Part 3: Ten Days in the City of Light

Day 8

Two more days to go. Sadly, the countdown for home has begun.

We went to Gare Austerlitz to take the 40 minute train ride to Versailles and its famous palace of the same name. The sun glistened upon the palace’s baroque rooftop which used to be home to Louis XIV when he moved from Paris. It was the hottest day so far. The palace was sufficiently south of Paris to have its own “microclimate”. At the gates of the Palais de Versailles, there were hundreds, if not thousands of tourists. The line ups were long and slow moving. After a two hour wait, we entered the grand palace.  On display were the rooms of the king and queen, the chapel, the hall of mirrors as well as the pristinely manicured gardens.

We returned to Paris for a late lunch at Maison Micoleau on rue St Dominique in the 7^th.  We ate cassoulet and a salad with duck confit, lardons (bacon) and apples to balance the rich flavours. 

Further down the street, at number 112, was the Pâtisserie-Boulangerie Michel Annoux. We ordered a cup of chocolat chaud.  The thick chocolate drink was infused with frothy cream and honey and is by far the best hot chocolate I’ve ever had. 

We took the Metro to Sacré Coeur, a Roman Catholic church and basilica built in 1914 and sits upon the highest point in Paris, the butte Montmartre.  The cable car which usually takes people to the summit was out of service so we took the gruelling stairs to the top. From there we could see across Paris, and below  Montmartre’s narrow streets brimmed with shops ranging from food to clothing to souvenirs. In the Place du Tertre, near the bottom of the church is the famed square where artists bring life to their canvasses.

Day 9

Our second last day in Paris was, yes, overcast and threatening rain.

We took the Metro to Sully Morland to Berthillon on 29-31, rue Saint Louis en l’ile. While we went there primarily for the tarte tatin, an upside down apple pie, we discovered that it is renowned for its all natural ingredients ice cream and interesting toppings. We tried four flavours between us: chocolate nougat, marron glacée, praline and vanilla. We saved the tarte tatin for later.

Later that afternoon, we took the Metro to the Eiffel Tower/Champs de Mars stop. As we rounded the corner, the 1063 foot puddle iron, lattice tower beckoned us with its flickering lights. 

Eiffel Tower 

Eiffel Tower

The lines for the elevator to the three platforms of the Eiffel Tower were incredibly long. The line up to walk up the Tower was much shorter, so after waiting for about twenty minutes climbed to the first level, which is about 187 feet from ground level. It wasn’t a difficult climb, with many opportunities to rest along the way. It took 10 minutes. We walked around the platform and spotted the Seine, École Militaire, a military training facility, the Palais de Chaillot across from the Seine, Sacre Cœur, and the Arc de Triomphe. The Tour Montparnasse, a modern skyscraper, rose like a sore thumb amongst the traditional low rise buildings. We climbed to the second platform which was at 381 feet for a similar perspective, only higher. For those with a fear of heights, the second level is probably sufficient. The third and final platform is at 910 feet. Night crept upon us. The city lights shimmered around us.

We descended the Tower and headed for the Café du Monde on rue Bourdonnais. We sipped wine and watched the Tower’s flashing lights. 

Day 10

We were awakened by rain pelting our widow. Quelle surprise! Another rainy day in Paris! We picked up churros, croissants and coffee at the Bastille market and returned to our room to enjoy our breakfast. 

After breakfast, we went to the Moulin Rouge in the 7^th, Metro stop Pigalle. Atop the 1889 structure is a windmill or moulin and is considered to be the birthplace of the can-can dance which gave rise to the cabaret scene across Europe. The can-can was a seductive dance of the courtesans and was depicted in Toulouse Lautrec’s paintings. The area is a mix of residences, adult establishments, shops and cafes.

From there, we took the Metro and stopped at a few of our favourite places: the Tuileries, the Champs Elysée, and the Arc de Triomphe. 

That evening we had dinner at Allard’s on 41 rue St André des Arts; Metro station St Michel . This restaurant serves up traditional French cuisine classics such as coq au vin, escargots, frog legs, roast duck with olives, and cassoulet. But we went there for the roasted potatoes and whole chicken which hails from the village of Bourg-en-Bresse and is known across France for its quality, free range chickens. Along with the house wine, which rounded out the robust flavours of the bird, we managed to devour it. 

A trip to Paris would not be complete without a visit to Place de la Madeleine in the 8^th. It is a foodie haven which boasts a number of high end food shops, including Fauchon, Hédiart, Maïlle, and Lavinia, a wine store. Here you will find spices and coffees; chocolates and pastries; and other gourmet foods. We  purchased savoury and sweet delights for home. It was a great finish to a wonderfully decadent and memorable first trip to the City of Light.


Join me next time as I write about last month's trip to the Big Apple (New York City).