Day 2: The Day A Stranger Offered Me Some Beef

I failed to add this picture to my first post, and can't go back. But I really wanted to share my first experience with macarons! I have here a pineapple, blueberry, rose and rhubarb. They were totally not what I expected, and sooooo delicious! They are soft and a bit chewy, and the fillings have a similar texture to the inside of a poptart. (I don't mean that as an insult!) anyway, I'm in love, and will probably eat them everyday.


First thing in the morning I went to Rue Cler, where the entire pedestrian street becomes a food market. Here are some pictures!
























































I kind of held off today, because on Sundays most museums are free, and I want to activate my Paris Museum Pass on Monday. So I mostly did a lot of walking. First stop after Rue Cler was Champ de Mars and the Eiffel Tower. I didn't go close, but lounged in the park. A





Deciding to fully adopt the French lunch ethic, I sat down at a cafe near the Champ de Mars and just twiddled away some time. My waiter told me I spoke very good French. More like, I have a nice accent that makes people think I speak more French than I do....


Some tasty beginners...


Le poulet roti. I'm pretty sure I got glutened by the sauce, as I got sick afterwards, but I guess it was a risk.


A macaron filled with raspberry sorbet!

After lounging in the cafe, an elderly couple sat down next to me, and proceeded to order some of the coolest food ever. Since the table was small, they put a little rack on it, like a pizza place, which lofts the huge plates of food. First was an assortment of oysters on the half shell, and then a spectacle of medium rare beef with puffed potato gratin and haricot verts. The man saw me staring, so told the waiter to offer me some, which of course prompted me into a fit of giggles. I said non, merci, and we had a fun, broken English/French conversation that was just so charming. He kept asking me, "ugherrr, you think dis eez enough? Hauh hauh hauh"

After lunching as the French do with many actual French people, I decided to go to the Marmottan Museum, since it's not covered on the pass.


On the way there they were putting the horses on this carousel.


The Marmottan Museum houses one of the best collections of Claude Monet paintings in the former mansion of Paul Marmottan. He has a lot of other fancy stuff, including a nice chunk of Berthe Morisot paintings, but the highlight is Monet. And in particular...the painting Impression: Sunrise, which is the painting that launched the movement and gave it a name. It was one of those art historical pilgrimages I've always wanted to take. After this visit, I headed back to the Metro, passing the carousel which was now full of children. They were each given a pointed stick, and as they passed this machine, they had to try and catch a ring on the end of it. They were collecting quite a few, and it was hilarious the watch them try. I captured one of the sweet little faces all lit up with effort and concentration.


I moved along to the Tuileries and walked along the Rue de Rivoli. I wanted to go to Laduree, which is possibly the most famous location for macarons. The line was really huge, though (I think they sell 20,000 a day...if I heard that correctly) so I decided to come back another day. Across from the Tuileries is ANGELINA, which I had heard about for it's famous chocolat chaud a l'ancienne, which is to say, in the old style. After about a 30 minute wait, I got un table pour une personne and ordered the famous chocolat et un Mont Blanc. Once it got to the table and into my mouth I very nearly fainted from the deliciousness. There is no way words could ever convey to you the delights of these two objects, and therefore you must resolve to get yourself to Paris so you can understand what all this hubbub is about. I mean, Coco Chanel raved for them!


You literally get a pot of really rich, dark and slightly bitter melted chocolate, along with a pot of fresh whipped cream.


My Mont Blanc! Ack this was so good I can't even adequately describe it to you. Basically it's a bit of meringue at the bottom, the dried kind, not what goes on top of a lemon pie, topped with a mound of whipped cream, and covered in chestnut puree vermicelli. To....Die...For.


Mixing in the whipped cream.


When I poured in more chocolate, I made this cool pattern.

Just so you know, having this hot chocolat at Angelina's is a risk, since it will literally ruin all other hot chocolates for you the rest of your life. Friends, I can see you now this winter and in all the winters to come, when you suggest or prepare a hot chocolate, and I immediately scoff and without a glimmer of shame or humility, let you know that what you suggest or what you serve is most sincerely and truthfully not chocolat chaud as God Himself intended. I will then turn my nose up and remember this experience...while you delete my phone number from your contacts list.....


I could only finish half the chocolat and the Mont Blanc, although I spent some time afterwards just staring at them and feeling my brain work to reorder and update the file it keeps on "Most Delicious Things On The Planet."

Amazing. I wouldn't be surprised if I go there again.

Anyway, as I emerged from my delicious comma, I returned to the hotel to check out my new digs. Much more what I expected and much better than the first room! It's super cute, and I've already come to love it.











I stopped by a different grocery store and they had a huge selection of GF things. And I believe I had read that his brand is amazing, so I bought a bunch of stuff. That bread is out of this world delicious. I made a sandwich with it later for dinner.


Tomorrow should be a full day. I'm going to church at St. Sulpice for mass and an organ concert, then I will cram as many free museums in as possible.

A bientôt!