Our Weekend in Paris

In my experience, I would hazard to say, that if I only had one weekend to spend in Europe, it would have to be spent in Paris. Despite my lack of French speaking ability (an embarrassing admission being a Canadian citizen: je comprends un peu le Francais, mais je le parle tres mal!), the liberal deposits left on nearly every sidewalk by the city's fashionable four legged friends, the expense of everything (I mean everything!), the congestion, the ridiculously misinformed and arrogant smokers, etc. Paris and its true inhabitants, seem to be able to manage a kind of elegance that is always immensely attractive. There is an attitude in most places you go that says "well, it may cost you more, but it is certainly worth it, isn't it?!" Often times I find myself agreeing. That being said, it is still possible to enjoy Paris as I first did with Bradshaw - on a cheap baguette and cheese budget with the night spent in a grotty pension! Thankfully, those days are behind me now though. The Parisians flaunt the city's wealth of culture on their sleeve, as though it is their own possession, and they are immensely social animals, always out, always taking a drink, or meeting someone to chat and people watch. They are unwilling to have Paris be anything but "for Parisians" even though it is often inundated with tourists as it was this weekend. You can never truly experience Paris without complete submission to doing as the Parisians do - virtually nothing for breakfast, several stops for "un petit cafe" throughout the day, a leisurely lunch usually taking just a salad, and a long, long time for dinner. Now that I have visited Paris several times, it has lost a bit of its original stunning capacity, and also having worked with several people who have made their existence in Paris and have thus related to me its pit-falls, I have gained a more balanced view, but I don't think it will ever lose its essential charms.

Friday night featured our late arrival to Paris via Eurostar (which is amazing and so easy to take from London Waterloo), and our hurried check-in to the Hotel Cluny Sorbonne. We dashed out to find a bar/brasserie that Greg Scherkoske had recommended to us not far from our hotel called L'Academie de la Biere. We had a lovely twilight walk to find it near Port Royal metro station. The bar was really cool, with a big terrace, lots of folks out in big groups chatting and drinking. Meg and I dined on a couple of French classics "salad de chevre chaud" and "moules et frites" while trying a few different Belgian beers served in their appropriately specific glasses. The "blond" that Megcita polished off was exceptional! We finished the night by walking back to the Seine to take in a view of Notre Dame on a warm night, had a late night cafe and tea on a little plaza near the hotel.

Saturday we rose late having had a great sleep, and walked through Jardin du Luxembourg to the Musee D'Orsay. We missed out on this one last time around due to large crowds, evil line-ups, and not enough time! Well, this time the complete opposite. We showed up late morning and walked right into one of the loveliest buildings ever to house a work of art. Filling in the gap between the contemporary art scene and the vast Louvre collection of old masters the Musee D'Orsay is a very popular spot and is very accessible to a broad cross section of people. The building itself is incredible. I could go on in volumes about the excellent way the building allows people to move through it creating amazing little opportunities for artistic discovery around the many corners. Such a vasy space, such overwhelming light, and such intimate experiences with the art works. "How do we fill those amazing old archways of the original train station while keeping the sense of air and light?" must have been the original artistic question. Well, now we know! We had lunch in the Boulevard St. Germain area, near to Eglise Saint Sulpice, and had a good long walk around as we "window shopped" and what an amazing neighborhood for it! So many shops and galleries, it is mind boggling at times! For dinner, we decided to change the scenery a bit and headed to a recommended brasserie in Le Marais called "Les Philosophes." Dinner was excellent for a mid level Paris brasserie - my pave de boeuf was exceptional (I must learn how to make a simple beef gravy like they make in Paris!) and we had a very good tomato tarte tatin as a starter. We chatted the entire time "en Espanole" and found that whenever we did that, miraculously, the wait-staff treated us so much better! I wonder why...

Sunday we again slept in before heading out on a bit of a jaunt to see the Eiffel Tower and the stunning dome of the Ecole Militare. Paris is such a lovely city to see by foot that even though it may take a bit more time, I simply can't resist walking to get around. The Eiffel Tower is especially impressive up close where you can really get a sense of the craftsmanship and design of the building. All that iron is magnificent! The great arching legs that support it are a truly unique signature structure of the city. Following our walk we met up with Jean-Paul's friend Marie in Le Marais (the same Marie who had been staying with us in the flat in London) and we had a classic cheap lunch and chat in Le Marais. Salad and cafe, a French institution! Following that, a whole lot walking around in Le Marais! What an incredible location to spend the afternoon brousing and taking in the sites of the city. We crossed the Place de Vosges which is always a favourite place to see for me. A little last minute rusing around for something to eat and we were off again to London!