A Soupçon of Paris

Judy. For our last few days in Europe, we decided to revisit Paris—how could we not? We’d also stay a couple of nights in Salisbury, England. We could meet up with friends, and it’s an easy train ride to Southampton, where we did NOT love our very expensive, very basic hotel. 

It seems we manage to get to Paris every time we return to Europe, even if it’s for a day or two, and every time, we try to do something new. This time, however, we revisited some old haunts. 

Of course we HAD to see the new Notre Dame! Ted went online to get free timed entrance tickets, but they were sold out, so after leaving our suitcases at our hotel, we took the Metro and dashed into what seemed like a 20-minute line to get into the Cathedral. Five minutes later (!) we were ushered in. I have to tell you, I’ve not loved Notre Dame de Paris. It was dark, noisy, and full of pushy, loud tourists. But this Notre Dame de Paris—almost impossible to either describe or photograph. There was a Mass, and we were asked to be quiet, and, much to my surprise, people were! The light, the color, the solemnity seemed to put us all into a meditative state. I took what photos I could, but the internet can give you a better idea. 

Mass

The rose window

Ted found a cozy, highly rated bistro hidden in a street near our hotel, where we had a marvelous meal. We were early so there weren’t many diners, and we got terrific lamb and great service. 

And, of course, in Paris

The next day we went to Musée d’Orsay, the most popular art museum after the Louvre. This time, it was packed and somewhat noisy till you got into a quiet side room. There was a John Singer Sargent show that was stunning, but it was hard to see with all the tour groups. (Gotta love tour guides who stand RIGHT IN FRONT of a painting to describe it.) But there were so many beautiful Impressionist paintings, that we were glad we went. 

Main gallery of the Musee D'Orsay, formerly a train station

I've always loved this little dancer

And I love that they kept the clock

Sargent's children

And, of course, Van Gogh. And Gauguin and Monet, etc.

Walking back, Ted found another hidden gem of a bistro with delicious food and lots of French folks. The plat de jour  featured Flemish stew, a favorite of ours since our dear friend Felix made it for us the night Ted proposed (He then changed the name to "Engagement Stew"). Despite the fact that it was packed, we got great service there, too. 

Cheers to 48 years later. Thanks, Felix!

We decided on a return to Montmartre and Sacré Coeur (another church I don’t care for), mostly for the view. We walked past the church and down into the little Montmartre neighborhood to see the Lapin Agile and the last remaining Paris vineyard. Of course someone was playing the theme from “Amelie”! 

Lapin Agile

Paris's last vineyard

Heading back to the hotel, we spotted a little Niçoise cafe, and asked for a bowl of ratatouille. It was one of the best meals we had there! I make a mean ratatouille, but the chef may have bettered me! We chatted afterwards and he gave me his secrets, so we’ll see how it goes next time I make it. 

Off to bed with our “Paris fix”. A good sleep, and in the morning, a last-minute message that our Eurostar train was cancelled. But that’s a story for another blog.

At that news, we could relate to Corbet's self-portrait