a long walk

5.25.07

Is just what I needed after lunch, but with the sun shining so brightly, the jacket had to come off. Now I have one more thing to carry. I proceeded down the south side ofthe Ile de la Cite alongside Notre Dame cathedral (definitely one of the more splendid cathedrals in the world) and across the bridge to the Ile Saint-Louis, aiming for the Rue des Deux Ponts and a bakery on my list. Alas, it is not open on Thursdays, so back to the Ile de la Cite and up its north side to the Pont Neuf. A quick look at the astrological tower of Catharine de Medici's astrologer and down the Rue de Rivoli with its grand old English hotels across from the Tuileries gardens and I was plumb tuckered out. After all it was 8 pm already and I had been out and about for a solid ten hours. Three Metro stops and I was back at the hotel. But I remembered passing by a little restaurant near the hotel, about which I'd read positive things, so why not get a bit of dinner? After all, it was only 9 o'clock; the night was still young. Still, dinner in Paris is not a speedy affair. First, an artisanal pastis with some very tiny little olives to munch on, then an amuse-bouche of a sorrel gazpacho. Then a marvellous terrine of foie gras mi-cuit ("half cooked") with some crusts of whole grain bread. A glass of Cote du Rhone Villages to accompany the main course of rack of lamb roasted medium rare and glazed with a sauce of honey scented with lavendar. A little asparagus, zucchini, puree of sweet potato, grilled tomato, sauteed sour apple and a square of grilled polenta to round the lamb out. A little green salad with a croustade covered with a grilled goat cheese. Dessert? Of course: a circle of puff pastry baked with a topping of hinly sliced apple and served warm with a scoop of ice cream flavored with that same lavendar-scented honey. Espresso to top it all off and a pleasant conversation in my fractured French with the waiter, who had willingly shared opinions on food, friendship, languages, politics etc. A short cool stroll back to the hotel had me down by 1 am. Can I manage another two days?