Day 4
I forgot to mention, after furiously 'trip advisering' a few days ago trying to find somewhere special for dinner in Paris, I stumbled across a lunch offer at the restaurant 'Guy Savoy'. Guy Savoy is a French institution, complete with 3 michelin stars and a world famous chef. The offer was for a 3 course lunch for a substantially cheaper price (although obviously still not cheap) than the equivalent for dinner. It was only available for one table per day, and was for people to 'discover or rediscover French cuisine'. I had sheepishly emailed them to ask if they happened to have this table available in the next couple of days. The next day I got an email back, confirming our reservation for April 5... today!
So the day started with an appetite-inducing run around the 11th district, and to the Bellevue Gardens. After finally finding our way back to the apartment (it wasn't easy), we got showered and ready for lunch.
Then we made our way across town to Guy Savoy. We started, obviously, with a glass of champagne which was served from a trolley offering a wide selection. We opted for the house champagne which was delicious and expensive enough!
The maitre'd then guided us, fairly strongly, though the menu and together we arrived at our selections for the 3 courses. The food of course was beautiful, but we both agree that it fell short of mind-blowing... A description we'd attribute to a couple of meals that we've had in Australia.
The highlights were the deserts - photos to follow - which were pretty special, and also the fact that they came around between courses with little savoury morsels, and then again after desert with an additional desert trolley offering an amazing chocolate mousse amongst other things. All in all a very memorable experience.
After lunch we went for a quick walk down the Champs-Elysee and headed back to the apartment for a wine induced slumber. By late afternoon/early evening we were ready to set out again, starting with a wander down Rue Mouffetard in the Latin Quarter, and then later meeting Andre and Isabelle again for some beer, cheese and baguette by the Seine.
Day 5
With only a few hours to say goodbye to Paris, we decided to head to Monmatre. Jumped on the metro to Anvers station and wandered up the hill towards the Sacre Cour. Actually 'wandered up the hill' implies a certain grace that sugar coates the reality that we hauled ourselves up the steps, heaving and panting. We then wandered around the artist quarter behind the cathedral, and after a few photos, wandered down the hill. Yes, wandered down the hill.
As we were wandering, we passed a particularly dodgy area with street scammers playing a ball-and cup game trying to lure unsuspecting tourists into playing their game for money. On the same street, I was approached by a man who opened his coat to reveal an array of fake sunglasses. He was in luck - It was only on the metro to Anvers that I told Emma that if I find a cheap pair of sunnies that I liked, I would buy them, seeing as I came to Europe sans sunglasses. SO, after finding a pair of Raybans that fit the bill, we began to negotiate price. He was looking for about 30 euros, and I was more in the 5-10 vicinity. Just at that moment, an undercover police operation went into full effect, and the whole street cleared out. The police asked me if I had bought anything, and I answered the truth that I hadn't, yet. The police then emptied out all of my vendor's merchandise into a garbage bag and disappeared. Little did they know that I had my selected aviators in my hand under my jumper. When we met up with my friend again, I thought I would do him the favour of giving him a token 5 euros for the sunnies that he should have lost anyway and be done with it. He wasn't having a bar of that and after some frustrating negotiation I walked away. He followed us and eventually accepted my latest offer of 10 euros.
After all this drama, it was time to head back to the apartment to collect our things and get to the airport. Picked up a pretty ordinary crepe avec Jambon, fromage et Oef for lunch on the way and caught the metro back.
No dramas getting to Orly airport. A brief bomb threat once we got there, where nobody was allowed into the EasyJet check in area for 20 mins or so, but then checked in and flew to Berlin Schoenefeld.
Found our way to our apartment in Kreutzberg where our landlord Eric introduced us to our bikes for the week and showed us the flat.
Later that evening met Emma's former housemate Alex for dinner and drinks in Kreutzberg, including (apparently) the original kebab, which was in fact invented in Berlin, not Turkey!! We then headed to Luzia bar and Das Hotel, two of Emma's old favs.
I forgot to mention, after furiously 'trip advisering' a few days ago trying to find somewhere special for dinner in Paris, I stumbled across a lunch offer at the restaurant 'Guy Savoy'. Guy Savoy is a French institution, complete with 3 michelin stars and a world famous chef. The offer was for a 3 course lunch for a substantially cheaper price (although obviously still not cheap) than the equivalent for dinner. It was only available for one table per day, and was for people to 'discover or rediscover French cuisine'. I had sheepishly emailed them to ask if they happened to have this table available in the next couple of days. The next day I got an email back, confirming our reservation for April 5... today!
So the day started with an appetite-inducing run around the 11th district, and to the Bellevue Gardens. After finally finding our way back to the apartment (it wasn't easy), we got showered and ready for lunch.
Then we made our way across town to Guy Savoy. We started, obviously, with a glass of champagne which was served from a trolley offering a wide selection. We opted for the house champagne which was delicious and expensive enough!
The maitre'd then guided us, fairly strongly, though the menu and together we arrived at our selections for the 3 courses. The food of course was beautiful, but we both agree that it fell short of mind-blowing... A description we'd attribute to a couple of meals that we've had in Australia.
The highlights were the deserts - photos to follow - which were pretty special, and also the fact that they came around between courses with little savoury morsels, and then again after desert with an additional desert trolley offering an amazing chocolate mousse amongst other things. All in all a very memorable experience.
 |
| The savoury highlight - Artichoke soup with Parmesan and Black Truffle (i'd already eaten most of the parmesan+truffle) |
 |
| Emma's amazing desert |
After lunch we went for a quick walk down the Champs-Elysee and headed back to the apartment for a wine induced slumber. By late afternoon/early evening we were ready to set out again, starting with a wander down Rue Mouffetard in the Latin Quarter, and then later meeting Andre and Isabelle again for some beer, cheese and baguette by the Seine.
 |
| After lunch walk |
 |
| Snacks by the Seine |
Day 5
With only a few hours to say goodbye to Paris, we decided to head to Monmatre. Jumped on the metro to Anvers station and wandered up the hill towards the Sacre Cour. Actually 'wandered up the hill' implies a certain grace that sugar coates the reality that we hauled ourselves up the steps, heaving and panting. We then wandered around the artist quarter behind the cathedral, and after a few photos, wandered down the hill. Yes, wandered down the hill.
As we were wandering, we passed a particularly dodgy area with street scammers playing a ball-and cup game trying to lure unsuspecting tourists into playing their game for money. On the same street, I was approached by a man who opened his coat to reveal an array of fake sunglasses. He was in luck - It was only on the metro to Anvers that I told Emma that if I find a cheap pair of sunnies that I liked, I would buy them, seeing as I came to Europe sans sunglasses. SO, after finding a pair of Raybans that fit the bill, we began to negotiate price. He was looking for about 30 euros, and I was more in the 5-10 vicinity. Just at that moment, an undercover police operation went into full effect, and the whole street cleared out. The police asked me if I had bought anything, and I answered the truth that I hadn't, yet. The police then emptied out all of my vendor's merchandise into a garbage bag and disappeared. Little did they know that I had my selected aviators in my hand under my jumper. When we met up with my friend again, I thought I would do him the favour of giving him a token 5 euros for the sunnies that he should have lost anyway and be done with it. He wasn't having a bar of that and after some frustrating negotiation I walked away. He followed us and eventually accepted my latest offer of 10 euros.
After all this drama, it was time to head back to the apartment to collect our things and get to the airport. Picked up a pretty ordinary crepe avec Jambon, fromage et Oef for lunch on the way and caught the metro back.
No dramas getting to Orly airport. A brief bomb threat once we got there, where nobody was allowed into the EasyJet check in area for 20 mins or so, but then checked in and flew to Berlin Schoenefeld.
Found our way to our apartment in Kreutzberg where our landlord Eric introduced us to our bikes for the week and showed us the flat.
Later that evening met Emma's former housemate Alex for dinner and drinks in Kreutzberg, including (apparently) the original kebab, which was in fact invented in Berlin, not Turkey!! We then headed to Luzia bar and Das Hotel, two of Emma's old favs.
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