I left my last entry just before we went to dinner at L'atelier de Joel Robuchon. This is a very chic restaurant associated with our hotel. Somehow the concierge was able to squeeze all five of us into the restaurant at the last minute. The decor is somewhat reminiscent of a sushi bar. Everyone sits in high chairs along the bar, and watches the many chefs prepare the food. We had a bit of trouble ordering, and the waiter had to help us along, describing how items were prepared. Restaurant French is not the same as everyday French. I explained this as an analogy to aikido Japanese - - to my surprise, after dinner I had a discussion with one of our counter neighbors, who turned out to be a high ranking aikidoka from San Francisco!
Clearly the degustation menu would have been easier, but I didn't think that the kids would sit still for a six- to-eight course meal, nor did I want to pay 150 Euro per person! Each of us, except Cindy and Jaz, had a two course meal, and we all had desserts. Cindy had a salad nicoise. Jasper had pasta with oil and lots of garlic for dinner. Lucas shared pate de fois gras with me, and smoked salmon with dill cream. I had a wonderful steak tartare. Nicola had a chicken soup with fois gras ravioli, and Iberico ham. Desserts included lemon souffle with raspberry sorbet, a selection of five tartes, dark chocolate mousse with oreo cookie garnish, and limoncello gelatin square with strawberries in a galette. The kids seemed very appreciative of the meal.
Another fountain in Stravinski place, just because I liked it
Pictures from a funky art gallery near our hotel. There was also a manuscript museum nearby that was having a Proust exhibition. Alas, I had no time to see it.
Friday morning we were were picked up by Margo again, and we took the metro to Denfert-Rochereau, 
which is the entrance to the Paris catacombs. Strangely enough, I stopped through this station every day for months when I was a student here 30 years ago, but I never got off. We chose this somewhat strange tour because we were worrried that the weather would be too hot (actually it has been quite pleasant) and this was a way to stay cool. The catacombs were built into the old southern quarries of Paris – most of the buildings in each community in france are built with local stone. The main reason for the construction of the catacombs was that all of the old cemeteries and church graveyards were completely full. The biggest of these cemeteries was just north of the Ile de la Cite, where Les Halles once stood (the present Place Beauborg, practically). Apparently, the weight of the bones broke into the basement wall of an entire arcade of shops and homes, and something needed to be done. Construction of the catacombs started around 1770, and continued up to about 1850. The bones in each section come from separate graveyards. The front of each crypt is well organized with femurs, tibias and skulls, sometimes in artisitc patterns of hearts, crosses, etc., whereas the rest of the bones are just junked back behind. Scattered amongst the crypts are marble stones with a variety of french and latin epitaphs created to make you ponder your existence on this mortal coil. The boys thought that some of the passages were like one of their Zelda video games, which Margo recognized as her boys also play the same game. Sometimes the floor was a bit slick, and the ceiling was often quite low, but the scariest was climbing the very narrow spiral staircase (83 steps) to get back out to the top. Also amusing were the bones the guards at the top remove from over enthusiastic visitors each day. We were in and out fairly early, and they had already collected several leg bones and a skull! Another highpoint of the tour are the sandstone carvings of Port Mahon built by a French sailor who had been a prisoner of war there for several years. Apparently there are other strange carvings that can be seen in parts of the catacombs not open to the public…oooh scary.
which is the entrance to the Paris catacombs. Strangely enough, I stopped through this station every day for months when I was a student here 30 years ago, but I never got off. We chose this somewhat strange tour because we were worrried that the weather would be too hot (actually it has been quite pleasant) and this was a way to stay cool. The catacombs were built into the old southern quarries of Paris – most of the buildings in each community in france are built with local stone. The main reason for the construction of the catacombs was that all of the old cemeteries and church graveyards were completely full. The biggest of these cemeteries was just north of the Ile de la Cite, where Les Halles once stood (the present Place Beauborg, practically). Apparently, the weight of the bones broke into the basement wall of an entire arcade of shops and homes, and something needed to be done. Construction of the catacombs started around 1770, and continued up to about 1850. The bones in each section come from separate graveyards. The front of each crypt is well organized with femurs, tibias and skulls, sometimes in artisitc patterns of hearts, crosses, etc., whereas the rest of the bones are just junked back behind. Scattered amongst the crypts are marble stones with a variety of french and latin epitaphs created to make you ponder your existence on this mortal coil. The boys thought that some of the passages were like one of their Zelda video games, which Margo recognized as her boys also play the same game. Sometimes the floor was a bit slick, and the ceiling was often quite low, but the scariest was climbing the very narrow spiral staircase (83 steps) to get back out to the top. Also amusing were the bones the guards at the top remove from over enthusiastic visitors each day. We were in and out fairly early, and they had already collected several leg bones and a skull! Another highpoint of the tour are the sandstone carvings of Port Mahon built by a French sailor who had been a prisoner of war there for several years. Apparently there are other strange carvings that can be seen in parts of the catacombs not open to the public…oooh scary. 
Margo took us back on the metro, but left us at Montparnasse, we continued on to the North of the city and got off at Abbesses, where we walked to the funicular
View from the funicularand went up to see Sacre Coeur at the top of Montmartre.
Montmartre is the site where Dennis was decapitated (this is different from beheading, apparently the Romans would just take off the top of your head, which may explain how Dennis was able to walk so far away afterwards). So, Mont Martre is the mount of the martyrs. We admired the cathedral a bit, as well as the view of the south of Paris. We didn't like all of the aggressive tsochke vendors though. We walked behind the church through a lovely garden and then down the hill where we had lunch at a restaurant called “Le Comptoir des Deux Beloettes’ which means ‘the counter of the two weasels’. We didn’t see any live ones, but they did have a cute dog. There were a few kids books on hand, and one was about weasels that live in a volcano and fly around the world taking monuments from other countries - - bizarre. The restaurant specialized in tartines - - a thick piece of country bread spread with various foods. I had goat cheese, honey and walnuts. Jasper and Cindy had slices of roast beef. Nicola and Lucas split a plate of cheeses and a plate of charcuterie (cold cuts). 
Lucas as a 'Pschitt!' model (a lemon-lime drink).We took the metro home. Nicola and Cindy went to see the impressionists at the Quai d'Orsay while the boys and I relaxed. Later we walked across the Pont Alexandre 3, and had dinner at a Thai restaurant. 
Across the street from our Thai restaurant
Across the street from our Thai restaurantWe took the bateau mouche ride around 9:30, and saw Paris slowly light up.
Jasper modeling Fanta on the bateau mouche.
The conciergerie
There were a lot of people partying along the quai, especially on the left bank, near the botanic gardens. After the ride, we waited to see the special light show at the Eiffel Tower at 11:00, where all sorts of sparkly lights dance across the structure so that it looks like a giant 4th of July sparkler.
This morning we packed up and brought our luggage downstairs to hold while we checked out. We took the metro to the Arc de Triomphe. Cindy was very impressed with its size. We walked along the Champs Elysee, which was getting ready for the end of the Tour de France. The winner gets one free week at the biggest suit in a hotel on the Rue de Rivoli, at about 15,000 EU per night. We walked to the place de Concord, site of the Terror, had some crepes on the street (which turned out to be one of the kids’ favorites), and then back to the hotel.
This morning we packed up and brought our luggage downstairs to hold while we checked out. We took the metro to the Arc de Triomphe. Cindy was very impressed with its size. We walked along the Champs Elysee, which was getting ready for the end of the Tour de France. The winner gets one free week at the biggest suit in a hotel on the Rue de Rivoli, at about 15,000 EU per night. We walked to the place de Concord, site of the Terror, had some crepes on the street (which turned out to be one of the kids’ favorites), and then back to the hotel.
If Jasper were emperor, he would declare Segways for everyoneWe were picked up at 2:00 by Caroline, and spent the next 4 hours driving into Burgundy. The land went from the flat plains of Ile de France to the rolling, Wisconsin like hills of the Cotes d'Or. We saw hay, straw, sunflowers, corn, Charolais beef
and a few Holstein dairy cows, and a flock of red kites hunting small mammals on a recently harvested field . We had a brief stop at Semur en Auxois where there is a town built around the remains of a 10th - 13th century village, that was built on top of a roman camp. We admired the 13th century towers from afar.
Then onto Veneray - Les Laumes, where we boarded our barge, the Elisabeth http://www.bargesinfrance.com/elisabeth.htm. This barge is just big enough for the crew of four - Captain Peter; Sheena, the guide; Caroline, the driver; and Emma, the cook, and the five of us. They also have an old dachshund named Missy. Peter and Sheena are married and moved to France from England 20 years ago. Peter has been working in the barge industry since then. Sheena joined him 10 years ago when their boys were fledged from home. We walked a bit into town. Nicola was very impressed with a twisted plane tree.
Lucas, Jasper and I played a game of petanque (french bocci) with some locals. They beat us, but they were happy to have some fresh blood to compete against. Both Jaz and Lucas threw some great shots. The game was surprisingly close for a while, but I think that they were cheating on our behalf to keep the game close.The we had dinner - - an amuse bouche of 'carrot orange cardamon cappocino' (a salty carrot soup), goat cheese bonbon wrapped in pastry, pork with apple and potato, cheese - cantal, and a very mild blue cheese. Dessert was a fantasie of chocolate and cherries.
Right now we are watching the movie 'Chocolat' in anticipation of our visit to the village where the movie was made, as well as the hilltop, Alesia, where Julius Ceasar beat Vercingtorix.
Sunday July 25
We woke and had a breakfast of cold cereal, yogurt, fruit, and patisserie. We took a quick drive to Alesia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Alesia . There is some doubt if this is the real site of the final major battle of the Romans against the Gauls, but it is somewhere around here. Vercingetorix http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vercingetorix and his Gauls had been fighting running guerrilla battles in the forests of Burgundy, but somehow ended up with the whole tribe on a hill top surrounded by a Roman legion. Vercingitorix agreed to give himself up if Julius would spare the women, children, aged and infirm. Ceasar agreed, and as soon as he had Vercingetorix in hand, proceeded to slaughter as many Gauls as he could. They fled east, finally crossing over to Wales. Meanwhile, Julius paraded his prisoner for several years, and finally had him assasinated by another Gaul. The top of the modern hilltop has a large statue of Vercingetorix commisioned by Napolean 3. The statue has a secret compartment in the leg, where a gallic sword and shield, dug up from the area, have been cached. While we were up there, many preparations were being made for the annual fete. A natural amphitheatre had been turned into a rock stage, and people were setting up a variety of booths. We saw someone burning up a big pile of wood - - maybe they were to roast sangliers (wild boars, the favorite food of the Gauls, according to Asterix comic books).
We drove another ten minutes and went into the village of Flavigny-sur-Ozerain http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flavigny-sur-Ozerain . This village has many buildings from the 13th-15th centuries still standing and used. There is also an abbey whose beginnings date back to the Carolignians, as there is a crypt (excavated by a Guggenheim) with old columns, etc. The Abbey is now the site of the world famous Anis de Flavigny candy, of which we bought a variety of flavors - anise, licorice root, ginger, orange, lemon, and cassis. We walked a bit through the old town - - there were houses for sale. It's also the village where the mive 'Chocolat' was made.
Nicola in front of the 'chocolaterie' . The dusty windows say 'I heart Jonny Depp'.We drove back to the boat and I played petanque (and mashed a finger) with the boys while we waited for lunch on the deck. There was a dish like macaroni and cheese, a chicken and bacon contry style pate, two salads, one arugala, the other roasted vegetables with pine nuts, two cheeses (a goat and a cow), fruit, bread,and a rose wine. For dessert Emma had also prepared 'flapjack', which were oat squares cooked with syrup - - basically home made granola bars. The kids really liked them and we will try to replicate them at home.
We started cruising after lunch. The barge goes about 2-3 miles per hour - - slower than a walking pace. The canal http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canal_de_Bourgogne is not the oldest in france, but it is pretty old; construction started in 1775 and finished in 1832. It connects the Seine/Yonne to the Saone/Rhone, so you could go from the Atlantic, through Paris, and then into the Mediterranean. http://www.bargesinfrance.com/canalsrivers_canalbourgogne.htm#canalrivermap
We started cruising after lunch. The barge goes about 2-3 miles per hour - - slower than a walking pace. The canal http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canal_de_Bourgogne is not the oldest in france, but it is pretty old; construction started in 1775 and finished in 1832. It connects the Seine/Yonne to the Saone/Rhone, so you could go from the Atlantic, through Paris, and then into the Mediterranean. http://www.bargesinfrance.com/canalsrivers_canalbourgogne.htm#canalrivermap
We went through about eight locks. Jasper and Lucas opened up one of them. Jasper and I also got off the boat and biked between two locks and around a little village. There is a large square parasol over the wheelhouse area, and every time we go under a bridge, the captain has to lower it. We played some cribbage. The locks in this area are only about 1-2 miles apart. The weather got increasingly cloudy and damp, but so far no rain.
We docked in Montbard around 6. The town has two claims to fame. There is a large factory "Valinox Nucleaire" that makes steel tubes for nuclear reactors. The other claim is that this was the home of Count Buffon, one of the proto-evolutionists of the 18th century http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georges-Louis_Leclerc,_Comte_de_Buffon . Surprisingly, recent science has shown that there are epigenetic effects that can carry on to future generations. We walked up the hill, past the cemetery to Buffon Park. This is a very nice space, but unfortunately, the several towers and buildings that held museum objects were closed, either because it was Sunday, or because it was too late in the day.
We docked in Montbard around 6. The town has two claims to fame. There is a large factory "Valinox Nucleaire" that makes steel tubes for nuclear reactors. The other claim is that this was the home of Count Buffon, one of the proto-evolutionists of the 18th century http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georges-Louis_Leclerc,_Comte_de_Buffon . Surprisingly, recent science has shown that there are epigenetic effects that can carry on to future generations. We walked up the hill, past the cemetery to Buffon Park. This is a very nice space, but unfortunately, the several towers and buildings that held museum objects were closed, either because it was Sunday, or because it was too late in the day.
One of the towers. It lacks only a big lightning rod.We also saw many dogs. I spotted a grey heron and black redstarts. Now we are waiting for dinner.
More later.....
No comments:
Post a Comment