Saturday, April 21
Instead of vistas, today I decided to look at details. And all within a couple of blocks I saw these examples of Paris graffiti. Certainly less hard-edged and more appropos of the City of Love. Also today seemed to be the start of impromptu street entertainment by motley looking bands, mostly made up of students I'm guessing. The music was nothing special, but was enticing when you heard it from a distance and had to go around a couple of corners to find it. And then I came across a wedding at St. Germain des Pres. Without any deep discussion in response to Meg's April 12 post about marriage, I must say Parisians know how to dress for a wedding and make it an event to remember. Sorry I couldn't actually get a shot of the bride getting into that fabulous green roadster but I left that for friends and family.
posted by Judy at 4:48 PM|link
Friday, April 20
So what else do I do in Paris besides walking around and being a flaneur all the time? Well I think about eating and I think about drinking, and then I eat and I drink. My local bakery is Maison Kayser where I love the baguette Paline, a wholewheat loaf that just might replace my previous favorite, pain Poilane. I've become addicted to salads made of mache, a dark small-leafed salad green known as lamb's lettuce per Patricia Wells, so I'm hoping that will be growing this summer in Vermont or in Orange. And I found an article about the various crus of Beaujolais to prepare me for a visit to le Rubis, the wine bar pictured here. This was taken on a Sunday trip to check out the location and I'll take another when it's opened up and busy and I have some good wine drinking buddies to go along with me. Meantime though I've tried a Morgon from my local wine shop to get ready.
posted by Judy at 2:40 PM|link
Thursday, April 19
Today was a day of visits to old and new places. I started out along what had been my usual running path by the Seine, walking around the parts where it was flooded, and went all the way down to the Jardin des Plantes. The gardens were full of spring flowers though I missed my favorite dahlias from the Fall. It was sunny for the whole time I was there but so chilly I was glad I had my gloves with me. Then across the bridge to the Viaduc des Arts, an old train line along avenue Daumesnil, which is now a series of shops and ateliers with a park above for strolling. I mostly window-shopped and kept under cover while the weather alternated between sun and rain just about every ten minutes. Towards the end of the day I stopped for cafe creme at Brasserie Balzar and then explored the streets above, towards the Pantheon. When I started home from there, this was the view back down towards Notre Dame.
posted by Judy at 3:34 PM|link
Wednesday, April 18
No more dallying in bed until late today. For Trudy's final day we were up and out to the Pompidou Center, arriving before it even opened. Once inside we headed right up to L'Annee du Pop, forgetting completely about our cold and rainy wait to get in. And there we were back in the 60's, listening to the Monkees and looking at blowup furniture in a large, very comprehensive show. We were well-trained by Albright openings and recognized many of the pieces (Rauschenberg, Oldenburg, Lichtenstein, Dine, Warhol, Johns, and Indiana) without even needing to read the credits. As we rode the escalator down to exit, an added treat was this view of Sacre Coeur, which stood out so brightly, almost in sunshine. It was a grand week that went all too fast, but we've got stories and memories for many years to come.
posted by Judy at 2:00 PM|link
Tuesday, April 17
We haven't tried them yet but these white asparagus will be on the menu soon at Chez Judy, per Marcia's suggestion. But do you cook them the same as green asparagus? And which are best? The teensy ones or the gigantic ones? We need advice from the French cooking and eating experts. These were just a small part of the fruits and vegetables displayed at the Grande Epicerie at Le Bon Marche, along with huge long counters of bread, cheese and charcuterie. And then there was a spectacular patisserie counter for dessert. Will I ever be happy shopping at Johnny's in Charlestown again?
posted by Judy at 1:58 PM|link
Monday, April 16
The sky above the Opera Garnier was a prelude to our day. We began at the Galerie Lafayette, which unfortunately was closed for Easter Monday, even though the guidebook said not. Instead we opted for the Opera which was just across the street and a tour of opulence and excess. From there we headed back towards the apartment via the Pompidou, looking for a place to sit out in the sun for coffee and some lunch. What we found, as the skies got darker and the weather colder, was a cafe with heat lamps and an awning. Fortunate occurrences, since shortly after we sat and ordered, the rain came followed by hail (April in Paris with hail?!). Everyone else was scurrying for cover but there we sat, enjoying our croque vegetarians, on the downwind side and perfectly protected, tres parisienne. Note to next week's visitors, Trudy recommends bringing your silk long underwear.
posted by Judy at 5:21 PM|link
Sunday, April 15
After missing Easter morning church services by sleeping too late and then missing the Musee D'Orsay because the wait in line was about four hours, we walked instead. And at some point during the walk, Trudy recognized the neighborhood and realized it was the neighborhood of the small, Maillol museum recommended by Joni Kahn. Paris Pratique to the rescue, and we traced our steps back a few blocks to the museum and this gargoyle fountain right outside. There was no line whatsoever and inside was an interesting special show, complementary to the Picasso exhibit we saw yesterday. On the walk back home we discovered a series of fabulous shoe stores on the Rue de Grenelle, including the shop of Christian Louboutin, who is to shoes what Picasso was to painting. Stay tuned for my Paris Shoe Special yet to come on heyjud.
posted by Judy at 4:43 PM|link