great invention. Also saw Satch when he sat on her lap asking her help in building a "humanoid" that is probably part of the Lego collection which he and Eli possess.
Sandy, Vic, Eli and Satch are leaving tomorrow for Istanbul for a weeks visit. I am looking forward to hearing about it as it is one of the places on my list of "to be seen". Sandy and the boys will then return to Singapore while Vic goes on to London on university business.
One of the nicest things to have happened in France is the banning of cigarette smoking in restaurants. It makes it so much nicer to go out to eat. Smoking is permitted at outside tables or in rooms which have their own ventilation system but not in the main dining room or at the bar. Bravo!!
Today the weather is again beautiful, the third day in a row. So it seems like a good time to visit another area in Paris. Checking a combination of Paris Walks ideas and restaurant suggestions and maps, we decided on a combination of walks. Belleville was the first objective (part of walk # 45. While the Marais is tres chic, Belleville is a working class neighborhood with many immigrants of different ethnicities. There are Muslims from Arab countries and from Africa, other Africans, Jews, and Asians. One area where we walked must be the Paris Chinatown as there were large numbers of Chinese restaurants and Chinese grocery stores. There were also some Vietnamese and Cambodian restaurants plus kosher shops and restaurants. We started at the metro stop, Belleville which was also the start of a large outdoor market. Fitting into the less affluent neighborhood, there were more stands with inexpensive clothes and the food items were much lower priced of lower quality and less elegantly displayed than in other markets we had visited. And the aisles were jam packed with people. Almost impossible to move at times.
After some time at the market, we decided we were hungry so we set out in search of a restaurant found in the 102 Best Restaurants book. And as usual it was easy to get lost. We had three different maps: one from the walk card, one on our main map of Paris and one I had sketched from the Yellow Pages which provide the most detailed and accurate maps for each arrondisement. So after wandering in a small hopeless circle, it was time to stop and spend a few minutes analyzing the maps and the possibilities. Aha, we are north of the main street, rue de Belleville and we should be south of it. I am going to lose my navigator's licence if I'm not more
careful.
Returning to rue de Belleville we happened upon the right street quite by accident and found the restaurant, Le Baratin on rue Jouye-Rouve in the 20th. It was a quite tiny, pleasant place seating about 25 people and definitely a neighborhood restaurant, not a tourist place. We were a few minutes early for lunch (nothing starts here for lunch before noon) but we were seated and had a chance to study the wine list posted on a large blackboard.
While we waited, the owner went out to get the baguettes for the day and returned with them, unwrapped and stuffed casually under his arm. Such a mode of transport would never fly in the US. Soon thereafter another blackboard was produced with the prix fixe menu for the day with the choice of a starter, choice of a main and cheese or dessert to finish. The food was good but didn't live up to its description. First time the restaurant book let us down. But the place was pleasant and the people friendly so we enjoyed ourselves.
Side note: Why hasn't the US adopted the idea of the handheld machines which are brought to the table to process credit cards?
Leaving the restaurant we walked 1/2 block up the street to the Parc de Belleville and sat down to enjoy the view and the beautiful Spring day. It was now time for another Paris Walks escapade.
Heading west we made our way to the Canal St. Martin which flows from the Seine through the northeast part of Paris, sometimes disappearing for a time when it is covered by a street and then emerging again to provide a pleasant stretch of water (Walk # 29). The canal is crossed by a number of pretty bridges and contains a several locks.
Off of the canal the walk card suggested a short detour to visit the Hopital St. Louis which was built in the early 17th century to house plague victims in isolation. It is a large compound and quite attractive having been designed by the same architect who designed the Place des Vosges. In the center is a similar square, not quite as elegant but very pleasant.
Returning to the canal, we continued to walk along it until we headed for the metro stop recommended as the end.
It bears repeating that the Paris metro system is a major asset for this city. I don't know of any city in the US that is as well served. It took three trains to get back to our area, but it was possible to connect and return to the apartment quickly.
Interesting fact: The name of our street is rue Vieille du Temple. There is another street named rue du Temple. Our street is older and when rue du Temple was constructed, the name of our street was Vieille rue du Temple which makes sense since it means the old rue du Temple. Then one day a bureaucrat decided that all street names must begin with the word rue. Hence the change in name so that it now does not make sense.
Wednesday - March 18
The day is again sunny and comfortable. After a quiet morning, we walked to the restaurant, Le Pamphlet. Our friends were due at 1:00 and it seemed a good idea to be there when they arrived. So, as usual we were much too early. But the dining room was very attractive and it was pleasant to sit and enjoy the ambiance. Georgette and Guy arrived just about 13:00. Nelly didn't get there until about 13:30 so we had a good chance to chat, in French of course. Georgette very kindly speaks slowly and distinctly so Harley was also able to follow along with most of the conversation.
The menu has a 35 Euro prix fixe section with good choices for entree, main and dessert. The a la carte menu also is tempting but the prix fixe is a good buy so Nelly, Harley and I had that. Guy and Georgette chose the tete a veau. I've never tried that but it is their favorite. They decided to skip the entree and dessert. We also had a very good red Sancerre from the Cote du Rhone. I had never seen a red Sancerre before. It was most pleasant with a spicy aftertaste.
Let me describe my dinner. The entree (note that the French use entree to mean the starting dish, which makes excellent sense) was made up of a circle of puff paste covered with a delicious sauce, grilled sardines, some tiny greens and grated Parmesan cheese. Small rolls were also served. Next came three of the best small lamb chops I've ever had served on of bed of polenta. And last was dessert - a mille feuille with a pistachio cream between the pastry leaves and a scoop of pistachio ice cream at the side. They also placed a plate of petit fours on the table in case you needed more food. And then we all had coffee which is quite expensive at this restaurant. Harley and I had doubles and the others took singles, which are the size of an espresso. One double cost 8 Euros otherwise know as about $11.00. It was excellent coffee! Everything was first rate. I'd love to go back there for a going away dinner.
It was also pleasant to note the different sizes and shapes of the plates on which the courses were served. Very attractive.
Thierry sent directions on getting from Limoges to Bergerac next Tuesday. We will rent a car in Limoges and drive there. It looks like a straight shot and using a city map on the Internet, it was easy to find the railroad station where we are to meet at 16:00.
(It is important to get used to the 24 hour clock as I have made several errors based on not thinking in this way. One involved missing a train a number of years ago and the other was this week when I tried to make a reservation at the restaurant for "onze heure" thinking that was 1:00PM when it was actually 11:00AM.)
Thursday - March 19
A few odds and ends.
Andre Malraux was appointed a minister of culture after WWII. And, thanks to him, many architecturally and historically significant buildings and entire areas were preserved in Paris and in other cities and towns. Of immediate interest is the Marais, this wonderful old quartier where we are staying and which has become tres chic and hence expensive. This part of Paris was a slum in the 1940's. All the buildings were old and in need of much repair and updating. The French government wanted to level the entire district, widen the streets and build modern apartment buildings. Realizing what would be lost by such a move, Malraux insisted that the area be restored, new systems be installed in houses and the original architecture retained to the greatest extent possible. And so now we have a wonderful quartier of narrow, meanderinstreets, charming facades and valuable real estate. Thank you M. Malraux.
The southwest of France is dotted with medieval towns, which were created by the Knights Templar as fortified villages called Bastides. They are another architectural treasure which has been preserved and which provide many opportunites to see the delightful architecture, often including medieval castles. One can spend much time wandering between these small towns and enjoying the oldest parts of the villages. And most also have a weekly market where surrounding farmers bring their produce - meat and poultry, vegetables and fruits, brandies and wines, and prepared foods. One of the true joys of the French countryside.
Where did the word limousine come from. According to a Rough Guide about France, the countryside called the Limousin was mainly a cattle raising section where the herdsmen wore a large shepherd's cape known as a limousine which gave its name to the "big, wraparound, covered 20th century car." Now you know.
Our dining table is close to the fireplace in the living room. This morning during breakfast it was a surprise to hear the sounds of a mourning dove coming down the chimney. The bird must have been near the chimney pot or, perhaps he has a nest in the chimney which is not now used.
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