curi·ous {Old French curios} Drawn to investigate, prick up the ears, ponder for the sake of pondering. Enticed by mysteriously labeled bottles.
vo·luptu·ary {Late Latin volupturius} A lass devoted to the pursuit of pleasure. An unabashed epicurean, hedonist, libertine, sensualist, lotus-eater.
We began our last morning in Paris at our local belle époque Café Charbon, and then hustled to the train which took us through Belgium to Aachen, where we stopped to visit a friend en route to Berlin.
A few nights back we saw a good chunk of Cabaret, which I spose heralds our homeward crawl. [...]
For our last night we met Alfonso’s colleagues for dinner and then solo walked to Canal St. Martin for a glass of Bordeaux at Hôtel du Nord (aka Hotel of the Flying Louses). This spot was made famous by Marcel Carné in his 1938 film of the same name (it’s been around since 1885). The [...]
Today is an editing day, so I offer photographs of the second half of our Sunday. Cimetière de Montmartre was built below street level in the hollow of an old gypsum quarry and opened on 1 January 1825. It is the final address of Truffaut, Picabia, Nijinsky, Foucault and courtesan Marie Duplessis, among others. On [...]
We spent the afternoon on rue Montorgueil, the oldest market street in Paris. Elements of a salad Niçoise were purchased, as well as yet more foie gras (Alfonso is anticipating our departure, it seems), and another small Galette des Rois. Delicious cake (puff pastry and frangipane) with a surprise inside (une fève), what could be [...]
Working down to the bottom of my research list, we had an adventure on the outskirts of Paris, at Le Parc de Saint-Cloud. It spans over 460 hectares, and on the east end of the park at the Seine, was once the house purchased by Marie Antoinette, that delighted both Napoleon I and Napoleon III.
The [...]
Woke before dawn and watched the sun come up on a new decade, from a window I will soon sadly relinquish. Made coffee for my honey, who bravely accompanied me to Passy, a wealthy area of south-west Paris that was once a commune, as I begin to wrap up the research that brought me here. [...]
New Years Eve! A Blue Moon! Le Réveillon de la Saint-Sylvestre (New Years Eve feast) at Bistrot Paul Bert! A relatively quiet and very tasty evening of foie gras (Alfonso), truffles (Kim), and a splendid wine from Languedoc-Roussillon (Côtes Catalanes) winery Le Petite Baigneuse, Grand Largue.
Then the fire brigade, who have a station just down [...]
A nighttime pilgrimage to the Tour Eiffel, by which I mean a five+ mile, three hour stroll through le Marais, past Notre Dame, and along the Seine. Heaven.
When we arrived at the foot of the tower, it began to practice for the first ever rainbow-hued 400 LED light show on New Years Eve. Some things, [...]
A pair of thirsty kids break up the workday with lunch at the always lovely Le Baratin. We had wanted to try the co-owner’s new Le Chapeau Melon, but food poisoning caused us to cancel our reservation Saturday, and Sunday the same caused the chef to cancel on us. Tant pis! They will remain closed [...]
Edit, edit, edit all day, then, a date night. Alfonso surprised me with a trip to tiny art house cinema Studio 28 on the Butte Montmartre. The theater opened in 1928 as Paris’ first avant-garde cinema, and showed Louis Bunel’s L’Age d’Or not long after. The lobby displays the foot prints (not shoes, like Graumans, [...]