Report on Cafe Constant For Holly

We took your recommendation seriously and had lunch at Cafe Constant because it was very close to Les Invalides where we spent the afternoon.

Tony ordering our lunch en Francais. I hope you can hear it.

 Tony's appetizer: shrimp tart with Citronella sauce

 My salad of artichoke hearts and mushrooms and the tiniest croutons I've ever had.

 My petit pois soup which we renamed "butter soup." Delicious.

 Tony's veal cordon bleu.

 The foodie next to us who asked if he could photograph our food. Of course.

 Tony's apple tarte.

Tony's profiterole. The chocolate sauce was intense and delicious.

Podcast From Paris

listen to ‘Podcast From Paris-Sitting At the Medici Fountain’ on Audioboo

Outside Our Window

It is the day before the Bastille Celebration and already the festivities begin-with an early morning float down the Seine, a representation of France's military divisions on board.

At night, it is like Disneyland. If you listen closely, you can hear the accordian in the background. So French. We sit right above the oldest bridge (pont) in Paris and there is a lot of activity. It does die down eventually.

The video wouldn't upload, so I'll try again later.

When The Concert Started

When the concert started we turned to each other with tears in our eyes. It was Vivaldi's Four Seasons but I guess they threw in a Pachabel piece-Canon in D.  The venue was St. Chappelle, currently undergoing a seven year restoration to clean the stained glass windows. The surrounding beauty, the sound...something we will never forget.

Our First Paris "Find"

 Dad and I were biking along tiny Parisien back streets, when to the left, I caught a glimpse of a small square that looked enchanting. We went in search and found this tiny square street that wrapped around a tall tree with shops on either side. I recognized the word chou which means cream puff. And I knew if this was a cream puff shop on a quiet street, it had to be special. You should have seen Dad's face when he made the connection--which led to him putting down his bike and marching straight in.

 He purchased au chocolat and naturel. The cream was pure heaven.

The funny thing is that under "La Maison Du Chou" are the words-Manuel Martinez, Meilleur Ouvrier De France. Translated literally means: The best worker in France. Which is really an honor bestowed by a cullinary arts school or board or something. And when I asked the workers, yes Monseiur Martinez is from Spain-a Basque. He also has a restaurant which we will find and eat at. This could be one of Tony's relatives. How fitting that he has a cream puff shop. Yes, girls, this may be in your genes. And eventually in your jeans.

Come With Me On a Short Bike Ride to the Musee D'Orsay

We Found the Original Statue of Liberty

 Quite unexpectedly while strolling through my favorite park, we found the original statue of liberty that Bartholdi used as his model for creating the American gift that stands in New York harbor. It was only about 9 ft. tall and gave a feeling for the magnificence and creation of the giant harbor statue that greeted my grandparents upon their arrival into America.