A WEEKEND IN PARIS

Saturday,  June 2

A decision has been made, but as I sit on this wonderful, little out ofthe way restaurant not far from the Eiffel Tower at 10:30 pm,u it has yet to be executed. The decision is to rebook our flights for a Thursday or Friday return. I must work on this when I return to the hotel tonight.

Today's highlights  include: St. Chappelle (magnifique) where King Louis built a small, intimate place as a reliquary for the thorns of Christ's crown and some wood from the cross. The book said those items cost him three times as much as the construction of the chapel in 1248. Andrea was agog. Simply so. "It was like a little jewel box, a reliquary," said Andrea

From there, we zipped over to cathedrale du Notre Dame. A relatively short line (@ 10 minutes) and we were in. Admittedly, Andrea stated her two favorite churches on this trip so far are St. Chappelle here in Paris and St. Marks in Venice. 

However, the architectural significance of the church is without question. It is celebrating its 850th birthday starting Dec. 12th this year. Andrea was doubly pleased by our visit as a special ceremony initiating knights into an order of the country. A procession down the main nave of the church replete with smoking incense and a choir of sweet voices made our experience complete, and Andrea would not have to wake up extra early to experience mass!

From there, we made our way out and walked around to the eastern side of the cathedral, checking out the flying buttresses that made this soaring medieval structure possible. We visited the memorial to all the French "undesirables" during the Nazi occupation who were deported to the camps. It is a stirring place on the end of the Ile de Cite right on the banks of the River Seine.

Crossing the bridge onto the tiny island of St. Louis, a variety of street performers entertained tourists and Parisians alike on this warm, sunny day. On Rue St. Louis, we found a quaint little creperie in which we drank the house specialty of "cidre" with our crepes (cheese/jambon/egg for Will and immantaler/tomatoes/olives/creme fraiche/herbs de provence for Andrea.

From there, we began our long journey back across the river and along street that runs along the north side of the Seine, looking at all the stalls full of used books. Once past the Pont Neuf, we walked by the Hotel de Ville (City Hall.) there was a huge  rowd gathered on the square where a huge screen had been set up for people to watch the French Open. Special flooring had also been installed to imitate the color and lines of the "terre battu." The crowd was vocal as they cheered for Richard Gasquet, a Frenchman.

We found our way onto Rue de Rivoli, packed with people out to shop in the big stores and boutiques, and to be seen by others. We stopped at St. Germain L'Auxerois, an old church from the 1500s. We were treated again by the choir practicing for 6:00 pm mass.

Trudging up Rue de Rivoli, past the Louvre, past Les Halles, Place de Vendome and the Tuileries, we walked onto Place de la Concorde with its obelisk given to Phillipe Louis by Egypt in 1836. Tons of tourists and Parisians going into and out of the gardens and having their photos taken.

Here is where we began our walk up the leafy portion of the Champs Elysees, past the Grand Palais and its cavernous glass covering of this exposition place. Soon we encountered another crush of people shopping in the designer and big stores that make this part of the city synonomous with the grand shopping districts of the world. In fact, if one didn't know they were in Paris, one could mistake it for Fifth Avenue in New York or Michigan Avenue in Chicago. Globalization of brands. Homogenization of shopping.

Finally at the top of this street, we encountered Place d'Etoile where 12 streets converge at the Arc de Triomphe. Andrea was a good sport, and she relented to climbing up the 250 approximate steps to the top of this massive monument to France's military achievements and patriotism. The breeze was intoxicating after the climb, and the views of the sprawling city were stupendous.

From there we began the walk down to the Trocadero, site of the 1937 international decorative arts exposition. And across the river stood Paris's trademark landmark: the Eiffel Tower. Andrea was in awe as we walked under it. She hadn't expected the massiveness of the structure, nor its fine, artistic flourishes. We had tried to buy tickets online back in late April, but we were unable. We could have bought a ticket for the elevator, but a daunting 2-hour long line dissuaded us. And after the miles already tread, there was no way we were going to climb the stairs!

After referring to our guide books for area restaurants, we began our search for them, only to discover one was not open and the second had closed! But we really lucked out by deciding on a restaurant on the small side street of Rue de L'exposition where we saw a table for two by the open window.

Le P'tit Troquet is a find. A small, intimate place. The cusine to savor for days, and in my opinion, certainly the best food we have eaten on this trip. I started with a salmon pate, boeuf Bourginone, and had the chocolate cake with a hot chocolate center accompanied by a sweet creme. Andrea ate the chickory pie with goat chese and herbs, fried scallops with ratatouille and poached pear with vanilla ice cream. Superbe et magnifique in taste and presentation! We thought we may have to stay and wash dishes for a ,onth, because their credit card machine did not work and we were perilously low on cash. However, we mustered just enough cash and coin to pay the bill!

Tired, yet well sated, we ambled down to Ecole Militaire where we took the Metro home, arriving after 12:30 am.

But a traveler's work is never really finished. It was not until 2:30 am that I completed the calls and e-mails to change our departure flight to Thursday, June 7.

Sunday, June 3

As one may expect, it was nigh on 10:00 am when we awoke. We treated ourselves to the breakfast buffet in the hotel, got ready and left for an afternoon of museums. The first Sunday of each month allows free entrance, and while we certainly lost the morning, we spent a considerable a,ount of time in  what Andrea claims has been her favorite museum: the Cluny Museum of Medieval Art. A not insignificant amount of time was spent negotiating and executing the purchase of two small replicated tapestries of the Lady and the Unicorn series: one of the five sense (hearing) and the enigmatic piece de resistance, A Mon Seul Desir, the sixth tapestry of the series. I am so very pleased with our purchases, which also included a bell-pull and embroidered pillow, in addition to a book about the tapestries. More heirlooms for posterity, which should look quite handsome on our dark blue living room walls.

With a huge bag in hand, we went back down into the Metro and popped up again at my favorite museum, the Rodin. Te line was long, so Andrea stood in line for 20-some minutes while I walked the gorgeous grounds of the garden. Inside the house, Rodin's works are displayed. They have such dynamism and force in them. It is a shame you cannot touch them, because they cry out for human contact. And once again, we were one of the last to leave shortly before 6:00 pm when the museum closes on Sunday.

We returned to our perch in Boulogne-Billancourt, deposited our belongings and set out again for dinner. Sunday is a quiet day, with most stores closed and many restaurants in this residential area also closed. We found a little bistro showing tonight's tennis match and sat down to an ordinary dinner.

Tomorrow is the big day. It is going on 12:00am now, and we must get some sleep so we can awake by 8:00 am, get ready and make our way to Roland Garros to attend the Frech Open. Watch for us on the Suzanne Lenglen court, and keep your fingers crossed for us that Rafa plays on our court (and not Andy Murray!)