We intended to try out another nearby bakery for their take on macarons. Around the corner and perhaps and a block away, we found it, but alas it is closed on Tuesdays. We’ll give it a try another day.
Since we arrived, for some reason Hera’s cell and tablet would not connect in our apartment. She had no problem with her cell in various cafes and bistros that all offer free Wi-Fi (pronounced “wee-fee” in France). This had perturbed the friendly and very helpful Landlady, and since she could not resolve it, she said she would call in a technician today for us. So we did not venture too far.
A bit hungry, Hera felt like having a Falafel at what is reputedly the best falafel joint in Paris called L'As du Fallafel . We had been here in our last visit and the there is always a line up, reminiscent of Schwartz's in Montreal. Today we were lucky, only a few people ahead of us. The place is hustling and bustling, but the staff are friendly and courteous.
The Falafel was excellent. Is it the best I ever had? We Montrealers are indeed spoiled. This is the oldest falafel place in Paris opening in 1979, and it has only been in the past 15 years or so have so many falafel and shawarma joints opened up in Paris. So much so that we almost did not recognize the old Paris on our last visit in 2005.
Well fed, we walked the streets of the Marais, and were soon at Place des Vosges. On our second day, we had been here and sampled a piece of a macaron that a salesgirl was offering. So we decided to head over to Cafe Pouchkine.
While definitely French, it seems that macarons have become so popular everywhere. Weddings are using the tasty treats as decorative items, and shops everywhere here are now selling them.
We decided on three different ones, and headed over to a park bench in Place des Vosges to sample our treats. Once again, they were delicious. I prefer these, which seemed lighter and not as sweet. But I can see that at connoisseur might disagree. The other was very buttery and filling, probably how an excellent macaron should be. But our North American palate does have a preference for lighter fare.
On our way again we continued walking eastward and arrived at our once familiar landmark, Place de la Bastille. In 2005 our apartment was just a block away. We spied a Brasserie that we had adopted back then as a watering hole, the streets where we did our groceries, when soon our telephone rang. The Landlady’s technician might be early, so we headed back home.
While we did get Hera’s cell and tablet to finally connect, it is still puzzling why there was the problem in the first place.
Heading back out, we walked along some of the grand boulevards in the general direction of the Opera House. Paris has many quiet park areas, that is sorely missed in Montreal. Seeing the entrance to the Palace Royal grounds, I sat at a fountain while Hera scampered about taking photos.
After a short break we were back on our way. Many streets have very obvious names. We turned left onto Avenue de l’Opera, and of course up in the distance we could see the gorgeous Opera House looming in the distance like a jewel.
It was late, and it was closed, but we will most likely return to enter it again as it is a gorgeous building.
But not to be disappointed, Les Galeries Lafayette is just around the corner and it was open. Even if you do not want to buy a designer item, even I feel it is worth a visit. Walk towards the center and the ceiling opens up to a huge spectacular cupola.
We ended up doing a bit of shopping in the area, and then started to head back home. We started on our way, then decided to take the Metro instead.
I have mentioned this in previous trips, it is always essential to learn and feel comfortable with the local transit system. A tourist in Paris has two major choices. Simply buy a carnet of 10 tickets, or buy a weekly pass. You can take photos conveniently for your passes at many Metro stations, and we actually brought our own photos from home. But in the end we decided not to buy a weekly pass, and simply use a ticket when needed.
Hopping onto the metro, a quick transfer to a second line, and soon we exited just half a block away from our apartment. We were home. Time to relax with some wine and food.
