Post by paris...ahh on Dec 23, 2012 16:35:49 GMT -5
Ahh, after having a good night’s rest, I felt so happy to be in my favourite city. When we left the hotel and walked down rue Monge, rue Des Ecoles and rue St. Michel, I tried to just ‘be” and soak in the atmosphere. I actually loved visiting Paris at the end of November. I did not bring a winter coat. I brought a spring/fall coat, wore layers, had scarves and gloves and I was just right. I realize some Novembers could be colder. The sky was overcast most of the time, with the sun peeking out occasionally. The only day it rained on us was Tuesday, and not for the whole day. Because a second day on the Hop On Hop Off bus was only 3 euros extra, we had sprung for it. We headed back to Notre Dame and got on the bus. I forgot to mention that the day before, we had exited the bus at tour Eiffel for a bit. I definitely am still a tourist in Paris. 
Today, we left the bus at Place de la Concorde. Our intention was to visit the Christmas cabins all along the Champs Elysees. We didn’t go very far before we had our first crepe of the trip, nutella for my friend and sucre for me. We leisurely walked, people watched, shopped, took pictures and had a great time. We walked by all the cabins on one side of the street, crossed, and walked back toward Place de la Concorde on the other side. At some point, we bought freshly cooked kebabs in a wrap from one of the cabins and I had to try vin chaud. I was not disappointed. The ice skating area looked a bit slushy as it was mild out. The decorations looked very nice, but I was not there after dark to see them lit up.
Back on the bus we got, getting off at the stop for les grand magasins. I know there was some controversy about the window decorations at these stores, but I enjoyed them immensely. We were surprised how many people were out and about on a Monday afternoon in November, shopping and lining the outside of the store windows. Lots of fun was had in Printemps and Galleries Lafayette. We did not leave empty handed. On this trip, all pics and videos were taken with my phone. I know someone has already posted a pic of the Swarovski tree here. It really was shiny and beautiful.
We, and our packages, walked back to the bus offices and got on the last Hop On bus of the day. It brought us back to Notre Dame in three stops and we then began our walk back to the hotel. It had been a long day and lots of walking. We approached Marie at the desk and inquired if she could recommend something nearby. She did and we were happy. By the way, Marie and the others who worked at the desk at Des Nations St. Germain were always nice, and couldn’t be more helpful.
We headed to La Maison de Verlaine, 39 rue Descartes which was close by. The staff at this restaurant were both professional and friendly. I liked the atmosphere a lot, even though I couldn’t figure out the connection between the movie star pics on the wall to namesake of the restaurant, a French poet.
They offered three prix fixe menus, one at 15 Euro, one at 19 and one at 24 as well as a la carte. It included entrée, plat and dessert. I had the foie gras entrée, the entrecote plat and the apple tarte for dessert. I ordered a kir. My steak was cooked exactly how I like, medium rare. The mashed potatoes were good and the vegetables, although tasty, were a bit mushy. I enjoyed both my entrée and my dessert. We ordered 1/2 a carafe of wine (forget what kind) and it was enjoyed by both of us. My friend had the French onion soup and was disappointed that it didn’t have as much cheese as what she was used to getting at home. She ordered salmon and it turned out to be salmon pasta. I guess we hadn’t paid close enough attention to the description. She found it bland. She liked her ice cream type dessert. I was full and happy when I left the restaurant for the short, downhill walk back to the hotel. It was a good day! ;D
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Today, we left the bus at Place de la Concorde. Our intention was to visit the Christmas cabins all along the Champs Elysees. We didn’t go very far before we had our first crepe of the trip, nutella for my friend and sucre for me. We leisurely walked, people watched, shopped, took pictures and had a great time. We walked by all the cabins on one side of the street, crossed, and walked back toward Place de la Concorde on the other side. At some point, we bought freshly cooked kebabs in a wrap from one of the cabins and I had to try vin chaud. I was not disappointed. The ice skating area looked a bit slushy as it was mild out. The decorations looked very nice, but I was not there after dark to see them lit up.
Back on the bus we got, getting off at the stop for les grand magasins. I know there was some controversy about the window decorations at these stores, but I enjoyed them immensely. We were surprised how many people were out and about on a Monday afternoon in November, shopping and lining the outside of the store windows. Lots of fun was had in Printemps and Galleries Lafayette. We did not leave empty handed. On this trip, all pics and videos were taken with my phone. I know someone has already posted a pic of the Swarovski tree here. It really was shiny and beautiful.
We, and our packages, walked back to the bus offices and got on the last Hop On bus of the day. It brought us back to Notre Dame in three stops and we then began our walk back to the hotel. It had been a long day and lots of walking. We approached Marie at the desk and inquired if she could recommend something nearby. She did and we were happy. By the way, Marie and the others who worked at the desk at Des Nations St. Germain were always nice, and couldn’t be more helpful.
We headed to La Maison de Verlaine, 39 rue Descartes which was close by. The staff at this restaurant were both professional and friendly. I liked the atmosphere a lot, even though I couldn’t figure out the connection between the movie star pics on the wall to namesake of the restaurant, a French poet.
They offered three prix fixe menus, one at 15 Euro, one at 19 and one at 24 as well as a la carte. It included entrée, plat and dessert. I had the foie gras entrée, the entrecote plat and the apple tarte for dessert. I ordered a kir. My steak was cooked exactly how I like, medium rare. The mashed potatoes were good and the vegetables, although tasty, were a bit mushy. I enjoyed both my entrée and my dessert. We ordered 1/2 a carafe of wine (forget what kind) and it was enjoyed by both of us. My friend had the French onion soup and was disappointed that it didn’t have as much cheese as what she was used to getting at home. She ordered salmon and it turned out to be salmon pasta. I guess we hadn’t paid close enough attention to the description. She found it bland. She liked her ice cream type dessert. I was full and happy when I left the restaurant for the short, downhill walk back to the hotel. It was a good day! ;D
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