Monday, August 2

Lunch - Cafe Lemours or "The first sighting of the 4 Euro Pop"

On monday morning we sleep in, as Mandy isn't feeling well (perhaps from jet lag and being overtired from the day before) and hasn't slept well. She asks that we eat somewhere that offers something light for lunch, and while looking through Rick Steve's Paris, I find an entry on Cafe Lemours that is across from the Louvre. It mentions it is good for folks looking for a light meal or snack, so we decide that is where we'll go. We head out for the Metro, and arrive at the Cafe.

The cafe advertises "Salon Climatisees" outside...but despite the heat it is cooler outside than inside, so we take a seat on the patio. As with many cafes, the seats all point in the same direction, which is good for watching the world go by as you munch on your meal and sip at your drink. Mandy orders a Sandwich Jambon (Ham Sandwich) and a Canada Dry (cheap at only 4 Euros -- $6.60 CAD), while I opt for the not-so-light Cassoulet with an Orangina (yes...a culinary faux pas). Mandy is still not feeling really well, and mostly eats the bread that comes with the meal, with a couple of bites from her sandwich, while I relish the barely cooked fatty sausages and duck confit in a rich stew of white beans in thick sauce of the cassoulet.

Side Note: After the initial shock of doing quick "in your head" conversions of Euros to Canadian Dollars, we found that you eventually just forget it. By the end of the trip we were thinking in Euros...ah the joys of vacation

Afternoon - At the Louvre

We leave Lemours, and head towards the Louvre, which is just across the street (although "across the street" is a little misleading as you can see from the pictures). We walk through the archway into the center of the Louvre, where the Pyramid is found, and take in the wonderful immensity of the Louvre. There are huge crowds, all crowding around the many fountains that surround the central pyramid, dipping their feet to cool off. After a few requisite photos, we head towards the Richlieu entrance, where we can take advantage of our Carte Musee, and skip the line.

We first head towards the most popular part of the museum where the large format French paitings and Italian paintings of the renaissance are found. Mandy is first taken in by the hallway where Delacroix and Gerricault have many of the most famous works while I once again marvel at the sheer size of the works. Mandy is also quite impressed with the vaulted ceilings with intricate designs, which we find throughout our trip here in Paris. As we wander through the halls, taking in the art, Mandy's feelings of illness seem to wash away, not to return for the remainder of the trip.

Of course, one of the main attractions of this section of the museum is the Mona Lisa. There are signs all over the museum, pointing tourists to the most direct route to see Da Vinci's most famous painting. I've seen it in my previous trip, but it is almost a requirement for all visitors to see it at least once, so we follow the crowds and arrive at the Mona Lisa. Once again, it dissapoints, especially behind the glass, barriers and many rows of Da Vinci hungry tourists. Mandy pushes her way towards the front, only injuring a few wayward tourists, and I follow her path of destruction. Actually, I give up halfway, while she makes it to the second row before bailing. I suspect those in the first row are sick of the painting, but just can't get out from the mass of people behind them.

At this point I'm pretty thirsty, so we ask one of the security guards where we can find the closest Museum Cafe (there are several). After following his directions for a few minutes, we decide that he didn't know what he was talking about, and head back the way we came, find a map and head to the cafe. We wait in line for an outdoor seat, and have a couple of drinks with a Mille Feuille (Napoleon) and a Pain Au Chocolat. I didn't expect much from an obvious tourist-laden cafe, but the pain au chocolat was flaky and good, and the Napoleon better than most we've had back home.

Thoroughly refreshed, we head back inside, to walk through the French paintings. We find Louis XIV in all his glory (we'll see his house a few days later) and the odd "Pierrot dit autrefois Gilles" by Watteau, both paintings well known to Mandy. Thoroughly saturated with art, we head out of the museum, into the shops below the Louvre. We leave the Louvre, and walk through the Jardin Tuileries towards Place de la Concorde past the fountains where little boys play with little toy sailboats rented by their parents. After wandering around the immense Place de la Concorde looking for the Metro, we ask for directions, find the Metro, and then head home to change before dinner.

Dinner - Cafe Marche on Rue Cler

Again from the book by Mr. Steves, Cafe Marche is found along Rue Cler, which is a trendy-ish disctrict, but all the stores are closed when we arrive. In fact, everything looks deserted...except for Cafe Marche which seems to have the entire neighbourhood sitting at its tables. We line up to get a seat, and luckily enough get one almost immediately, and right along the edge of the patio as well (were passing cars drive mere feet away from you). Mandy notes that the mustard/salt/pepper jars are the exact same as what we saw at the last two restaurants (and by exact, I mean they are the identical jars, shakers and mustard spoon). Funny enough, it is the last time we see them (the rest of the restaurants have different ones).

Mandy is cautious about eating heavy, just in case, which is why we picked this Cafe. As a result, she decides to have a Schweppes (Tonic Water -- in Paris Ginger Ale is known as Canada Dry, Tonic Water is known as Schweppes) and a very light and delicate...Confit de Canard with Fried Potatoes. I look through the menu for the most outlandish dish I can find, and order the Steak Tartare with fries (what could be riskier than raw ground beef mixed with a raw egg?). The meal arrives, and does not dissapoint. The meat is tasty and well seasoned, and Mandy enjoys the light duck marinated and cooked in its own fat. Not wanting to go over the top (a concept that we throw out for the rest of the week) we skip dessert. It's getting late, and decide to call it a night.

On the way back to the hotel, I pick up a bottle of Coke Light (since one would never be caught dead drinking anything with the words "diete" on it in Paris) and we sit in the Hotel Lobby (which is wonderfully air conditioned) and go through our maps, guides and books to plan out the next few days.

Pictures