The Moon Comes Over the Grizzli

Saturday, April 19. Passover. I'm thinking a lot about my friend Joan and her father.

Today we take on those parts of the city that we haven't yet seen! Lyn and Tyler swing by for Paul and me, and we sally forth through The Marais, stopping to admire the 17th c. "hotels particuliers" and ending up at the Place des Vosges. Through the Hotel de Sully and down to rue Saint Antoine.

[Sidebar: I stop in a bookstore, La Belle Lurette, hoping to find more of Cyrille Fleischman's books. They don't have them, but the nice young man offers to order them! So I now have two books on order in Paris! They will send me an email when they arrive.]

Place de la Bastille: Have lunch at Cafe Flag - omelettes, frites, salade, cafe.

To La FNAC with Paul to look for CDs. He finds some things that he was looking for and I find the Impromptus of Shubert by Radu Lupu. It's a Decca recording and labeled Legendary Perforances! We also stop in the Opera Bastille shop but not much there in the way of CDs. Of course, I can always find books that I want to buy. :)

Having "finished off" The Marais (she says sardonically, recognizing that there's a limit to what you can show someone in a few days!), we take the metro back to Hotel de Ville and walk across to Ile de la Cite, Notre Dame, and the Memorial de la Deportation. It's sobering to visit this spot on Passover. It is quiet, away from the hustle and bustle of the city, and beautiful.

March on to Ile St Louis and walk the length of the island, crossing the Pont Sully and heading for the Institut du Monde Arabe (another Jean Nouvel building). Very quick visit. We continue walking up to rue Cardinal Lemoine to Place Contrescarpe, down a little bit of rue mouffetard, left on rue Saint-Medard, through a tiny garden which I think is called Square Ortolan to place Monge. At the Cafe Monge, we take a little break for tea/beer/coke etc. Then hoist our weary bodies up again to walk to the Arenes de Lutece.

Metro back to Chatelet. Paul and I walk back to apt by the (almost fully restored now) Tour St Jacques, stopping at the Grizzli Cafe to make a reservation for the four of us for dinner.

Dinner at Grizzli: kir cassis for everyone. Entrees: tarte fine au roquefort et poire. mussels roti with garlic. Main courses: Paul porc caramalisee avec gingembre; Tyler poulet roti ; Lyn swordfish; Janet curry d'agneau. Dessert: Paul ginger and pistachio ice cream; Lyn fraises melba; Janet panacotta with caramel salee. Lots of wine: white (_____ aligote) and red (saumur champigny). And in case things weren't nice enough already, here's how to to finish off a perfect evening in Paris: we are sitting at a table on the premiere etage next to an open window and see the full moon rising over the immeuble across the street.

Once again, we close down the place. When we're leaving, Laurent says "Ah, Janet nous quitte." et "Maintenant, je connais votre prenon." So sweet. Do you think I eat there a lot? :)

Paul and I walk back to apt. L&T head for metro and home. A hugely wonderful evening.