l'Escurial cafe, Sept. 25, 2014
Today's big achievement, no matter whatever else happens, will be that Yvette correctly ordered a bottle of tap water for our table at a cafe. After asking for tickets to "Chartreuse" and yesterday asking for a "cafe" of d'eau, Yvette sprang up today as a fully-formed French speaker.
I'm enjoying success also today. I managed to get us here, to the Marais, without going the wrong way on any train, and we walked right to the Carnavalet Museum. We've stopped in at this cafe for a little later breakfast--at 2:15 p.m.--thanks to last night's abundance of noise from the disreputable gay sandwich shop patrons that made sleep for Yvette pretty elusive.
Oh, my Nutella crepe has arrived, which I will be enjoying with my first-ever cafe creme.
More later....
Hotel Alane, Sept. 25, 2014
Oh, yeah. I had cafe creme and a Nutella crepe--and it was hella good!
My first cafe creme--look, Dad, I'm drinking coffee!
I'm a grown-up now!
After our snack, we turned our attention toward the Carnavalet Museum on the history of Paris. What a treat this place was. It covers the history of the city from about the 15th century forward, with also a little section on archaeological finds from the Roman era.
The history is told with artificats and also with works of art, including lots of paintings. We saw paintings of nearly everyone important in France over the centuries--except for Francis I, Catherine de Medici, and Mary, Queen of Scots. That section is under renovation, damnit. But even without those treasures, which I'll just have to see online, the museum was wonderful. Here are some pix....
Here's Lafayette, American's Pal
Yvette poses like a nice little lady
Ben Franklin was a hit in Paris during
the Revolutionary War.
Taking this goofy shot got me scolded, but
when I correctly said I was sorry--in
French--I got a big smile from the guard
Just loved this painting of Paris--no
particular reason
Marcel Proust's bedroom
Just seconds before I fell to my death
This is for Reiner. The people of France, where
ladies went topless, are fleeing the demon of
tyranny
Finishing up at the museum--and we found ourselves thirsty again. Off to another cafe for some decent-sized glasses of wine and a lot of people watching. The Marais, as foretold by our pal Denise, has a little bit of everything. Lots of shops line the streets, along with cafes and restaurants. It retains some remenants of its role as Paris' Jewish Quarter, and we saw Orthodox Jews moving along one of the narrow streets, bearded and dressed in black.
While enjoying our cafe time, we pondered why some of our friends have questioned our coming to Paris when we've already been here before. If those of you who ask this question could sit in a cafe in the Marais, sipping wine, seeing all manner of people going to and fro, having just come from a museum that combined history and art--well, you wouldn't ask the question. It's special here.
Cheers!!
Fortified with wine, we told ourselves we would take our weary bodies back to our little Gare de l'Est for dinner at an Italian place that Yvette had picked out. But no. Wine seemed to have cured blistered feet and aching legs--so we shopped. We both found gifts for loved ones back home, and even got a few little things for ourselves, including big cookies from the most amazing confectionaire.
We arrived back at Gare de l'Est and stopped to get our train tickets for tomorrow's journey to Reims. Then it was time for dinner. Sadly, the place Yvette wanted required reservations. So we found another place, and I enjoyed a delicious veal Milianese with Provencal sauce and a side of fresh Parmesan-topped polenta. Yvette, frustrated in her desire for Italian food, settled on a filo-wrapped goat cheese with vegetables along with a chicken ceaser salad. Red wine all around!
Caught a cab back to the hotel, and we're tucked in and ready for sleep. Tomorrow we're off to Reims for the cathedral, the Museum of the Surrender, and plenty of champagne tasting.
Yvette, you and Lorraine need to visit one of the world class Italian cities and eat Italian for days! and also, Yvette, good for you conquering the old carafe d'eau dilemma. When I first visited a zillion years ago, my brand new husband of less than a year became tired of asking that age old question. Hence, I was given the charge of either going dry or learning "un carafe d'eau, s'il vous plait."
ReplyDeleteCemetery tour? Coming up?