la fromage

The French are noted for their cheese, and this shop on the Isle of Ste Louis offers a fair sample of what’s available. Of course, man cannot live by cheese alone. The Isle of Ste. Louis is nestled in the Seine River just east of Notre Dame and it is the high rent district in Paris. Dave and I had lunch at a little crapearrie located just up the street from the shops pictured, a delicious Galatan Jambom Guyere (ham and cheese crepe) with a glass of Sancerre. After lunch, we walked up to the Bastille and then caught the subway back to the hotel.

Our day started a little after 8 this morning, waking refreshed after a good night’s sleep. After a shower, we had café at the hotel and decided to head over to the Invalides to assess the situation and to see if we could find a good spot to get a picture of the Pope saying Mass. Needless to say, we weren’t the only ones with the same mission. We debated crossing the barriers to get front and center but after some discussion, we decided that this would involve running from the police, and since the Gendarmerie are faster and more diligent than their Chilean counterparts and Dave and I are slower than Nick, we opted to cross the Seine near Place de Concord and walk up to spot directly across from the Altar, some 500 meters or so away. Dave was able to get a couple shots, one of which he plans to post on his blog. We think the white blob in the photo is the Pope.

At this point, Dave wanted to head back up to the Arch de Triomphe to take some video. Dave shoots video with a narrative slightly more detailed than his Christmas letter. My style is a little more smart assed, and I have tried to loosen it up a little. I’m sure all of you will enjoy his riveting description of climbing each of the 285 or so steps to the top of the Arch. Ken Burns will sleep well tonight. Oh, and somebody should tell this kid it’s not a good idea to go commando at a sword fight.

After leaving the Arch, we worked our way toward the Ritz. On the way, our thirst began to build. As fate would have it, we came across Kitty O’Shea’s Irish Pub and decided to sample a pint of Murphy’s Red. Our bar made was a delightful woman from the old sod who has lived in Paris for the past 26 years. But there was no mistaking her brogue. We chatted about this and that. Refreshed, we proceeded to the Ritz, where I showed Dave the Hemmingway Bar and the door through which Diana and Doti made their last and fateful exit. More riveting video to watch. I also used the men’s room in the lobby, Note the “shoe shield” at the bottom of the urinal. Apparently the rich and famous are not good aimers. We then ventured down to the Marriot. Lil and I stayed there in April when we visited Paris with the SU Trustees. It’s still there, dear. Next up was the Tuileries, then onto the Metro at Musee d’Orsay, destination Notre Dame.

Between 1940 and 1945, the Nazis deported 200,000 people from France to Concentration Camps, the Gendarmerie providing the manpower to round up those unfortunate souls and send them on their way. Their monument is located behind Norte Dame in a small, peaceful little park with some trees and some rose bushes. There is a small display board off to the right that explains the Nazi “policy” behind the deportation and some of the details, such as the different emblems used to identify your “offense. It conveniently omits the complicity of the Gendarmerie.

We then crossed the Seine and onto the Isle of Ste. Louis for our lunch. After the Bastille we headed back to the hotel. The highlight of our day was yet to come.

At a little after 7pm, we left the hotel for our 7:30 dinner reservation at l’Auberge Bressane, a bistro that I was introduced to by my good friend Steve Weiss , when I came to Paris to witness his award of the French Legion of Honor. On this occasion, Dave and I had the good fortune to have the services of Charles Tellier as our waiter. Charles discussed the night’s offerings with us, helping us select two hors-d'oeuvres , two entrees and wine, one white, one red. Our starters were raw salmon, seasoned with vinaigrette and red onions and served with sliced potatoes, and eggs with back bacon bits and a brown sauce. For the main course, I had sweetbreads, which was served in a copper pan with a cream sauce and Dave had frog legs, both of which were served with mashed potato. The white wine was a Pouilly Fume and the red, a 2002 haut medoc, which was exceptional. When Charles suggested dessert, we advised that we still had a third of a bottle of the medoc left and we would have that for dessert. Charles stated that he had some cheese that would complement the wine, so we agreed. The cheese, served with baguette, was exceptional, and runnier than an infant’s nose in the dead of winter. We then accepted an offer of café and cognac, the cognac was compliments of the house as was a chocolate soufflé, Charles explaining that our meal would not be complete without dessert. A truly exceptional dining experience.

After dinner, we walked back up to the Seine, crossed, and walked to the Champs Elysees to see the Arch de Triomphe lit up. On the way back, we dawdled long enough to see the Eiffel Tower glitter at 11pm sharp. Yes boys and girls, we are having a good time.

And by the way, New York City may have the dude in the white briefs near time square but Paris has Superman, Bag head guy and comic book guy from the Simpsons.