Paris Trip 9.30.10

I am currently collecting photos and experiences as content for a magazine article on sustainability in Paris, ranked as the #1 city for clean air. CNN recently reported on a unique balloon at the Parc Andre Citroen. The large balloon is the centerpiece of the park, and is equipped with LED screens that display the air quality in traffic, and a flag that displays overall air quality. At night, the entire balloon is illuminated showing the air quality at that time so that Parisians with respiratory issues can know when they are at risk. Sensors throughout the city take individual readings that are then fed to the balloon operators.

I have visited the park before, but at that time I never paid the 10 euros to go up over 100 meters from the surface, nor was it used to measure air quality. However, today I purchased a ticket and boarded the balloon despite some subtle yet slightly disturbing wind gusts. The view of the city from the balloon is certainly worth the ten euro ticket. A 360 degree view of the city can be had without obstruction allowing nearly all of Paris’s major landmarks to be photographed. After about 10 or 15 minutes in the air, and some slight rocking of the main platform, we returned to the ground via a tethering system.

A view of La Defense, a community of business high rise buildings.

Here you can spot the Eiffel Tower, Invalides and Sacre Coeur in the distance.

Seriously, I am afraid of heights.

Deciding to walk around town rather than take the Metro after my ballon experience, I encountered a more recent version of the statue of liberty that is much more similar than the other version I posted a few days back. This one, located near Pont de Genelle, is quite small when compared to our Statue of Liberty and was given to the Paris in 1889.

Encountering the Trocadero on my way to one of my favorite art museums, Palais de Tokyo, one gets a look at some of Paris’s street performers, souvenir trinkets and street food. A man roasts chestnuts in a grocery cart, break dancers perform to crowds, and a man pretends to be a copper sculpture. Along the stairs of the Trocadero one can also buy certain knock-offs of famous brands.

The guy sitting on the terrace is selling knock-off bags.

Trocadero

As I approached the Palais de Tokyo, I noticed a huge line of very well-dressed people, many of them model-esque women and photographers. Hoping that this was performance art, I got closer only to find that it was actually a fashion show for Rick Owens. Underdressed in my clearance Martin and Osa jeans and Old Navy pullover, I doubted I would make the cut into the show. I did take some photos and admired some of the stunning fashions being paraded into the museum.

What's not to love about this photo? Well… maybe the camera guy.

Tonight’s dinner was great since the entree (appetizer) was prosciutto with small pickles (conichons). Following that was a huge plate of spaghetti with beef that was pounded into a thin filet. Almost unable to move A) because I was stuffed and B) because I pulled a muscle in my back when the Metro train stopped very abruptly, I somehow managed to make it to the movie theater to watch the one movie I’ve been waiting to see Wallstreet: Money Never Sleeps. Although money may never sleep, I do so it is now off to bed.

One of my favorite food combinations!

Paris Trip 9.29.10

I will keep this post pretty brief since it involved shopping for Christmas presents and a rendezvous with my friend Celine who I have not seen in nearly four years. First off, I decided to head back near Place Vendome to visit the Longchamp store and the Maille mustard store. I found a nice jar of grape seed mustard for my friend Amy, then headed to Longchamp to buy my mom’s Christmas present.

Longchamp (a french handbag company) could have been placed in China or Japan. Nearly every shopper in there was asian. Many of the workers were bi-lingual or tri-lingual in French and either Chinese, Japanese or English. I was definitely the person looking to spend the least money in the store (sorry mom) and most of the shoppers had bags from Chanel, Louis Vuitton, etc in hand already. For anyone who questions where the income is growing the most needs only to look to east. One of the great things about this store is that if you tell them your purchase is a gift, they box, wrap and bow the item very nicely and for free!

Lunch consisted of steak with peeper sauce which was delicious with a nice side salad and plenty of frites!

Steak with sauce poivre

Florence (left) and Celine (right)

At around 7:00 I headed towards Metro Voltaire to meet Celine and her former colleague Florence. It was great to see Celine since she showed me a lot of Paris and got me addicted the macaroons during my first trip to France. She now works in an architecture office and says that in the last few years the need to speak English in France has grown due to more international communications between companies. We headed to an Italian Brasserie where we shared a huge plate of cheese and meats while I spoke French (if you can call it that) and Celine spoke English.  Around 11:30, we all headed our separate ways since both Celine and Flo had to work in the morning. It was a great rendezvous and I look forward to seeing them both on Saturday for a drink before Nuit Blanche 2010!

Returning back for the night, I needed a crepe… bad. I stopped at a local brasserie and enjoyed this delicious treat!

Paris Trip 9.28.10

Despite having spent a lot of time in France, one of the places I never got to visit was the Cimetiere du Pere Lachaise or Pere Lachaise cemetery. This place is notably recognized as the burial place of Jim Morrison of the Doors. However Balzac, Delacroix, and various french artists, actors, writers and politicians are also buried here.

I arrived just before lunch to see a huge crowd outside the gates. Assuming that this was the line, I decided to have an early lunch and wait for the line to die down. This was a wise decision, since the crowd was actually a funeral procession and I would have mistakenly joined the procession for an entombment!

The "line" outside Pere Lachaise

Every so often in France you stumble upon something that makes your stomach quiver. The last dish I ate that did this was a stew of beef kidney that tasted something like a warm puree of port-o-let. This time I tried herring salad, which I had previously eaten in sour cream in Norway, but found it very different in France. The fish was tough and smelly. The slimy residue tainted the small salad below it and the bones got stuck in my teeth. When I told the waiter that I was done with only half the fish eaten, he looked at me in disdain and said” but this is special.” I am not sure special is the word for it. Luckily, the leg of duck more than made up for the palette scaring flavor of the fish.

Now this was bad. Really bad.

Entering Pere Lachaise is a somber experience out of an Edgar Alan Poe poem. Crows are everywhere and they hop from tombstone to tombstone as if it is their playground. It is interesting to see family crypts that date back hundreds of years with ornate sculptures and cathedral like architecture. The most visited grave seemed to be that of Jim Morrison, which had a metal fence around it. However, it is some of the lesser known tombs that provide the most visual appeal (and creepiness) and when combined with the worn cobblestone walking paths create a truly unique visitor experience.

Jim Morrison's grave.

After a somber day of walking through the cemetery, I was very happy to be invited to the home of my friend Camille and his wife Delphine. They are expecting their first child in about a month and both of them are very excited about the new addition to the family. Camille is a very talented animator and we became friends when he was a student at ENSAD, a design school that I would visit often for inspiration. Camille works with several of his old ENSAD classmates and their amazing work can be seen at www.cestconfortable1.blogspot.com I can’t wait for an opportunity to collaborate with these guys!

Delphine cooked a delicious meal – maybe the best I have had thus far.  The menu consisted of pork tenderloin in a roquefort sauce with carrots, and marinated figs in fresh yogurt for dessert. I was great to catch up with both of them since I remember when the two first met, and to talk animation and design with Camille just like in the days of old. I can’t wait to send a small Nuggets jersey to the baby once he is born. I suppose the question now is will it be a Carmelo Anthony jersey or a Derrick Favors jersey?

Paris Trip 9.27.2010

The daytime today was spent doing relatively boring stuff such as visiting the laverie across the street to do some laundry. I hated doing this when I lived here and detest it even more now that it has taken time out of my vacation and cost me the equivalent of $10 US per load. Hungry from my hard work, I headed to a local jazz bar for Cuisse de Canard (leg of duck) and Risotto with mushrooms which was exceptionally delicious. The real meat and potatoes of the day (no pun intended) came with my first visit to the Champs Elysees. I used to visit the Champs Elysees almost every day, and find it the most attractive place to see the many people coming from all over the world. Here are some photos of my journey from the base of the Champs Elysees at Metro Champs Elysee Clemenceau to the Arc de Triomphe.

Metro Champs Elysees Clemenceau

The Champs Elysees

The newest window installation at Louis Vuitton

One of my favorite stores on the Champs Elysees. Great Escalator!

Walking up the Champs Elysees, especially if you are a car design enthusiast, is a real treat with every car retailer displaying their full gamut of eye candy. Peugeot was displaying concept cars with a very futuristic interior lighting display. Renault had cars through the ages on display to celebrate their 100th year on the Champs Elysee and Toyota was displaying its newest hybrid vehicles, complete with huge electric plug descending from the ceiling.

The Peugeot store with its futuristic display.

A cool vintage Renault used by the Parisian elite.

Walking from the base of the Champs Elysee can take some time, especially when you stop to people watch and visit some of the stores or have a coffee. Eventually, however, you reach the iconic star of the Champs Elysees, the Arc de Triomph!

Although I love where I work, there are some offices that make just about everyone jealous. The Publicis Groupe office is one that makes me green with envy. Mere meters from the Arc de Triomphe, the Publicis Office is likely the most impressive building on the Champs Elysees. The headquarters features a gourmet restaurant, convenience store, gift shop, bookstore and fully equipped movie theater. Maybe all this is just a ploy to keep employees in the office for longer hours –but I’ll bet it works.

Publicis Groupe Headquarters

Departing the Champs Elysees, I decided to take an alternate route to the metro so that I could see the Eiffel Tower overlooking the Seine and Invalides, where Napoleon is entombed. I arrived at the bridge Pont Des Invalides just in time to see the sparkling lights of the Eiffel Tower turn on, as they do every night at the top of the hour. These sights ended my night – and I could not have been happier!

This sight never gets old.

A perfect view of Invalides

Paris Trip 09.26.10

Sundays are generally low-key days in France with most of the stores and bakeries closed. Some restaurants are also closed making it fairly inconvenient if you want to eat out. Planning on this, Kristy graciously hosted myself, Christine and Andrew, another former L’Abbaye de Pontlevoy employee at her apartment in the 7th arrondissement for brunch. It was great to see Andrew again, since I have not seen him since my last visit to Paris around two years ago and he is guaranteed to make you laugh. Beginning around 2pm, a wide variety of foods were rolled out. Bacon, pancakes, a french breakfast casserole and potatoes with rosemary. Considering the size of her kitchen (small enough to fit in a closet) which is typical of such apartments, the amount of food cooked was incredible. Below is a photo of the spread. After introducing me to the show “Glee” which I had never seen before, I had to leave around 4:00 to meet my friend Terry Netter who was in town from Vauvy.

The Brunch Club

At around 5:00 Terry Netter, who had also reserved a room for the night at Hotel De Blois, came downstairs to meet me. I originally met Terry when he was the Dean of Fine Arts at Jacksonville University in Florida. It was he who was responsible for bringing me to France initially to re-brand the L’Abbaye of Pontlevoy and we have been wonderful friends ever since. Whenever we are both in Paris we make a point of painting the town red! Luckily I have become friends with Terry’s son who lives nearby in Denver so I sometimes get to see him and his lovely wife when they visit town.

Dean Netter: What a classy guy. After a decade I can now call him Terry!

Tonight Terry wanted to keep things low key since he had to pick up his wife early in the morning from CDG. We headed to a movie which as expected was tremendously weird and tremendously French. Dazed by what we had just seen, we decided that a good dinner was in order and we took the Metro to St. Germain and had a great dinner of Steak Frites (for me) and Rack of Lamb (for him). It was great to talk art, philosophy, and the progress Terry is making on a book ( I honestly can’t wait to read this book) and his newest painting successes. After dinner, tired and drenched from the rain, we returned to Hotel de Blois where I parted ways with Terry. Not quite tired enough, I went for a nice walk in the rain, found some new stores I did not know about. I then returned back to the room to watch some quality French TV including a direct rip off of Jerry Springer with a host that looks like Jerry, and an audience that boos the guest every five seconds or so.

Paris Trip 9.25.10

Whereas the previous day’s events were cut short by an attack of over-sleeping, today’s schedule was much more eventful. Leaving Hotel de Blois and after a quick cafe creme, I rounded the corner approaching Metro Mouton Duvernet only to hear and feel the thumping of drum &  bass. I walked towards the sound only to run into the rendezvous point of the Paris Techno Parade! This event features a string of large decorated busses crammed with radio personalities and DJ’s all spitting rumbling techno from multiple speakers. Thousands of people were gathered to dance, drink and mingle in the streets to remixes of David Guetta, the Black Eyed Peas and Tiesto to name a few. Some of the visitors were dressed in costumes and it really was a festival like atmosphere. Although I had a great time, it started to rain, and thus my Techno Parade experience came to an end.

Techno Parade visitors

A long line of techno music blaring vehicles meets adoring fans.

The next leg of my day was inspired by my mom. I remember that I had once asked her what her favorite place in the world was and she replied “Notre Dame.” I can recall on one finger the number of times I have been inside the iconic cathedral in the heart of Paris, yet I have always stopped to admire the exterior. Located on an island between the left and right banks of the Seine, the towering spires attract long lines, opportunistic buskers and street vendors selling 10 Eiffel Tower keychains for 2 euros. Tourist traps aside, Notre Dame is unparalleled in its notoriety and beauty. Each arch is carefully carved and the flying buttresses, gargoyles and rose windows provide for interesting details that are eternally intriguing and admirable.

Notre Dame

Details of the arch as you enter through the doors.

"I always feel like somebody's watching me." – Beatfreakz

Waiting in the long line to get into Notre Dame is generally worth while, as long as the line moves quickly, as because entry is free. One can also pay several euros to climb to the top of the spires for a better view. The interior chapel though is a must see as light pours into the rose windows to illuminate the intricacies of the architecture. Every ten feet or so there is something to see – from tombs to statues to the confession boxes to the gift shop. For 5 euros (based on the honor system) you can buy a candle that can either be lit inside the cathedral or taken home as a souvenir. For 2 euros you get a small votive candle that you can light and place amongst thousands of others, all accompanied by a prayer. After this second visit into Notre Dame, I can understand why not only my mom, but any person, religious or non-religious, might name Notre Dame as their favorite place in the world.

For many, Notre Dame is far more than just a tourist attraction.

The rose window.

A candle to commemorate the visit.

I needed to kill some time before heading to Rue de Rivoli to meet my friend Kristy, so I decided to head into the Marais. The Marais is a wonderful part of Paris filled with Jewish pastry shops, fashion boutiques, kabob and felafel restaurants and unique museums featuring local work. Today I stumbled on a vintage show which featured old and new motorcycles and bikes on the outside and a flea market type atmosphere on the inside. Vendors were selling “vintage” clothing for semi-exobitant prices. One woman wanted 850 euros for an older Chanel handbag that I had considered buying for my sister until I heard the price! Also, call me crazy, but the American-style letter jacket is coming back into vogue. Here, these jackets were selling for hundreds of dollars and “fake” letter jackets are already in Marais stores. This may be a Parisian fad, but I am glad I hung onto mine!

Brooks baby!

This woman was way too cool to sit with the others.

After spending some time at the vintage fair, I met my friend Kristy and her friend Christine at Stolly’s, located off an inconspicuous side street of Rue de Rivoli. Stolly’s is owned by ex-pat Brits who also own a bar in Brooklyn and another in Paris according to Kristy. Nearly everyone here speaks English including the French patrons.

It was great to see Kristy again who became like a sister to me when we worked in Pontlevoy. Christine had now moved to Paris to pursue a graduate degree at the Sorbonne, the oldest and most esteemed university in Paris. After a few drinks we took the Bus #69 which goes through the Louvre and alongside the Seine and is a beautiful method in which to see the city. Arriving at Kristy’s apartment building it became obvious and ironic that she now lives about one block from where I used to live! “My bakery” is now “her bakery”! Je suis jealouse! It was nice to see the old neighborhood, watch some episodes of “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” and have some laughs. Bidding goodbye to my friends we planned to do brunch the next day and I took Metro Ecole Militaire back to my new “home” in Montparnasse. Whew what a day.

Kristy and Christine: They are on fire!

Paris Trip 9.24.10

I awoke early today, the ground still wet with the night’s rain, when I received a phone call from my dear friend Terry Netter. I had planned to catch a train at around 9:00 to St. Pierre des Corps, a small village near the Loire Valley. There I was to meet Terry and head to Pontlevoy the visit the Abbaye de Pontlevoy which is an over-1,000-year-old Abbey turned educational facility used today by the University of Southern Mississippi and a catholic boy’s school as well as a venue for artistic programs. Unfortunately, the strikes that I had chronicled yesterday had once again created disturbances in the train schedules and there was no guarantee that I would get a train to St. Pierre des Corps, nor  a return train. Thus, the trip was cancelled and I returned to bed only to sleep through my alarm and wake up around 2:00 pm! The jet lag had finally gotten the best of me!

Determined to make the most of my day, I headed out to the Rue du Rivoli which lines the Louvre’s Tuileries gardens, and turned on a small side street  in search of  a hidden treasure where I could get something to eat. Walking by a small cheese shop I found my treasure. For only 8.50 euros, the cheese shop/restaurant was offering a salad, drink and slices of six different kinds of cheese. In the US, I rarely eat much cheese unless it is A) on a pizza, B) inside or on a burrito, chile relleno or enchilada, or C) on an hors d’oeuvre tray at a conference when all the big money items have already been eaten. However, every trip to Paris kicks off a cheese eating binge. All six types of cheese were incredibly smelly and equally delicious. My favorite was an aged cheese rolled in small marinated cherries. Accompanied by freshly cut baguette, this meal was a real gem.

After a belly full of cheese and bread, I decided to scope out some of the stores at Place Vendome. The streets surrounding Place Vendome create the epicenter of Paris haute-coutoure. Gucci, Dior, Hermes, Gaultier etc. etc. not mention an array of jewelry stores with watches that cost more than my car and necklaces that cost more than my condo beckon the rich and famous. When not peering into the window at the exquisite merchandise you can be treated to a parade of trophy wives and black mercedes limos pulling up to 4 star hotels to drop off their guests.

Place Vendome

Proceeding from Place Vendome I walked to Place de la Madeline, home of a Parthenon looking building with monumental mass. Although many come to visit the pillars of the building, I came for mustard. Before leaving Colorado, I had promised my friend Amy that I would bring back some grape seed mustard and no other place sells more varieties of mustard (that I know of) than Maille. Unfortunately stores close at around 7:00pm in this area and they were closed by the time I got there. I will have to come back to fulfill my promise to Amy, however, even when closed, Maille still attracts visitors curious to see the selection through the store’s windows.

Place de la Madeline

After my adventures near Place de la Madeline, I headed back to Montparnasse to catch a movie at the Gaumont. Unfortunately, there was only one VO “version original” movie, meaning it is in english – Eat Pray Love or Mange Prie Aime. I actually wanted to see this movie despite its target at the female market after watching several of Elizabeth Gilbert’s presentations at Ted. Also, the movie featured French subtitles which are a great way for me to refresh my vocabulary and learn conjugation since I am a visual learner. The Guamont has a certain feature that has added charm to the movie-going experience that I could never find in Denver. You can hear and feel the subtle rumbling of the Metro below you feet from inside the theater.

To cap off the night, I walked a couple of blocks to Amorino Gelato, a chain of stores that can be seen throughout Paris. Their gelato is delicious and by far my favorite provider of pistachio and noisette (hazelnut) gelato. At around 12:00am, the place was still bustling. Feeling much more rested than other nights, I walked home with gelato in hand and with only about 5 drip marks on my once spotless black shirt.

pistachio+hazelnut= the best

Paris Trip: 9.23.2010

It’s about 1:45 am in Paris, so if there are excessive typos or miswordings, it is due to thorough exhaustion. However, I wanted to get this tremendous day on the books so that I don’t forget a single detail. So here we go…

Today I wanted to take a look at some of the shops, including a bike shop, and some of the more intimate details of the city that most who visit don’t get to see. I started by having breakfast and then headed to Oberkampf to visit Cycles Laurent. One of the more high-browed bike shops in Paris, this store had some elite level bicycles including Time (which has a certain place in my heart) and Pinarello (which has a certain place in my dreams). They were running a special on jerseys and I was shocked to find a University of Colorado jersey in my size for 15 euros! That is cheaper than in the U.S. and the manager seemed amused when I had told her that I had just graduated from the CU business program! Cycles Laurent had some really nice eye candy including a Pinarello Dogma 60:1 and a vintage motorized bike.

A whole lot of sweetness here!

I wonder if I can find one of these on Craigslist?

After a brief lunch of a saucison and cornichon sanwich I made my way to Place de la Republic to have a visit the woman who inspired our own statue of liberty. Along the way I was able to get my first look at the Seine as from the bridge known as Pont Neuf. Below are some photos and I am sure that there will be more like them later in my trip.

The original "statue of liberty"

You may have heard that Paris is often taken put into a logistical headlock by strikes from the transportation workers. However, few visitors ever know when one might occur and what it might look like. I personally had never seen, or partaken in one until today. Earlier on the news I had seen that a strike was to occur at Denfert Rochereau but had forgotten about it until my walk back to the hotel. Apparently the workforce is upset by the proposition to extend the retirement age in Paris. The first thing you notice is the rather startling lack of traffic caused by the parking of large buses in the street. These buses appear to have been used to transport strike participants to the rally or have been placed there by drivers refusing to work. Curious, I walked towards the strike and embedded myself in the middle of the action. People young and old were adorned with face paint, signs and flags. Many of them were chanting or passionately singing songs. News reporters and professional photo journalists lined the streets and I was probably mistaken as one of them, since several people stopped to pose for photos. I will never forget being in the middle of the protestors and witnessing their unified passion against this proposition. Although I wouldn’t recommend this to any normal traveler I was glad I was there and could bring these pictures to you.

Nothing says "roadblock" like a whole lot of buses.

The aftermath.

Later in the evening I headed the Barber Shop for an art exhibition at this hip and chic restaurant/bar. There I met Clement, Jessica and their friends Julie, Samuel and Amande. We had some drinks admired the art, and I learned that both Julie and Amande were designers. Julie, a graphic designer and Amande a fashion designer. Jessica is also a very talented designer with a love of typography and really conceptual approach to her work. We decided to head back to Bastille for dinner, but in order to get there I rode on the back of Clement’s 1960’s era Vespa. I’ll be honest, driving or riding anywhere can be a bit scary in Paris. But on a Vespa, it is both more scary and more exhilarating! Since I spend most of my time on the Metro, it is nice to see where things are from above ground. I have to admit I would not mind having a Vespa of my own after riding with Clement.

This picture is basically saying "sorry mom." But Vespas are fun.

Riding the Vespa worked up an appetite so we bought some groceries and sat down for a typical French meal of hotdogs with bacon (that was an attempt at a joke). Given my previous experiences with hotdogs in Paris this was a big step for me. Clement, Jessica, Amande and myself had a great time talking, listening to mashups and teaching Jessica how to throw spiral with an American football.

Amande avec moi sur le Metro

At round 12:00 Amande and I departed from Chez Clement to catch the Metro at Bastille. It was interesting talking with Amande about her future plans in fashion and next steps. Tomorrow she will be heading to her hometown of Tros, known for its champaign, and will pack up to move to London for a fashion design internship. I wish her luck and hope that one day she will design a one of a kind “costume” or suit for me. At Metro Denfert Rochereau I said goodbye to Amande who continued to Montparnasse Bienvenue and walked home in the best kind of rain – Parisian rain.

A cardiologists worst nightmare.

Paris Trip 9.22.10

During my last trip to Paris, I learned a valuable lesson – never start your visit by eating a hot dog at 3:00am from a street vendor. If you do, you will likely experience momentary pleasure, followed by shooting stomach pains in the morning, followed by spending New Year’s Eve on a couch while your friends party at a hotel overlooking the city. Thus, this time I was committed to starting the day off right and treating myself to some of my favorite French foods right-off-the-bat. Day two started with a baguette, croissant and various jellies kindly provided by my hotel. After a short walk around the neighborhood, I stumbled upon a market near the Tour de Montparnasse. Everything here is fresh and the air smells of fruit, meat and cheeses. I always love visiting these markets when I can, and often the vendors are happy to let you try an olive or a berry.

After spending about half an hour at the market, I walked into the heart of Montparnasse towards the busier streets lined with retail shops such as H&M, Zara and several movie theaters. I decided to continue my gastronomic journey by taking a break at a small cafe for a cafe creme and a tart “tartin.” This was truly delicious, although it takes a true dessert lover to replace a nutritious lunch with a pear tart a la mode. Needless to say, it was delicious.

Exploring the city allowed me to test my new camera and look like a typical tourist. I usually dislike doing things that make me appear to be an easy target from either from the US or Japan, but I couldn’t resist playing with my new toy. I spent about an hour testing my new camera in a courtyard complete with cathedral and fountain. You just never know what landmark you are going to stumble upon in Paris.

foie de canard

After walking around town all day, my dessert lunch was burned off and I was definitely in the mood for something more substantial for dinner. I decided that my first full day in Paris would deserve a full menu 26 euro at a restaurant down the street called Le Moulin Vert (the Green Windmill.) A seafood restaurant, the menu 26 Euro came with an appetizer (entree), main course (plat) and dessert. I chose the duck foie gras to start, followed by the roasted “Dorree” which is a fish I had never heard of, and ended with a flottante, or large dollop of merangue floating on a cold soup of vanilla custard. All three courses were excellent and left me almost unable to walk back to the hotel.

Crispy on the outside and perfectly delicious on the inside. That was one tasty fish!

A flottante is the perfect end to a perfect French meal.

Barely making my way back to the hotel, I received news that a new club was opening and that I had been graciously included on the list. I was also relieved to hear that I would have at least two hours to digest my food before meeting friends at Metro Grand Boulevards. At around 11:40 pm I rendezvoused with Clement, Jessica, and their friends Aurelion and Caroline. According the Aurelion, this club was once a very famous theatre that had been shut down. It had reopened as a club and tonight was the first night of being operational. The inside still looked like a theater, but downstairs, was a modern and rather geometric looking space with a booming soundsystem and Djs spinning electronic music. It was nice to talk with my friends and listen to the electro that I rarely get to listen to in clubs in the states. We stayed for around an hour or so, watched people come and go and parted ways since everyone was tired. Day 2 did not disappoint, and frankly I am a bit surprised that jetlag has yet to get the best of me.

The entry way to the club

Inside the club. Note: I see a lot of guys in the this photo and only one girl. No wonder we didn't stay long.

Paris Trip 9.20.2010-9.21.2010

Every trip to Paris is fully inclusive of an exhausting day (or day and a half considering time zone changes) of travel complete with a multi-hour layover, this time in Chicago, and eight- hour flight over the Atlantic. While this trip would prove no different, at least my stomach was eased by one of the most delicious Italian beef sandwiches I have ever had – not that I’ve had many – on the C concourse of Chicago O’Hare airport. Stumbling upon this sandwich was no easy task, since its signage reflect something from a 1980’s bail bond or payday loan office buried in the heated irrelevance of the modern airport food court. With this said, every a-jus-dripping bite was heaven and a wonderful primer for the long plane ride. (including the absence of fully-anticipated bubble gut). Even the semi-soggy mild-hot peppers slathered atop a roll filled with meat seemed the appropriate final taste of Americana.

The plane ride was uneventful and thus is not really worth talking about. I arrived in France at Paris Charles de Gaulle L’Aeroport a little after 9:00 and made my way to the RER train station where I rode to Metro Denfert Rochereau then transferred to my final stop at Mouton Duvernet. Hotel de Blois, which I will call home for the next couple of weeks is located about 3 blocks away on the tiny side street of Rue de Plantes. Since I had to wait about an hour before my room would be ready, I walked across the street to a small brasserie and had my first Cafe Creme of the trip. Although the first of many, nothing compares to it in the United States.

The first cafe creme of my trip.

Exhausted I made my way to my room, #18, which has been my home base several times when I lived in France. Below are some views of my new “home” and the view from the window.

After a brief four hour nap, which was one of the best I’ve had a in looong time, I was invited to the opening of a photography show at a retail store by my friend Clement. Although the photography was set in the backdrop of a retail store, the various shoes, hats and hip-hop inspired merchandise were cool to see and the photos added to the effect with their distressed/vintage feel. We were joined by Clement’s friends Gaylord, Olivier and Alice. Later Clement’s girlfriend Jessica would arrive and was happy to receive the pair of Levi’s 513 “boyfriend” cut jeans I had brought from the US. One of the highlights of the night was seeing Alice in an illustrated wolf sweatshirt that would be the envy of several friends who have been known to dawn such apparel.

After a few hours of talking about bicycles, eating spaghetti bolognese and watching YouTube videos of animated short films, I departed Chez Clement near Bastille at around 1:00am. I made it to Place d’Italie before the Metro closed down for the night thus forcing me to walk about 1.5 miles back to Montparnasse. My legs and body mildly aching from a long day of travel and long walk home, I walked up the three flights of stairs back to room 18 went to sleep – in Paris 🙂