From Horses to Sunsets, Another Wonderful Day of Strolling
Bonjour,
Our day started with horses in our neighborhood
and ended with gorgeous sunsets on Pont Marie …with a haircut in between. It was cold yesterday and though we ate outside at lunch, I froze. Mine and Bernie’s wardrobes are scant for this kind of weather!
There is a new frenzy in Paris called the Hotel de la Marine and the new museum and café which envelops it on La Place de la Concorde. We tried the newly opened Café Lepérouse yesterday and found it to be lovely but a bit snooty. We weren’t allowed to sit inside because we didn’t have a reservation but neither did many who followed us, as I became keenly aware. We were seated right by the hostess station so could easily keep tabs. Something about us reeks of being American: I can’t imagine what! They forgot part of my order (12 euros for a bowl of broth which finally came) and the portions were so small we hardly felt like we had eaten. The tab was 97 euros which is over $100! So…we’ll give it another chance perhaps because it looked lovely on the inside. They are only open for lunch and the dinner restaurant will open in early September, will be Michelin rated or very expensive. Here’s a look.
The classic, historic Lapérouse Restaurant which sits on a Quai on the Left Bank has been completely renovated and reopened only to be shut because of COVID. It was established in 1766 and is known for its richly ornate boudoirs or salons where illicit affairs were fabled to take place. It rose to glory as a site for prominent authors and thinkers such as Delacroix, Emile Zola, Victor Hugo and Georges Sand. One of its original owners, a man named Lefevre, used to make limonade for the king. The café where we ate is run by the restaurant. On our chocolate square yesterday which came with our coffee, the wrapper said in very fine print “La maison de plaisirs” or house of pleasure which is a play on words. It hints at the older restaurant having been a brothel! Bernie always finds these little tidbits.
We debated about walking around and decided on an inside walk through Le Carousel de Louvre which is the major shopping center which serves as one entry to Le Louvre, where we found many of our favorite shops permanently closed and almost no one inside. There was no security line to get into Le Louvre!
Directly across the street is Le Palais Royale (built in 1633 for Cardinal Richelieu and later occupied by Louis XIII and XIV) and behind that La Galerie Vivienne, one of the prettiest spots in Paris. It’s a must see. Our stroll to both places was sad to me, almost nothing open in either place. But we still managed to get some nice photos for you.
Here are our lovers for the day and the glorious sequence of sunset photos from Pont Marie.
Many thanks for all of your wonderful comments from yesterday’s post. It makes all the time and energy worth it in writing the daily blog. By the way, I have written a novel which will likely never be published called “8 Days in Paris.” Some of today’s material is in the book! It’s full of intriguing twists and turns that are pretty captivating. It’s set in 2035 and showcases a future Paris. Many thanks to Beth Thames for reading the book and offering positive feedback. If you’d like a digital file, let me know; I’ll send it to you upon our return to Huntsville via email.
À bientôt
L & B
August 20, 2021 @ 11:17 am
Linda, I’d love to read your book! Please send me a digital file when you return to the States. Your Parisian experiences are such a pleasure to read about every morning. Thanks so much!
August 20, 2021 @ 4:42 pm
Merci!
August 20, 2021 @ 11:42 am
Looks as if we can spruce up shoes with our glue guns, dress up purses with scarves, and make coats out of sleeping bags. Yikes. Keep warm, but keep enjoying the fascinating sights and sites.
August 20, 2021 @ 12:15 pm
So many interesting sites, historic buildings, tile work, and high dollar retail. The shoes and purses caught my eye. And the sunset view was a nice way to end your day and your post. I’d love to read your new book. I look forward to reading it when you return.
I suppose it’s not surprising, during these uncertain times related to COVID, that things aren’t what they were on your last visit. Perhaps when Parisians return from vacation and if COVID numbers decline September will be a little more lively.
August 20, 2021 @ 4:40 pm
Merci, Cindi.
August 20, 2021 @ 12:52 pm
Count me in for the digital file.
August 20, 2021 @ 4:40 pm
Merci!
August 20, 2021 @ 1:00 pm
A delightful two days of strolling. Couldn’t be more pleasant and perfect sunset ending. Don’t think I’d give the restaurant a second chance. Lovely, but those prices for what you get😱
A novel? Wow!!!
August 20, 2021 @ 1:05 pm
Would love the digital file! You are the best part of the beginning of my day. I thoroughly enjoy my morning tours through Paris. So delightful to see it through your eyes! Thank you!
August 20, 2021 @ 4:39 pm
Merci!
August 20, 2021 @ 1:43 pm
I would love to buy a copy of your book and will look forward to reading it. For some reason it was today’s toilet paper store and the tile walkways that caught my eye. You have a good eye for the beautiful and unusual. Thank you for sharing.
August 20, 2021 @ 4:37 pm
Merci, and no charge for the book. Just your feedback.
August 20, 2021 @ 3:57 pm
I continue to enjoy your blog every morning and it is more exciting each day to visit Paris strolling with you and Bernie on your exciting excursions.
I would love a digital copy of “8 Days in Paris” when you return as I may visit Paris in 2035 😁 😂
August 20, 2021 @ 4:38 pm
Merci!
August 20, 2021 @ 5:58 pm
I would love to read a copy of your book. I really enjoyed “Bernie’s Paris” and am sure that this book would be just as fun to read. Can’t wait!
August 20, 2021 @ 6:44 pm
Merci!
August 23, 2021 @ 2:29 pm
I have read your other books and would definitely like to be on the list to receive the digital file! Reading your blog brings back fond memories of being fortunate to spend time in France as a young college student beginning and ending my stay in Paris. Seeing things both familiar and new through your eyes is a joy! Thank you for enriching my life!
August 23, 2021 @ 6:51 pm
Will definitely email you a digital file when we return end of September. Merci for your very kind input!
August 24, 2021 @ 2:26 am
So delighted to have been introduced to your blog by our travel agent as we discussed our upcoming Viking trip to France. I love Paris and it has been years since I have had the chance to return there. Can’t wait for our visit this fall. She suggested I view your blog and ask your opinion of COVID safety as you are there currently. Would appreciate any insight you can offer. We also live in Huntsville as it happens. Perhaps our paths may cross one day…either here or there. Would love to read your book as well.
August 24, 2021 @ 9:15 am
Enchanté de faire votre connaissance. So nice to meet you and have you following our blog. I will send a digital file of my book when we return to America in late September. As to COVID, there is controversy here just like in America, but most people are following the rules, especially on mass transit of any kind where there is a 135 euro fine for being unmasked IF they catch you! Restaurants and some stores make you show your vaccine pass which we managed to get on our phones just like a Parisian. They helped Americans with this for about a week and then stopped as there were so many Parisians getting vaccinated. Viking will have to advise you on how to maneuver Paris without one. I think your CDC card will work with your passport. BUT keep the originals in the safe of your ship and have plenty of copies to use out on the street. People here don’t wear decorative masks, just the standard paper masks that you can buy almost anywhere. That way, they’re easy to change out. Last night at one restaurant, we were given a little paper case for our mask! First time that has happened. When is your trip? And if you don’t mind sharing, who was the travel agent who recommended my blog? I’d love to thank them. Get a copy of “Bernie’s Paris” off Amazon. It’s full of tips and suggestions.
August 24, 2021 @ 3:59 pm
David Lebovitz recently posted about converting a vaccine certificate from another country so they can get a QR code for a French “Pass Sanitaire” –
The French gvt just released information on how to do it…
https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/coming-to-france/coronavirus-advice-for-foreign-nationals-in-france/coronavirus-statements/article/applying-for-a-covid-certificate-if-you-were-vaccinated-abroad-procedure-for
August 25, 2021 @ 3:58 am
Thanks for the info!!
August 25, 2021 @ 4:03 am
Let me add, however, that this process worked for about a week and then it became more complicated for Americans. We got in just before they stopped. We went to Hotel de Ville and got everything handled on our phones inside the app called TousAntiCovid so we are basically just like Parisians. Friends came a little later and had more difficulty. You have to find the just right pharmacist who will help you. Some will; some won’t. I believe if you have your CDC card and your passport (copies of both) you will be okay. Originals should be kept in a safe place.
August 24, 2021 @ 9:49 pm
Thanks so much for the insight Linda! Sounds like Paris is doing everything they can to keep people safe. In many ways far better than here in the state we both call home. Unfortunately cases are back to being high here. Even though we are vaccinated we choose to wear a mask in crowded locations as the Delta variant has sometimes broken through the vaccine’s protection. Boosters are coming this fall but for us not before we travel.
Susan McDougal is the travel agent arranging our trip along with a number of our friends. She enjoys reading your blog and expected you could offer insight which I very much appreciate. I loved reading your blog and intend to continue enjoying one of my favorite cities in the world through your words and wonderful photos. It’s been far too long since I have been there so I am so looking forward to the visit this fall.
August 25, 2021 @ 3:57 am
Make sure you read Christine Leigh’s comment here. Good information.
August 25, 2021 @ 4:29 am
I would love a digital copy of your newest book. I think I have purchased all the previous hard copy offerings and love them all! Really enjoyed the early version on the joys of and mysterious 70s. Your blog is a big part of our 2021 “travel”. You and the Bilbros help calm my wandering soul.
August 25, 2021 @ 4:39 am
Merci! Will forward the book upon our return in late September.