Paris: Day 5 (January 2)

Today Dad and I both weren't feeling too well but we sucked it up. Especially since we had reservations for the best restaurant in Paris, Taillevent. It has three Michelin Stars, the highest possible. So many people waited on us and there were soo many utensils. They brought different utensils out for each course but I thought the original seven was a lot! I had "scrambled eggs" with lobster and some seafood foam. I wouldn't consider it to be scrambled eggs because it had a different texture and taste, but that's what they called it. Then I had cod with caramelized fennel and other little details like a candied lemon slice. Afterwards we had a cheese that was topped with some kind of berry compote and pieces of arugula. For dessert I had a chocolate mouse cake with Tahitian vanilla ice cream. It was excellent!

We went over to the Eiffel Tower and took pictures.


Then we went to the Musée d'Orsay, which houses the best general collection of Manet, Monet, Renoir, Degas, van Gogh, Cézanne, and Gauguin. Some of my favorites! It was really great to see some of my favorite pieces of arts. I have always loved Impressionism!







We went to the Notre-Dame Cathedral. It was around 5 pm and a mass was going on but we were able to walk around inside and sit down for a little bit.

Paris: Day 4 (January 1)

Happy New Years!

Today we all woke up a little late. We ate breakfast in our apartment (eggs, croissants, fruit). Then we went to the Jacquemart-André Museum. It is a museum that showcases the lavish home of a wealthy, art-loving, 19th-century Parisian couple. It's really impressive that they spent their lives and fortunes designing, building, and then decorating this mansion. I wasn't able to take any pictures but here is one from the outside.

Then we walked over to the Arc de Triomphe and took some pictures (along with many other tourists). We walked along the Champs-Elysées and window shopped. Since we did this on New Years many stores were closed. It was so cold outside! We got to the end and saw a statue of Charles De Gaulle and the Place de la Concorde. We took the subway back to the apartment.

Paris: Day 3 (December 31)

We woke up early and went to get breakfast at this little cafe on La Rue Saint-Michel. Of course we got croissants and coffee. Then we went to the Louvre and saw some of the famous pieces of art, as well as other collections. It was really crazy to see how many people were there. I heard that it is worse over the summer, but it was still very packed. Here are some that I liked:







Then we went to Le Marais and finally got falafel from L'As du Fallafel. Anthony and I were so excited! We absolutely loved them! I was trying to take my time because I wanted it to last forever. It was so great/weird to be where Elizabeth, Andrew and Nicholas once were. I wished I could have brought one back for Elizabeth (my best friend) but it wouldn't have traveled very well. Anthony and I had a photo session with our falafels! We're dorks.







Anthony and I went off on our own to do some shopping in Le Marais and then took the subway back to Saint Germain. We got crepes and they were soo good! Nutella and Banana. I wish I had a picture to share! Anthony and I were just having an overload of good food. We found this cool jean store and tried a couple pairs on. Then we went back to the apartment. I got shin splints a couple days ago, so it's been pretty painful for me to walk around (especially today- the 1st). We ate dinner at the apartment and had salmon, oysters, and a cheese course. It was so good! And then we had some pastries that we got from a shop in Le Marais. I went out that night with some friends I ran into from Berkeley (small world!) and we had a lot of fun!

Police on roller blades!

Paris: Day 2 (December 30)

Today we went to breakfast at Les Deux Magots. The croissants were amazing! Definitely the best so far in Paris!

Some history: This cafe was once famed for, and prided itself in, its reputation as the rendezvous of the literary and intellectual élite of the city. This derives from the patronage of Surrealist artists, intellectuals such as Simone de Beauvoir and Jean-Paul Sartre, and young writers, such as Ernest Hemingway. Other stellar patrons included Albert Camus and Pablo Picasso.


Then we went to The Pompidou Centre to meet up with the Maximens, a French family who are friends of Grandma and Grandpa, and our cousins. There is a younger boy named Charles and an older boy (Anthony and my age) named Alexandre. We also met up with an old friend of Mom and Dad's from Pittsburgh named Bess. She used to be a model and moved to Paris years ago, however now she lives close by in Bruxelles, Belgium. She is fluent in French and English, so she helped us with translations!

Some history: The Centre is near Les Halles and the Marais in Paris. It have a large collection of modern art, as well as a public library and a centre for music and acoustic research. In front of the building are local street performers and artists. The centre was named after Georges Pompidou, who was president of France from 1969 to 1974. It opened in 1977, however I read somewhere that the closed for extensive remodeling in recent years.

First, we saw a retrospective exhibition that was devoted to the work of architect Richard Rogers. There were models which showed the processes of design and construction and the use and operation of the buildings. One that Anthony and I really liked was about the Shanghai master plan, which lit up different aspects of the city in colors. It's hard to explain but I included some pictures.



Going through the Pompidou Centre, I was really struck by how spaciousness of the rooms. It allows for a lot of artistic freedom. There was one piece that took up a whole room. It was insulated with felt so that when you walked inside you felt how warm it was. There was a grand piano towards the back. The room symbolizes insulation (which is felt by the warmth), but also isolation (with the lonely piano in the corner). The modern art collection overall was a lot more interesting than Tate Modern's. I also love Matisse, Chagal, and Picasso and was excited to see some of their works.






Then we all went to lunch at a cafe near the Louvre. All I knew was that I ordered a sandwich with cheese and tomato, but I didn't know what kind it was until it came out. It was similar to a melt however there was cheese grilled onto the top slice of bread also.

We walked around the Louvre area and saw the Louvre Pyramid, L'Arc du Carrousel, and walked through the Jardin des Tuileries. It was so nice to see the Eiffel Tower. It was lit up and while walking through the sculpture garden the lights started to sparkle. It was so pretty!


Mom, Dad, Anthony and I came back to the apartment to recuperate with Bess. Then we met up with her daughter, who is around Anthony and my age. Her name is Clementine and she is so cute and French! We went to Le Bistro d'Henri for dinner. I got a roquette salad with parmesan, mushrooms and a balsamic dressing and a dish with shrimp and avocado. Anthony got this great dish with red snapper and rice. It was a hearty, comfort dish that I am glad he let me try!

Paris: Day 1 (December 29)

We got into Paris in the afternoon and our apartment is beautiful! It's small, but really sweet and wonderfully decorated. There are two bedrooms and 3 bathroom units, however one has a toilet and the other two are just showers. It's a little weird, but it works okay for now.







We are in the 6th arrondissement, which is right near St. Germain des Prés. It is such a vibrant area, with many cafés and shops right in our neighborhood. The rue de seine is the closest street, and that is where many of the cafés, shops, food stands, etc. are. We went to this great pastry shop along there called (need to check!), that Dad had read about. He got this opera chocolate dessert and Mom got madelines. The madelines in Paris are so good! I never really liked them before, but I think that's because I never had them very fresh.

At 7 pm we went to Le Christine for dinner. Of course they have no record of our reservation even though Dad showed them the confirmation email. They told us to come back at 9:30, so we did. The food was really good. Mom and I got the bass in salt crust with fennel, sweet pepper white butter sauce and tagliatelle. They brought the fish out for us and then took it to a nearby table to chop off all the salt. Mine was really good, however Mom thought hers was a little too salty (because she had the top half). For dessert I had to get their "famous" semi cooked chocolate cake (aka molten lava cake) with pistachio cream and almond ice cream. Anthony got a sampler of three creme brulées (cinnamon, vanilla and chocolate). They were soo good! I love Paris already!