Step Back into French Indo-China
Bonjour,
Saturdays are extremely busy in the Marais because locals use this as their shopping day for goods, food and other services. Add to that the swirl and glut of tourists and the streets are almost impassable. I was just reading an article on CNN’s web site about how tourism is up dramatically all over Europe. With it is also a dramatic increase in the price of lodging and transportation. Some of the biggest pain is being felt in train travel which has always been so affordable across Europe. I’m glad that we are staying put in Paris for this year.
Yesterday, we built our day around, you guessed it, eating! How often that happens. We chose the tearoom at Le Mariage Frères on a tiny street in the Jewish area called Rue du Bourg Tibourg. We haven’t been there in years. They have locations all over Paris and actually all over the world, but we have found this particular location to have a most pleasant tearoom for lunch. Waiters in white linen suits, palm trees, subdued lighting, almost 300 flavors of tea, and a scrumptious pastry cart. I know little about tea so I always bow to the waiter’s suggestion from the overwhelming menu. It’s always a fun experience and the prices are reasonable.
Our stroll to the tearoom was along the main thoroughfare of the Jewish district, Rue des Rosiers. It was not as busy as usual because of the Saturday Sabbath. It’s a fun, pedestrian street that everyone should visit while in Paris.
After a rest, we walked to the SO Hotel to try for a reservation at the new Bonnie Restaurant which I had been unable to complete on line. All is well, and we are set for 8 people on the 22nd during Bernie’s cousins’ visit. It’s pricey but hopefully will be a memorable night. Both food and the view are said to be spectacular.
A friend of ours shared some interesting info about the upcoming Olympics in 2024. She lives and works here so she knows the ropes. The tickets are up for sale but all are on a lottery basis as you might expect. The Opening Ceremony on the Seine is going for 2700 euros per person! She passed on that…ha! Other events were 900 and 600 euros per person. Finally, she entered the lottery for the archery competition in the Tuileries for 190 euros per person. We’ll see if she gets chosen. Given the crowds now, we have absolutely no interest in coming during the Olympics. We will, of course, watch every minute from our televisions at home. Bah humbug!
Food again is a priority today as we’re having lunch at a new spot with our friend Richard Nahem. Stay tuned!
L & B
June 11, 2023 @ 8:08 am
Hi Linda,
Good to know that Le Marriage Frere does fois gras!
I read somewhere that Paris is full of tourists because of Brexit .. so those who would normally have come to London are now going to Paris.
Look forward to hearing about your dinner at the SO Hotel… such happy memories of our visit in February x
June 11, 2023 @ 8:24 am
Yes, it was a wonderful time!
June 11, 2023 @ 12:17 pm
They start training for the Tour de France at a very early age!
June 11, 2023 @ 3:41 pm
Ha!!!
June 11, 2023 @ 12:22 pm
I want to say that you and I had a Saturday in the Jewish section and ate lunch at Le Marriage Frere, while Bernie and Bob did their thing, on our visit with you all. It was lovely. Great photos today. And speaking of photos there were good photos of Diner En Blanc in Decatur on Facebook this morning.
June 11, 2023 @ 3:41 pm
I had forgotten that! Thanks for reminding me!
June 11, 2023 @ 12:40 pm
Great photo of you!
June 11, 2023 @ 3:43 pm
Merci, madam!
June 12, 2023 @ 12:44 am
Lovely post, as always! You look so pretty, as always!
June 12, 2023 @ 3:55 am
You are too kind! Feeling my age this year!
June 12, 2023 @ 3:03 am
You’re right about the train fares. We’ve struggled with our trip from Paris to Tours for the start of our bike trip. Dave bought them (they were surprisingly expensive) but didn’t get an email confirmation. He tried to work with the train company to no avail, and we have our fellow traveler friend get them – but had to work with AmEx who is protesting the first sale!
June 12, 2023 @ 9:31 am
I buy Le Mariage Frères tea bags in NYC.. They had a store here for a while, since covid I havent looked! I have a box in my freezer I am still going thru. I love the cloth bags., a splurge I dont often use for myself ( reason they are in the freezer! ).. But when I have one over for tea ( other wise known as such brunch lunch or Amy meal!). I used them. just so “classy”! I dont use tea bags for myself unless in a really hurry. I brew tea instead…
And the 13 Arr? well, when I was a student there, we would go to the 13 for cheap Asian food. The 13 was the Quartier Asiatique, so interesting Vietnamese food, and all sorts of Asian food. And to take a tour of the Gobelins factory ( not that any of us could afford a tapestry!).. And then there was a visit to the Cité Florale..You would think yourself in the country there! And the Library, the Pool.. I had a guide book to all the arrondissements of Paris and every few weeks we would pick one and “do it”… so many small places to see there, so many hidden streets/. Paris is wonderful…
June 12, 2023 @ 10:20 pm
Food you post always looks delicious