J'aime Paris - Day One

Oct 4, Monday

Most open markets are closed on Monday’s in Paris.

We arrived to our rented apartment on Rue de Rennes around 3:00 pm from Portland, Oregon.  After checking in with the apartment manager and watching him lug our suitcases up the 4 flights of spiraling staircase, we headed out.  Our first order of business, coffee! It was only 6:00 am our body time (I think - I'm still confused), so it knew what it wanted.  We walked around the corner to the Montparnasse metro stop and purchased our metro pass for the week, boarded, and got off at the St. Germain stop.  Upon resurfacing above ground, the real deal spread out before us, not Paris, Las Vegas, or Paris, Epcot, but Paris, France and directly in front of us was the famed Cafe de Flore.  

We timidly approached the maitre'd and asked if there were any tables, (NOTE... do not be timid in Paris - act like you own the place), he wanted to seat us inside, can you imagine?  We found a little table for two outside.  Unfortunately, everyone in Paris smokes, even the little dogs, it put a damper on our perfect cafe creme but the excitement overshadowed everything else.

We wandered in and out of the glorious high end boutiques of the 6th Arrondisments and the smells and sights of Latin Quarter, I think I read somewhere that there are more gyro restaurants in Paris than there are chic scarfed women? Ok, I am making this up, but there seem to be a gyro joint on every corner with their huge hanging lamb and a sword slinging carving man at the ready to hand you a sandwich out the little window for a take away.  

We emerge from the crowded streets and just a little river separated us from the Cathedral Notre Dame de Paris (Our Lady of Paris).  We cross over the Seine River and with the other million tourist took in the Cathedral's gothic architecture, gargoyles, stain glass windows and sweeping buttresses (I love this word).

I can't help but wonder if a hideous hunch-back was really kept hidden away, well, Quasimodo could have done worse than this little pad.

The thought of food pull us away from the crowds and as we are crossing the Petit Pont we noticed dozens of mysterious pad locks adorned with ribbon attached to the bridge.  Later I learned that these are "Love Locks", a symbol of eternal love.  Lovers attach the locks onto the bridge and throw the keys over into the river, thus keeping their love locked forever.  Cute, I wonder if we have any bridges in Portland, where I can start this trend, but don't tell the authorities it was me,  

 We meandered back through the Latin Quarter in search of our first meal in Paris.  As jet lag sets in, we're being pulled by restaurant hosts at every door causing confusion and delay.  We settle on a sweet little bistro where Parisians, not tourist were dining, usually a good thing, but not at this place.  We ordered their 3 courses, I had escargot with garlic, parsley butter sauce to start, sole meuniere as my main, and chocolate profiteroles for dessert, a classic French meal, mo?   My friend and I were not impressed with the quality nor presentation.  By the way... the Parisians that were dining near us, were snooty but it had nothing to do with our high school french (on my friend's side) or our loud laughing (on my side) or spilling a bottle or water and glasses flying everywhere (I deny everything).  By the way again, no one laughs or talks loud in Paris?   

We trudged our way up 4 flights of spiral stairs and climbed into our comfy beds, with the first day of Paris swirling in our minds, we drifted off.  Only to awaken at 3:00 am and chat for awhile until we were too tired to speak and woke up to face Day #2.