PARIS: Mini Trip Report, Maxi Enjoyment!
Feb 17th, 2017, 02:22 AM
#21
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Ha ha - I just realized the at the end of 2 posts ago, I said 'pretty fun evening, unlike our usual'. That sure sounds like I never have fun in Paris, which couldn't be farther from the truth! I meant that we don't usually go to the movies in Paris!
Feb 17th, 2017, 05:11 AM
#22
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kwren......we were "seatmates" at Pontoise.....it was a great evening, wasn't it? I am so ready to do it again.....will be back in Paris in March and April....if you want to come over again, we'll be waiting!
Feb 18th, 2017, 05:08 AM
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Saturday Oct 15
This past summer we hosted our own student. Today her mother invited us to Leon de Bruxelles for a mussel lunch with her, our student and her brother. They insisted on champagne to start (twist my arm!). Les moules a la Provencale, frites, wine, and fondant de chocolat with ice cream to finish. A wonderful meal.
It was so nice out that we walked back to the Arc along the Avenue de la Grande Armee after lunch. Thank goodness we did! The length was filled with an antiques fair. We browsed, talked to people, window shopped, people watched. You never know what you will find when things are not planned to the minute.
Relaxing in the hotel, we heard some commotion coming from the Arc de Triomphe. Looking out the window, we could see there was some sort of military ceremony taking place. Within 5 minutes we were standing in the midst of the excitement, watching musicians (an entire band of men in what looked to be riding breeches, knee-length red coats and horns which resembled French horns but without the valves), patrolling soldiers with assault rifles, the mayor and team in tricolor sashes, speeches, all in front of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. We were then treated to a beautiful sunset over the Parisian rooftops.
This past summer we hosted our own student. Today her mother invited us to Leon de Bruxelles for a mussel lunch with her, our student and her brother. They insisted on champagne to start (twist my arm!). Les moules a la Provencale, frites, wine, and fondant de chocolat with ice cream to finish. A wonderful meal.
It was so nice out that we walked back to the Arc along the Avenue de la Grande Armee after lunch. Thank goodness we did! The length was filled with an antiques fair. We browsed, talked to people, window shopped, people watched. You never know what you will find when things are not planned to the minute.
Relaxing in the hotel, we heard some commotion coming from the Arc de Triomphe. Looking out the window, we could see there was some sort of military ceremony taking place. Within 5 minutes we were standing in the midst of the excitement, watching musicians (an entire band of men in what looked to be riding breeches, knee-length red coats and horns which resembled French horns but without the valves), patrolling soldiers with assault rifles, the mayor and team in tricolor sashes, speeches, all in front of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. We were then treated to a beautiful sunset over the Parisian rooftops.
Feb 19th, 2017, 01:43 AM
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Sunday Oct 16
The Big Day! The reason for the whole trip, a promise of 10 years! My birthday and dinner on the Eiffel Tower!
But first, we were off to the Bastille Market. After many pictures of the picture perfect rows and piles of fruits, veggies, cheeses, sausages and a few souvenirs, I decided it was time for the hunt for candied ginger. There wasn’t much there, but all I needed was one delectable heap! I tasted at one booth, but the ginger wasn’t very strong. Pass! Finally found another stand with very strong ginger and I bought a few pounds (which now, in Feb is already gone). Delicious! Success!
In the meantime, my student who we lunched with yesterday, realized it was my birthday and texted me an invite to meet her at Angelina’s for a birthday treat. DH wasn’t enthused in preparation for the big dinner later on, but I knew I couldn’t turn it down. We met at Angelina’s back at Porte Maillot and I had a huge Mont Blanc dessert, a huge chocolate-hazelnut ball filled with cream, and a thick hot chocolate with the most beautiful whipped cream I ever saw. It looked like a flower! So decadent and the last thing I needed before going to the Jules Verne, but eat I did. After receiving a bottle of wine as a b’day gift, we were so happy for the walk back.
Wanting to do something quick that afternoon after packing, we decided to go to the top of the Arc. It didn’t take long to get tickets and go to the top by elevator (not the normal way to go up so we were lucky). Beautiful views.
Then it was time for my special dinner on the second level of the Eiffel Tower – the Jules Verne!!!
After going through temporary security barriers and metal detectors at the tower’s perimeter (I recently read that permanent barriers will be installed later this year), we were one of the first to arrive for our seating and waited outside at the south pillar to be admitted to the private elevator. Once again, I completely teared up over the ET when we got inside. (It gets to me every time!) It was overwhelming and emotional for me after dreaming of this for so long. We were led to a window table and had champagne as the sun set. How did we get that table? Might have been luck, OR it might have been the letter in French I wrote “from my husband” saying what a special occasion this was for me and asked for a surprise table seat. We’ll never know.
The meal was amazing. We chose the 6 course meal, the difference between the 5 and 6 course meals being that you get two main courses instead of 1, and the wine package for me (which I did share – really!). Our dinner included sea bream ceviche with a foam topper amuse bouche, fois gras (the only time I’ve ever liked it – and I loved it!), a large scallop with pumpkin and chestnut appetizer, sea bass with artichokes and figs, and medallion of veal main courses. The Granny Smith sorbet dessert had a white chocolate bar which said Joyeux Anniversaire and a candle. But the piece de resistance was a crispy ‘Tower Nut’ – shaped like a large hexagonal nut (as in nut and bolt) and glazed over to look like it was perfectly bronzed and shiny, the center filled with a silky chocolate cream and served with an elegant silver…spork! LOL It didn’t end there. We were brought homemade marshmallows, macarons, chocolate truffles, and other tiny dessert bites. We could barely move!
At the end of dinner, they told us it was too late to go out to the observation deck. WHAT! I couldn’t accept that since there were still people out there so I managed to find someone who let us out. We enjoyed the beautiful clear evening and our last glimpses of beautiful nighttime Paris.
Monday October 17
Uneventful trip home - with champagne to dull the sadness of ending my Eiffel Tower trip!
The Big Day! The reason for the whole trip, a promise of 10 years! My birthday and dinner on the Eiffel Tower!
But first, we were off to the Bastille Market. After many pictures of the picture perfect rows and piles of fruits, veggies, cheeses, sausages and a few souvenirs, I decided it was time for the hunt for candied ginger. There wasn’t much there, but all I needed was one delectable heap! I tasted at one booth, but the ginger wasn’t very strong. Pass! Finally found another stand with very strong ginger and I bought a few pounds (which now, in Feb is already gone). Delicious! Success!
In the meantime, my student who we lunched with yesterday, realized it was my birthday and texted me an invite to meet her at Angelina’s for a birthday treat. DH wasn’t enthused in preparation for the big dinner later on, but I knew I couldn’t turn it down. We met at Angelina’s back at Porte Maillot and I had a huge Mont Blanc dessert, a huge chocolate-hazelnut ball filled with cream, and a thick hot chocolate with the most beautiful whipped cream I ever saw. It looked like a flower! So decadent and the last thing I needed before going to the Jules Verne, but eat I did. After receiving a bottle of wine as a b’day gift, we were so happy for the walk back.
Wanting to do something quick that afternoon after packing, we decided to go to the top of the Arc. It didn’t take long to get tickets and go to the top by elevator (not the normal way to go up so we were lucky). Beautiful views.
Then it was time for my special dinner on the second level of the Eiffel Tower – the Jules Verne!!!
After going through temporary security barriers and metal detectors at the tower’s perimeter (I recently read that permanent barriers will be installed later this year), we were one of the first to arrive for our seating and waited outside at the south pillar to be admitted to the private elevator. Once again, I completely teared up over the ET when we got inside. (It gets to me every time!) It was overwhelming and emotional for me after dreaming of this for so long. We were led to a window table and had champagne as the sun set. How did we get that table? Might have been luck, OR it might have been the letter in French I wrote “from my husband” saying what a special occasion this was for me and asked for a surprise table seat. We’ll never know.
The meal was amazing. We chose the 6 course meal, the difference between the 5 and 6 course meals being that you get two main courses instead of 1, and the wine package for me (which I did share – really!). Our dinner included sea bream ceviche with a foam topper amuse bouche, fois gras (the only time I’ve ever liked it – and I loved it!), a large scallop with pumpkin and chestnut appetizer, sea bass with artichokes and figs, and medallion of veal main courses. The Granny Smith sorbet dessert had a white chocolate bar which said Joyeux Anniversaire and a candle. But the piece de resistance was a crispy ‘Tower Nut’ – shaped like a large hexagonal nut (as in nut and bolt) and glazed over to look like it was perfectly bronzed and shiny, the center filled with a silky chocolate cream and served with an elegant silver…spork! LOL It didn’t end there. We were brought homemade marshmallows, macarons, chocolate truffles, and other tiny dessert bites. We could barely move!
At the end of dinner, they told us it was too late to go out to the observation deck. WHAT! I couldn’t accept that since there were still people out there so I managed to find someone who let us out. We enjoyed the beautiful clear evening and our last glimpses of beautiful nighttime Paris.
Monday October 17
Uneventful trip home - with champagne to dull the sadness of ending my Eiffel Tower trip!
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hausfrau
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