Not Every Outing in Paris Is Perfect…Especially in Such Hot Weather

Bonjour,

C’est dimanche à Paris. It’s Sunday in a very warm Paris! We were remarking about this last evening with a bartender about how much hotter June’s and July’s have become since we started spending our summers here. I remember days eleven or twelve years ago with jackets, scarves, and even one July with socks and close-toed shoes! Those days are gone, and as he said with all sincerity, “it’s global warming.” Some may not agree, but our bodies are certainly feeling it. That’s not meant to be political; it’s simply our reality. The problem here is that there is no respite. It can be hot in Alabama for sure, but you can dip into a cool store or restaurant for respite, and certainly our homes are designed for whatever temp we find ideal. Not so here; there’s just no hiding. Sleeping is the hardest challenge!

We are eagerly awaiting the start of our company extravaganza for July. Jodie and Dennis Clements of Huntsville will arrive on Tuesday morning and Sharon and Johnny Tyson from Arizona (formerly of Huntsville) will arrive on Thursday.  We have checked out their separate hotels to make sure that all is well, each within a stone’s throw of us. Our plan is to have breakfast together in our apartment each morning, plan our day (sometimes together, sometimes separately) and head out. We’re praying that the weather will break and some rain will clear the dusty, suffocating air. Debbie Jones and family also of Huntsville will come towards the end of the month for perhaps a rendezvous or two. They are with a large group and have planned their own itinerary. Safe travels to everyone!

Yesterday we tried a new museum and new restaurant in the 16th arrondissment, one of the classiest areas near Parc Monceau. Parc Monceau is a lovely park built in the shape of a big circle and known for its green benches for picniques and as a jogging track for runners.

To get to the new restaurant adjacent to Musée Nissim de Camondo, we walked straight through the center of the park and left onto rue Monceau. It’s just a few blocks down and recognizable by the palm trees out on the sidewalk. The interior is lovely and the terrace, picture-perfect. Our table was situated next to the beautiful fountain which is the featured image up top. However, our meal and the service were a bit disappointing. Sometimes, you just order the wrong thing in a new place and don’t realize it until it’s too late. Sometimes, you get a not-so-great waiter by the luck of the draw. All of that colors your experience. We will go again and give it another try. First of all, our glasses were not clean, and we asked for new ones which the waiter gladly brought. I asked for sparkling water and the poor waiter turned over the bottle right at my feet, wasting about a third of it without offering to bring an additional bottle. I found that surprising but said to myself that it’s okay…c’est la vie!  We ordered burrata to share which I thought was always tomatoes and mozzarella but obviously not. They brought a beautiful dish (sorry, forgot to take a picture!) with something bright orange under the cheese. I guessed that it was slivers of raw pumpkin but the waiter said it was butternut squash. It was good but different. Bernie ordered sushi, and I got a fish dish called daurade or sea brim which I’ve had many times. When it came, it was raw! Given my former bouts with fish and emergency rooms, I passed on that and got an asparagus salad. I hated to do that but erred on the side of caution. Their portions were quite small and the prices quite steep. We ended with a chocolate dessert which was just okay,  and we waited and waited and waited on our coffees. When the bill finally came, the daurade which I rejected for 20 euros was on the bill. Bernie asked that it be removed, and it was. So just one of those squirrelly outings where nothing goes quite right.