No Love for the Louvre

Thankfully, the noise from the Seine party boats did not travel to the bedroom and I was able to sleep in peace, except when I woke up in the middle of the night because I had passed out hard, on top of my arm, and it had fallen asleep and was in tingly hell. I’m soooo glad the bed in the apartment is super comfortable, I even like the pillows! I failed myself though in not pulling the curtains all the way closed and by 6:30am was awake thanks to the sunlight streaming in. I tried so hard to fall back asleep but it was too late, I was officially awake. I’ve learned to travel with a couple mainstay creature comforts, including honey sticks and my morning tea and it really helps me feel settled in the mornings and not start the day off out of sorts. After drinking my morning caffeine and looking over what I had on my list of both reserved and potential sights for the day I got myself ready to head out. I’m wearing white pants today, if that’s not living on the edge I don’t know what is!

My first scheduled outing for the day was the Louvre at 10am. It’s a mile from my apartment so I left at 9 with the plan in mind to go by the smoothie shop by my apartment for a healthy start. Except they apparently don’t open until 10 themselves. Argh. No problem, I’d find a Boulangerie (bakery) on my way. There was a boulangerie just a block or two away but it didn’t look too appealing so I opted to pass on it. As I crossed the Seine, cargo ships were passing beneath me; a stark contrast from last night’s party boats.

I was glad to be walking and not in a car because the morning traffic gives New York City a run for it’s money. I wasn’t seeing any boulangeries but I did realize that there’s a trend of cafes staging tables with giant teddy bears. I don’t get it. What’s with the teddy bears?!

Speaking of trends; the stereotypes and trends that I have in my head for the Parisians have so far held true. Sooooo much cigarette smoking and no shorts being worn. I’d say 90% of the people I’ve seen in shorts were clearly tourists. I’ve never seen so many skirts and dresses as bicycle attire before. I do appreciate the sensible shoes that the ladies pair with their dresses.

But I digress. The stereotype I wasn’t seeing was a Boulangerie on every corner and that was driving me crazy. I didn’t have time to sit down at a cafe, I needed something quick. I was seriously considering pulling up my Starbucks app to see if I could find an grunt nearby! Just as I approached the edge of the Louvre my luck finally struck in the form of the Bo & Mie Boulangerie Creative. I started my order with my opening French phrase apologizing that I only speak a little French and very poorly and the sweet lady behind the counter assured me that I am practicing well. So far, everyone I’ve had to speak with has been very nice and polite when I start with that apology. That smoked salmon bagel was perfection. I inhaled it carefully, with fear for my white pants, while listening to the dog at a table a few down bark at everyone who dared walk past.

My confusion in trying to figure out how to get into the Louvre was some serious foreshadowing for the 2+ hours I spent wandering inside. Spoiler alert – I detest the Louvre, the best description for it: clusterfuck. The sun beat down as I waited to get inside. The sun feels especially aggressive here snd I think it’s more humid than I realize. Once inside, map in hand, I bee-lined for the Mona Lisa. I’m not particularly inspired by the work but if you’re there, you kinda have to see it. And I knew it would only get busier as the day progressed and more people showed up. I followed the signs, the only decent signage in the entire place, I found the room that houses that mysterious lady. A line snaked thru the bulk of the room to get an up-close view. No. No no no. Here’s my pro tip – just walk up beside the line and look from the side. You’ll maybe only be about three feet further back but that’s plenty good enough. I don’t get the obsession but from both sides of the line that I did not wait in I did get some good photos.

Now I have a real appreciation for art, but just not most of this art. A few pieces caught my attention but for the most part it just made me think of what amazing hallucinogenics all these artists must have had access to.

There were a few pieces I wanted to make sure I saw but getting around in there is a goddamn chore, if I wanted to get lost in a labyrinth I’d go to the family fun center! If only I could find the Dying Slave statue I could figure out where I was. Guess what, turns out that damn statue is actually off exhibit so that turned out to be useless landmark to use as a guide! I spent most of the time wandering around that monstrosity of a museum just trying to find the few things I really wanted to see. And none of them actually felt that special. The hoards of people crowding around really do take away from experiencing the art.

It wasn’t all blasé though. The French Crown Jewels and Napoleon apartments were definitely highlights. I am obsessed with the wallpaper in Napoleon’s parlor. I do have an affinity for the Greek antiquities and some of the Roman as well. Though the Venus de Milo was hard to appreciate with people crowding around. It’s going to take some work to try to erase the bodies from the background of the photo I took! The Richelieu building/wing/whatever they actually call it was way less crowded than the Denon and Sully portions, helping make it easier to appreciate.

Speaking of sculptures, I forgot to mention the only one I saw at the Pantheon yesterday that I really appreciated. Did I remember to note the name of the piece or the sculptor? Nope. But it was such impressive attention to detail, honestly it was the knees. I swear, the knees that made me really appreciate the intricacy and awesome power of the sculptor to create such a natural shape.

After the Louvre it was time to eat! I took the recommendation of a friend of a friend who lived in Paris and sought out Angelina, a tea house just a few blocks down the street. I had been told that I needed to try their hot chocolate. Since I had already walked 10,000 steps by noon I felt like I had earned it. Angelina was established in 1903 and definitely had a very classic feel. In lieu of a menu, there was a QR code to scan to pull up the menu on your phone. I scanned the code and it wouldn’t let me open it until I downloaded the anti-COVID contact tracing app! Brilliant really, and since I am personally all for measures to combat COVID, including contact tracing and vaccines, I did not mind one bit.

I ordered their pre-fixe brunch and could not believe how much food came out! I knew it included a lot but I was expecting smaller tea room size portions. First to arrive were my hot chocolate, which is really more of a sipping chocolate, and my “cocktail vitamine” – a juice of orange, carrot, and ginger. I was shocked when the server poured my hot chocolate and then left the entire little pitcher on the table. Then came the pastries; not one but two plain croissants, a chocolate croissant, and some French bread; complete with jam and honey of course. I made it through one croissant and a couple bites of the chocolate croissant. Avocado eggs Benedict and fruit rounded out the meal. I could have had French toast instead of fruit; the French really love their bread! I felt bad that I left so many pastries uneaten and so much of the hot chocolate behind as well. The meal was fantastic and I got to relax and plan out the rest of my afternoon since I had no other museums or monuments reserved until the Arc de Triomphe at 5:30pm. I do love that restaurants here never make you feel rushed out, as the sisters I spoke with at dinner last night put it, you aren’t just paying for your meal or drink, you’re paying for your seat.

Given my location, a little shopping was in order after lunch. I managed to find myself in a Louis Vuitton store and was in awe! It was so much larger and more comprehensive than any Louis Vuitton I’ve encountered in the US. Spanning four stories it had not just the usual handbags and accessories but both men’s and women’s clothing, shoes, and even an opportunity to make your own signature scent perfume! I was in awe. But I was also very turned off by the snobbery when I encountered about a clutch I’ve eyed that’s sold out in the US and they informed me that they keep the canvas behind the counter so the good leather can be on display. Talk about taking the snobbery up a notch. Regardless, it was a good thing I didn’t want to be lugging a shopping bag around the rest of the afternoon.

The Palais Garnier had been on my “photo op” list for today but approaching it I was disappointed, it didn’t look that special and was surrounded by construction equipment, though I did manage to snap a picture of it from the rooftop terrace of an adjacent building. But overall, not impressed.

Now this rooftop terrace from which I snapped, well that was a whole other story. It was the rooftop of the 6 or 7 story Galeries Lafayette shopping center. Holy smokes. It reminded me of a mall we went to in Taiwan. But this was all designer, all the way. I did a lap around each and every level of this shopping Mecca and my wallet was VERY grateful that I did not want to carry stuff. I may be making a return trip later this week… even in a shopping center my lesson from yesterday rang true, always look up. The decor and brilliant stained glass dome ceiling were a site to behold in and of themselves.

I was early for my Arc de Triomphe reservation but to be honest, I don’t actually *like* shopping unless I’m on a mission and there didn’t seem to be much of interest to do or see between where I was and the Arc so I figured I’d head that way and see if I could get in early. The areas around the shopping center were the first time I’d seen anyone homeless on the streets of Paris and even then I only saw a couple as I made my way towards the Arc. It was also the first time I saw the little pop-up free COVID test tents on street corners throughout town.

My feet were starting to hurt and I was not only tired but also hot. I didn’t take my hat with me today and with the perfectly clear sky the sun beat down so aggressively. The Champs-ELysees leading to the Arc was just another street lined with shops, both designer and standard. Whereas the stores along the Vendome area reminded me of walking down 5th Avenue in New York City, the Champs reminded me of Times Square. And did I mention my feet hurt? I was thinking that I’d stop for a glass of wine to kill the time before my Arc access but it felt so touristy I had no interest. The most interesting thing was the McDonalds La Terrasse chairs in their own little outdoor patio area. Even Mickey D’s classes it up au Paris. From what I’d gathered the access to the Arc is really just an opportunity to go to the top and see down the Champs. It was just another busy city street, why did I care about that? As I approached the infamous Arc all I could think about was how hot I was and how much my feet hurt. I snapped a picture, quite literally, as I was walking across the street to the shady side and called it good. It’s an Arc, it’s triumphant, I saw it, it too has construction equipment around it. What more do I need for it?

I was down to walk the 3.5 miles back to my AirBnB where I’d have a little bit of downtime before cleaning up and heading to my evening dinner. I had the will and was looking forward to the walk, since I’d found the shady side of the street, but my feet, they just weren’t having it. I’ve only worn these shoes once before, and then for maybe an hour, so despite being super cute, they were killing me and I needed them off. After a mile I gave up, I simply could not go another 2.5 miles like this. I considered taking a city bike or scooter but that felt like a long ways to navigate the crowded streets or sidewalks so I got some balls and decided to try my hand at taking the Metro. I’ve navigated the subways in NYC before, I could do it. I’m not a huge fan of google maps as that asinine app has cost me hours of drive time in New Zealand trying to take me across blocked off private roads and, just today, tried to direct me to swim across the Seine to get to one of my destinations, but their public transportation maps seem to be pretty solid. The hardest part was finding the damn metro station, because, per usual, google maps was dumb and wouldn’t update where I was to get me there, but once I found it the rest of my metro trip was smooth sailing, leaving me with less than half a mile of walk back to the apartment as opposed to 2.5 miles. And the station where I got off even had a Starbucks right across the street. Score! An iced green tea was just what I need to both cool me down and give me some energy.

My attempts to cool off the apartment with the single fan provided and my little travel fan weren’t exactly successful but a cool shower felt amazing. My poor feet got a break while I lounged on the couch for an hour writing and texting with my sister before putting myself back together again for dinner.

I was Metro empowered now so off I went via Metro to my dinner. I’m so glad it’s such an easy system because the humid heat is and blazing sun with not a cloud in the sky makes 85* feel like 120. Once again, the hardest part was finding the metro station as they are very discreetly marked. But again, success! The metro dropped me off just a block from my destination. I knew that my dinner tonight with the chef Jean-Yves was in his private wine cave but my nerves still tensed as I rang the bell on the discreet, unmarked door at the address provided, hoping I was actually in the right place. And I was! Chef opened the door himself and greeted me warmly, introducing me to his Sous Chef, Fred. The entry is on the kitchen level and he led me down to the cave explaining that tonight it would just be me with one other couple. Wow, talk about exclusive! Normally his table holds up to 12 people but with COVID he’s keeping it smaller and not mixing more than two or three different parties at a time. The cool air in the wine cellar was a welcome relief.

Whereas I arrived 5 or 10 minutes early, the other couple, whom Chef had told me was from Canada so we could speak English (yay!), were about 20 minutes late. I sat in the wine cave alone, awkwardly waiting and looking around, worrying if they were going to show or if this was going to be really weird with my being the only person. Chef and Sous Chef each came down every few minutes to chit chat and I was elated when I finally heard the bell ring upstairs to know that the other couple had arrived. I didn’t care what kind of people they were, I was just happy to not be sitting there awkwardly alone anymore wondering if this dinner was actually going to happen or if Chef would give up if they didn’t show! It helps that you pay in advance.

The couple that joined me, Lies and Rick, weren’t from Canada at all, they were from Belgium. But they happily obliged to speak English. I felt a little 3rd wheel awkward until the opening glass of champagne was served and then the conversation turned very natural as we settled into bubbles and conversation. It also helped that I reminded myself to suck it up buttercup, this awkward feeling is what you get for traveling alone and booking such an exclusive dinner! They had booked their dinner there in March 2020 and, of course, were cancelled due to COVID, so they were thrilled to finally be there.

Chef served our champagne, with little bubbles of molecular mystery floating at the bottom of the glass. He had infused the champagne with Pandan leaf and oh was it ever so tasty. He then presented us with a guessing game, instructing us to spoon out the bubbles, pop the liquid delights in our mouths, and guess the flavor. Lychee! Such a fun and tasty way to kick things off. Housed in their little gelatinous vessels they didn’t affect the flavor of the champagne but enhanced the experience whenever a bubble was spooned out and popped between sips.

In his introduction, chef had explained that the meal would be a fusion of Vietnamese, Thai, Cambodian, Indian, and French flavors. The first course was presented with strict instructions on how it should be eaten. The little sushi rolls on a bed of endive were filled with chicken that had been marinated for two days, or something like that, and we were to first eat the roll, then eat the mint leaf and cucumber it was placed upon together, and then finish with eating the endive leaf with it’s sauce and shoots. Then repeat with the next roll. The Chef explained that this method would open our pallets to tasting each flavor, and reminded us to use our nose and try to smell the food as we’re eating it. I could have eaten ten servings of this course. The melange of flavors was so diverse it was difficult to pick out the individual ingredients but they came together in flawless harmony. A lovely Sauvignon was served as well.

Do you know the difference between raviole and ravioli? I do now. And that ravioli is based on an Asian dish, raviole. The lesson on the difference and how raviole was made with rice flour but that Italians didn’t have rice flour so adapted with other flour accompanied the ravioli (or was it a raviole?) That was served next. The dough was made with a mixture of rice and tapioca flours (at least I *think* that’s what he said?) that would give it some more chewiness. I can’t remember what it was stuffed with but a delightful mushroom truffle mixture was perched on top and an airy sabayon was served alongside. It was suggested that we try to get each flavor in each bite. Again, so good.

The main course consisted of a duck, cooked two ways so while the inside was pink there was no blood, accompanied with an also twice-cooked zucchini fritter of sorts, alongside a sweet potato and coconut cream sauce with a Parmesan and Romano crisp on top and bamboo shoots to boot. Chef instructed us to start by dipping the salty cheesy crisp into the sauce to sense how the flavors hit the pallet in different ways and at different times throughout the chewing process. Surprisingly, the rest we were told to eat however we want! I felt bad leaving my bamboo shoots on the plate but I really really dislike their taste and though his were definitely better than most, it wasn’t worth marring my palate.

A macaron like no other rounded out the meal as the fourth and final course. As it was served he explained technique to make a proper French macaron and that if each side does not appear to be two pieces, a cap and a base, then the baking was rushed and the process was not respected. Fill with cantaloupe cream and slices of kiwi alongside passion fruit sauce and more exploding balls the sweet treat was perfectly capped with a savory piece of sticky sesame crisp. A teeny tiny cup held a homemade sake, infused with Pandon leaf to round out the meal. Genius. While the little sake cup was barely a thimble a teeny sip was plenty and I don’t know if any of us finished it, I certainly couldn’t. Now here’s the thing, while I loved the meal and experience, I don’t think Chef is pushing himself enough. I read a ton of reviews on his dinners and based on the pictures I’ve seen online, he’s done the exact same menu for years now. I think he could push himself more and challenge himself to include newer items or even do more courses. He talked to us about taking the leap and leaving his 20 year career as an architect to go all-in on his passion of becoming a chef and I feel like he’s selling himself a little short.

Not only was the meal splendid, but the company was as well. Lies, Rick, and I shared stories, laughed, talked about everything from politics, taxes, and laws to family, food, and travel. Just as Brandon and I had Cuba as our first trip together, shortly after we met, so did they! You could see the love they had for each other and for life in general. Lies was fascinating; she has a van with a mattress in it so she doesn’t have to worry about drinking and driving and pole dances as a sport. After the meal, we sat with our wine and kept chatting and laughing until Chef asked if anyone needed a cab and we took the cue that it was time to go. If I’m ever in Belgium, I’m sure we will again break bread and drink wine.

It was late and dark but the walk back felt safe and easy. Cafes were still packed with revelers drinking their wine and smoking their cigarettes. God I hate cigarette smoke. I finally saw a few, not many, just a small handful, more homeless people and some of them had the same little singleton tents. I wonder if those are government issued? I’m going to have to look that up out of curiosity.

Arriving back at my AirBnB I was dismayed to realized that there are NO LIGHTS in the NARROW, CRUMBLING, SPIRAL staircase leading the SIX flights up to the apartment. Thank you to Apple for such great flashlights built into the iPhone!

Looking out my AirBnB windows, even close to midnight (on a Monday!) the banks of the Seine were still lined with small groups and the party boats were still floating but at least they were quieter than last night. And while I may have changed for dinner, I was impressed with myself at the end of the day to realize that my white pants, remained clean and white!