paris - day four

First, we bundled up and headed out to the ever popular, ever beautiful - Notre Dame Cathedral.  We got there at the tail end of Mass, I think.  The organ was playing and it was amazing.  There was tons of fabulous stained glass.  It is such an impressive building.    As we were walking around the outside I saw this little red door.  I wonder who uses that door? 

Tartletts and Pain du Chocolate at our favorite Brioch Doree! 

That was the largest pain du chocolate I'd seen!  Love it!

Then we went here.  The Garnier Opera House.

And sat in these plush red velvet chairs...

second row close

to watch THIS!!!

You got that right!  That is indeed a sneaky (frowned upon - but we couldn't help ourselves!) picture of the bows and curtsies of a real live French Ballet!  We got last minute, apparently quite hard to get, tickets to see it.  It was so marvelous.  So beautiful. 

THEN we floated out, caught the metro, and trotted about to find this:

My favorite monument.  The Arc de Triomphe.

I love it.  It is just huge and solid.  Like a paperweight holding down the city.  It rocks.  Really.

We climbed these stairs up, up, up, happily all the way...

And saw this sight...

Then off to dinner where I ordered this:

Boeuf Bourguignon
Like in the movie "Julie and Julia"
Yeah.  It was good.  I'm drooling just looking at it.

After dinner we went down these stairs...

Saw this movie poster...

Took the metro (again!  Our preferred mode of transportation.)

Followed these signs...

Took this escelator...

And fell fast asleep in our upgraded hotel room,

closing our eyes on our fabulous trip to an amazing city.

Thanks for inviting me Natalie!  Where too next?!!

paris - day three, part two

This place was cool.  Natalie had looked up this fabric shop online before we left.  She wanted to get some Franch fabric to make a dress for her little girl.  It was a treasure hunt!  A little tricky and some twists and turns down little streets, but we found the shop through an alleyway into a courtyard and next to an art studio.  So fun to trek through the streets of Paris.  I started taking pictures for Cally - I knew she'd love the place!  There wasn't too much fabric, but tons of ribbon, buttons, and yarn!  Natalie found the perfect fabric and pattern and we left there contented and in search of a tartlett or two. 

paris - day three, part one

You guessed it!  The Louvre! 

We could have easily spent three days there alone,

but we only spend 4 hours. 

And yes, I forgot to put one of my gloves back on after taking Natalie's pictures. 

It was a little bit cloudy and sprinkled for a few seconds in the  morning.

 Which was okay because that resulted in this little beauty:

Do you see it?  Not the funny silver monster statue...

the rainbow!!!

mmmm...so pretty.

This is another statue. 

There were a ton of them all in a big circle.  Kind of funny.

This is one end of the humongous museum. 

I know this is what you've all been waiting for. 

This was one of her better shots. 

I'll post a short video I took upon entering the room this popular gal was hanging out in.

She's a gem.  A little well protected gem.

And of course, Venus de Milo.  Just right out there in the open.   

(We saw a lot of  'openness' in the Louvre.) 

She's bigger than the Mona Lisa.

And just to prove I was really there...a speedily taken self portrait.

My next post is for Cally.  But I think there are a few of you out there who will drool as she will.

Wait?! K- how do I post video in this new format?  I...can't...hmmm...

paris - day two

This sandwich is called Jambon et fromage.  And sometimes Mix'te.  They are marvelous.  A french ham and cheese - with butter, of course.  The perfect lunch on the go.  We ate quite a few and I tried to bring one home for Brian cause he loves them too, but they sent me to the Agricultural person who took my information and threw my Mix'te in the TRASH!  ugh.  I'd forgotten that meat (among other foods) are not to be transported to our fair country.  I wish I'd remembered cause then I'd have chomped it down on the plane and filled Brian in on all the yummy details.  Wah.

They day began super nice and sunny!  Yipee!  So I hurried Natalie out the door to the

~EIFFEL TOWER~

We climbed many steps.  Many many steps.  But it was worth it - we definately worked off the butter from our morning mix'te. 

Then what do you think?  But of course we had to stop for a Crepe!

Nutella and Banana.  My favorite!!!

I could have had 300.  I should have.

We ate our crepes and took a walk down the River Seine.  There was a neat outdoor art exhibit that we mosied through. 

We walked and walked through streets and saw some sights.

Then it was time for DINNER!  Woo Hoo!

French Onoin Soup - FOR REAL!

Sooooo good.

AND -

A lardoon pizza with and egg in the middle.

I had a kind of mix up when I ordered and they brought me something else with lardoons.  (which are little pieces of ham.)  But after apologizing and explaining what I had meant to order they brought me this.  I didn't know I'd get the egg and was too embarrased to ask "Who's egg?"  So I just ate it and it was delicious!

THEN -

Yes.  It is.  Chocolate Mousse.

The best thing I ate while there in Paris.  Even over the Creme Brulee.  But only just.

It was divine.

After dinner we were stuffed and pooped so we made our way back to the hotel for the night. 

Good, good day.

Paris - day one, part two

We made it back to the hotel to check in and ended up in a horrible, stinky, dirty, old old room.  Sunken beds, stained blanket, crumbling bathroom...ugh and ick.  I almost started to cry.  But I didn't.  We couldn't sleep there.  I don't know if we were being spoiled American tourists, but seriously...it was gross.  So Natalie was wonderful and managed to talk them into giving us one of their more recently renovated rooms free of charge.  So much better!  The lobby was so nice and cozy and updated, I was so shocked when we saw the first room.  The second room fit in so much better.

So after we dumped our stuff in our nice clean renovated room (sigh of relief) and brushed our teeth we rushed off to our cooking class!  By now it is 8 am Alabama time and we were sooo sleepy, but we pulled it together and had a great class.  We heated cream and vanilla sticks and did that thing where you pour a little of the hot cream into the cool eggs...temper?  Something like that. 

We melted chocolate.  We "burnt" butter.  We zested citrus fruits.  And ended up with five great desserts. 

Now take a look at these beauties!

These are madeleines an almond financier.

This is a chocolate lava cake!

Then my most favorite thing ever!!!!

My very own creme brulee.  Oh my.  So delicious.

We also made a pear tart, but I didn't take a picture of that one.  Wierd. 

The chef even e-mailed us the recipes so I am determined to try these out. 

We had a great time.  There were 7 of us in the class. 

By the end of it we were beside ourselves with fatigue.  We'd been up for 30 hours and needed sleep.

And guess what? 

Expecting rain, we woke up to a sunny morning!