Bonjour from beautiful and sunny Paris. We had been concerned about the excessive heat warnings in Paris and much of Europe before our trip. With temperatures regularly reaching the high nineties and dangerous heat alerts prevalent in the days before our scheduled trip.
We tried to pack and plan as best we could for harsh conditions, light clothing, portable fans and most of all air conditioning at our hotels. Tant pis! The day before we arrived, the heat wave broke and we were treated to beautiful weather with highs of only 89 degrees late afternoon. It did not feel so hot especially while cruising up and down the Seine on our Batobus, a convenient way to see the sites along the river, with beautiful skies and a nice breeze.
We started with a breakfast just steps away from the hotel at Boulangerie Moderne. After ordering with a young counter woman who seemed to have little patience for an older American man with limited language skills, especially so early, pre coffee, we finally secured two cafes crème, an almond croissant for me and pain chocolat for Yaya. As usual, we returned to the room to rest briefly and prepare for the only full day in Paris. We headed down Rue Decartes toward the river. The street is named after the renowned French philosopher and mathematician, Rene Decartes, the “father of modern philosophy” who I remember from my philosophy class at UK was famous for his observation on life and knowledge “I think, therefore I am”. After a stop on the way to the river for another round of cafe crèmes, we arrived at the banks of the Seine and searched for the Batobus stop just across from the Notre Dame and got into the short line to wait for our Batobus to arrive. I had purchased tickets on line and they were scanned as we boarded
The boat was uncrowded and we moved to the back outdoor platform for our cruise, first up river for one stop before turning back, heading through Paris. We decided to stay on the boat all the way to the terminus at the Eiffel Tower, known to the the French as la Dame de Fer or Iron Lady, without disembarking on the way, thinking we might reembark and hop off at stops that interested us as the boat head back up river. The tower which was built from 1887 to 1889 was impressive, designed by the engineer, Gustavo Eiffel to commemorate the 1889 World’s Fair. It was originally intended to be temporary and disassembled after the fair but, thankfully, popular demand prevented this from happening. After a few selfies, we had already decided not to climb to the first elevation and the lift tickets were sold out, we began a pleasant stroll through the surrounding neighborhood to find “un dejeuner leger”, a light lunch. We stopped at Maison Bergeron a nice boulangerie and secured a sidewalk table next to a small family with a young son and a mother nursing an infant child. I ordered an iconic Jambon Buerre, a small crusty baguette generously slathered with butter, ham and Emmental (Swiss) cheese, for us to share, a cup of slaw and a cold water. It was as good as I had imagined it would be. We decided to walk through the streets and locate a Batobus stop to reembark and continue to another stop.
One of the delights of visiting any European city or town is just to wander and enjoy the sights and sounds of the citiy’s neighborhoods. Paris is certainly no exception. we eventually located a Batobus stop at the foot of the ornate Pont Royal bridge which crosses the Seine from the Place de Concorde on the Right bank to the Palais Bourbon on the Left Bank where the Batobus stopped just below the bridge. This bridge is the most ornate bridge across the Seine with gold and black statuary and other flourishes. It is a popular site to take photos and selfies, not only of the bridge itself but of the Eiffel Tower seen in the distance. This would be an ideal site to see the Eiffel Town at night, all lit up. Back on the boat, we cruised past the Musee d’Orsay, a former train station now used as an art museum dedicated to impressionist painters such as Vincent Van Gogh and Claude Monet, who’s house and garden in Giverny will be the first stop on our driving tour of France in September. It would be a wonderful place to visit but we have no time to spend in museums this day. We also saw the “World’s most famous museum”, The Louvre on the Right Bank before arriving at the St Germaine des Pres neighborhood dock where we decided to disembark and make our way to a cafe for an afternoon refreshment. Entertainment on the boat was provided by a young couple who weren’t shy and had active lips and hands to match.
A very popular intersection, The Cafe de Flore and The Cafe Les Deux Maggots are steps apart on the Boulevard St. Germain, both very touristy locations, for a light lunch or apero drinks. The Brasserie Lipp, across the street. had been high on my list for a dinner but didn’t make the cut. It is one of the most traditional of all Paris restaurants, established in 1880 it features banquet seating with tables reserved for its notable regular patrons. The menu has barely changed since it opened featuring traditional fare like escargot, cassoulet and stuffed pigs foot with sauerkraut. Prices are reasonable and service is friendly prompt and professional. Dining there would be like a visit to another era in Paris. Maybe another trip. For now we checked out Cafe de Fleur, which had no on street tables available and found a table across the street at les Deux Maggots, once known as as a gathering place of artists, authors and philosophers like Hemingway, Picasso, Sartre and Julia Childs to name just a few. It is now primarily a spot for tourists so we settled in for an Aperol Spritz and French Gin with tonic. The drinks were cold and refreshing accompanied by the small dish of olives that accompanied them. The drinks were nineteen euros each but the people watching was interesting and made it worth the price. The cafe gets its name from the two figurines from the “Far East” of two magicians or alchemists that have graced the walls since it opened in 1873. Soon it was time to rest so I located a bus stop a couple of blocks away where bus #64 would deliver us, thankfully, to just steps from our hotel entrance. We had purchased tickets in advance so it was much better than a mile walk at this point in the day. It was a wonderful day to say the least but the best was yet to come.
After showers and a good rest, we dressed and decided to head to la Plac Contrescarpe and Rue Mouffetard on our way to dinner. Contrescarpe is a plaza surrounded by several cafes and bistros while Rue Mouffetard is an ancient market street that runs off of the Plac Contrescarpe. We were running out of time on this trip to spend time there but I wanted to make the short walk to check out the area. In Hemingway’s novel “A Place in the Sun” he writes about his early life with his first wife and their young son when they lived just off Plac Contrescarpe at 74 Cardinal Lemoine. We walked the few steps to get there and I took a photo of the building and plaque on the exterior wall noting the connection with the famous writer. A Place in the Sun was never quite completed and was published posthumously by his family. My favorite passage from the book takes place in this apartment:
“In the spring mornings I would work early while my wife slept. The windows were wide open and the cobbles of the street were drying after the rain. The shops were still shuttered. The goatherd came up the street blowing his pipes and the woman who lived on the floor above us came out onto the sidewalk with a big pot. The goatherd chose one of the heavy-bagged black milk-goats and milked her into the pot while the dog pushed the others onto the sidewalk. The goats look around, turning their necks like sight-seers. The goatherd took the money from the woman and thanked her and went on up the street piping and the dog herded the goats on ahead their horns bobbing. I went back to writing and the woman came up the stairs with the goat milk. She was the only customer for the goat milk in the building…..We had little money but then we never thought of ourselves as poor. We did not accept it, we thought we were superior people….we ate well and cheaply and drank well and cheaply and slept well and warm together and loved each other.” It reminds me of our early, carefree years together. It was time to head to our next adventure, down the hill to Le Trois Mailletz steps from the Seine.
We had seen the Trois Mailletz the previous day while enjoying a the small cream puffs across the street at the Odette cafe. We had reservations at 7:00 just as they opened for dinner. Not wanting to be the first to be seated we lingered in the small park nearby watching dogs being walked and several people relaxing and enjoying the beautiful early evening. When we arrived, several tables outside in the sun were seated with people enjoying an apero of cocktails or wine and snacks. Indeed, we were the first to arrive inside the intimate dining room, and selected a small deuce near the piano. Before long people began filtering in. Le Trois Mailletz is a piano bar with a late night cabaret in the basement. Knowing that an evening in the cabaret that begins around 10:00 in the evening and lasts until 4:00 in the morning, it was obvious that the piano bar would better suit our needs. We ordered gin with tonic and wine and took our time examining and discussed the menu. Soon a young man in jeans a a tee shirt began playing the piano and singing in French. We split a Caesar salad, Janet ordered a Shrimp and Garlic appetizer with a side of crispy sauteed potatoes. I had been thinking about trying a French hamburger with frits but decided on sautéed prawns in a buerre blanc sauce made with lots of butter and dry white wine. A had the potatoes as well. There was no hurry from the kitchen and before the food arrived an attractive young woman sat on a stool next to the piano and began singing without a microphone accompanied by the pianist. They worked well together and soon she was on her feet singing and moving about the room with the skill and grace of a seasoned performer with a magnificent voice to match. She had a nice outfit that highlighted her attractive long legs. Her hair was done up and she wore wire rimmed glasses. I can’t remember being seated in such an intimate situation so close to the dynamic performer and I have to admit it was a little intimidating at first. She sang a song or two requested by a very young girt at a nearby table, as well as several French songs, including the iconic “la Vie in Rose” made famous by French performer the late Edith Piaf. She was dynamic and engaging and the setting in the room that barely seated fifty people completed a night I can safely say will never be forgotten, the highlight of the trip. After about three hours we settled our bill and left a nice tip for the server and the performers in their jar on the piano. We bid adiue and headed up the hill for a night filled with sweet memories of our day and evening in Paris. We have a reservation for the Eurostar high speed train booked for 11:00 AM to Amsterdam the next day out of Gare du Nord the largest train station in Paris.
