Last Day in Paris

Linda hanging out a bedroom window at Paris apartment

Paris apartment

Linda outside the entry door to the apartment buildings

Remains of the wall that surrounded Paris

Mother and daughter who work in Atelier 16 in Montmartre. The daughter is an artist.

Linda and I in Atelier 16 on a hot day after buying some small works of art

Lively band playing in Montmartre Metro Station

In the Marais, a former private home

Paris apartment, master bedroom

Living room Paris apartment

Living room Paris apartment

View on the street side from the apartment, looking on to rue de Rosiers

Another view of Paris apartment. Thank you Steve for the very nice apartment!

2nd bedroom overlooking the courtyard

Today, Linda and I went back to the Carnavalet Museum to see the small artifacts that belonged to Marie Antoinette displayed in the cases covered with cloth to protect from light. There were a tiny, dainty pair of her shoes, a pair of scissors, a fragment of a dress, a miniature family portrait, a lace baby bonnet that belonged to the dauphin, and a large gold locket with the dauphin and MA's hair. She was quite blonde. There is a large very nice portrait of Louis XVI by Duplessis that I enjoyed seeing too. Next we walked to Place des Voges to see the Victor Hugo apartment. Did more walking around the neighborhood and back to Mouffletard street in the Latin Quarter to pick up a lavender small hand bag for Bri. We again, took the Metro out to Montmartre to Atelier 16 to look at the paintings and sculptures as my friend in Portland had actually called the owner of the gallery in France to check on the open hours of the shop for us. We wanted to get Debbie a small painting she had admired in the window and we found some small paintings for ourselves as well of Paris scenes. Back in the Marais, we joined the other Parisians for a biere pression and then back to the apartment for definitely a "clear the refrigerator out" dinner. Not so bad, as we had a fresh baguette and a little bit of cheese: the Roquefort and the creamy cheese from Burgundy with the brandy soaked raisins. Decided on a cab to the train station tomorrow rather than lugging our luggage up and down the stairs of the metro, enticing as that sounds. Plan on a croissant almande tomorrow with chocolate for breakfast, one last time before heading on the train to Nantes which will take 2 hours 15 minutes!

A Nice Day in the Marais

Place de Bastille

Rental bikes in the Marais

Place des Vosges, oldest square in Paris

Place des Vosges

Chateau near Place des Vosges that is being renovated

Old flooring in Musee Carnavalet

Gardens at Musee Carnavalet

Lunch a emporter (accents everywhere) Our takeout lunch!

Today was a low key pleasant day in our neighborhood. We visited the Cognacq-Jay Museum which I had seen last week and enjoyed immensely. This visit, we rented the audio so it was a lot more informative. We saw another 17th C mansion on our walk so we checked it out. It had a few old paintings in it and some very modern decorative arts including furniture. There was a small cafe in the building with petite tables set out in the cobblestone courtyard. We took a delicious sandwich with us to share back at our apartment but first we visited an old tea shop Marriage Freres from the mid 1800's that has more than 560 selections of tea. The men, and only men, who work there wear linen suits and use brass scales to measure out the tea from large metal cans. There is a menu to help make your selections and some small tins of the more popular tea to give a sniff to see if it might be to your liking. It was a step back in time with all the large tea tins and the wooden shelves and floors. I asked if I could take a photo but it was not allowed. Would have liked to have bought some tea but it was crowded and a little intimidating! We visited the Carnavalet Museum this afternoon which tells much of the history of Paris but the 18th C French area wasn't open so hope to pop back there tomorrow and see that small objects that belonged to Marie Antoinette. Tonight we walked out to Ile Saint Louis for a Berthillion ice cream cone then came back to pack up so we have a free day tomorrow; our last in Paris this trip.

And Then There Were Two.. . . . .

Saint Eustache 17th C cathedral, Les Halles Paris

Floor of Saint Eustache

More of St. Eustache

St. Eustache stained glass

The organ at the back of the cathedral

Linda at Opera l'Garnier

Inside the opera house

One of four of the ornate ceilings in l'Garnier and photos below

Debbie woke up at 4 AM this morning to catch her flight from Paris to Amsterdam to Portland. The apartment management office had arranged a cab for pickup at 4:45 and luckily he was waiting outside the apartment. Lucky, because we didn't have a backup plan if he was a no-show. Tracked her flights today and she has arrived back in PDX! Linda and I walked to Saint Eustache, a church built in 17th C. Madame Pompadour, mistress to King Louis XV was baptized there. Soaring ceilings, uneven stone floor and nice stained glass. Then we stopped at a couple of kitchen supply stores looking for the elusive Black silicone canneles molds that are necessary for the caramelized treats, but no luck. Walked on to the Opera Garnier built in 1875. Beautiful building inside and out with lots of gilt, grand staircases, and painted ceilings. It was the back drop for many of Degas ballerina paintings. As I recall, he had a "box" seat there. Linda and I spoke of our enjoyment of having Debbie with us and wish she were still.

Montmartre

Linda and Debbie checking out the art through the window, with close up photo below

Montmartre

Cook'N with Class cooking class: Classic French Desserts.  Montmartre. There are the delicious canneles the chef made per my request. Best ever!!

Chef Pino supervising me using an industrial use torch for caramelizing the chocolate creme brulee. Very delicious!

Debbie and Linda looking over the Cotes du Rhone wine trying to decide which bottle for the night?

Part of what we made in the Classic French Dessert class

Yesterday, we aired out our walking shoes and rode the Metro to Montmartre. Some friends from Portland know a French couple who are artists and have a gallery in Montmartre. The French husband paints and the wife is a sculptor. Unfortunately, the Atelier 16 on rue Chappe was closed but we loved what we saw in the window. D+L visited Sacre Coeur, Moulin Rouge and a small church built in the 12th C. meanwhile, I took a Classic French Desserts class for 4 hours. I literally signed up for the class minutes before leaving from Portland for the airport. The appeal was that they would customize the class to special requests and I needed help perfecting canneles from Bordeaux. Tough to get the caramelized crispy crust on the outside while maintaining a moist eggy, vanilla, rum center. Out with the copper molds and in with the flexible black silicone molds, plus learned a few other great tips from the pastry chef which will make a big difference in the outcome. We also made chocolate creme brûlée, madeleines infused with tea, puff pastry, mille feuille, and a sables base fruit tart. The chef was wonderful and made for a lively fun afternoon with 5 other students. Back at the apartment, we had dinner with a bottle of Cotes du Rhone, cheese, baguette and the desserts from the "Cook'N with Class". Sadly, it was Debbie's last evening with us in Paris. The time together went by so quickly. It's been so nice for The Three to spend this time together!

Cliff notes, continued. . . .

Jardin de Luxembourg

Band on the Market street rue Mouffetard

Debbie and Linda joining the hordes of Parisians at a sidewalk cafe

Out on a warm evening for an hour's boat ride on the Seine

Friday, L+D went to the Eiffel Tower early to beat the crowds. They were really glad that they experienced it. When they arrived back, we did a little shopping in Village St. Paul not far from our apartment. Saturday, we went shopping in Saint-Germain-Des-Pres area. For any husbands reading this blog, we didn't find much to buy. We did visit the Cire Trudon, the oldest candle shop in Paris founded in 1643. They provided candles for Versailles. Also visited the Jardin du Luxembourg where there were tons of people hanging out on a warm afternoon. Sunday, we visited the market street of rue de Mouffetard. The narrow street was filled with fresh seafood, including shrimp, mussels and whole fish, cheese shops, fruit and vegetables, and an Italian food shop with fresh pastas. For entertainment, there was a four piece band of old guys and down the rue, a woman singing with the crowd joining in. Popped in The Pantheon but had to get the cheese back to the apartment. We went to rue Tresor for a draft beer (a la pression) as Debbie had longed to join the French people enjoying a beer on the corner at "Les Philosophees". There were no tables but when we circled back a few minutes later, we grabbed a couple of tiny tables! Yeah!! It was only after awhile of enjoying our time there, that Debbie discovered we were sitting at a bar next to Les Philosophees. Missed our target! We still enjoyed sitting there with our beers very much. Then we took an hour boat ride on the Seine. It was a beautiful warm evening and the sights with the lights were wonderful. There will be some photos added to this blog as soon as we meet up with Brianna on Friday in Nantes. The ipad is not able to download photos for some dang reason.

The Cliff Note Version of the past week. . . .

Linda and Debbie on the streets of Paris

Piano for sale at an antique mall near the Louvre

Musee Cognacq-Jay in the Marais

Top floor of the Musee Cognacq-Jay, 17th C timbers

Okay, so we are so behind. Last Thursday, Linda and Debbie walked to the Louvre to spend 4 hours visiting the highlights such as the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, Michelangelo, Napoleon III apartments as well as enjoying the vast building that was once the Royal Palace before Versailles was transformed into a chateau from it's humble beginnings as a hunting lodge. Good thing no one is grading this post as I think that was way too many words for one sentence. After the Louvre, they walked to the Arc de Triomphe for the views and then walked the Champs-Elysees. Meanwhile, I visited the Musee Cognacq-Jay in The Marais, near our apartment. It is housed in a 17th C mansion and contains many fine decorative arts from the same time period. Admission is free and there were guards in each room. There were two Elizabeth Vigee Lebrun paintings (royal portrait artist to Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette), and there was one Rembrandt. In the attic of the mansion, the 400 year old wooden beams were exposed so one could appreciate the construction of the building. Next, I visited the Enfants Rouges, the oldest covered market site in Paris, established in 1628. Checked out where Brianna and her friend Alex had stayed several weeks ago and the apartment building where some friends from Portland had lived 20+ years ago. Can't recall what else we did, so that will be that for last Thursday. We are enjoying a cheese from Burgundy that is probably a triple creme, rolled into a ball and then covered with golden and dark raisins that have been soaked in brandy, I think it is. It is quite nice and the three of us have looked into how we might be able to order some once we get back to Portland. Yes, we are addicted!