Letter from Paris 5 May

Today was another day of relaxing, flànerie and getting ourselves ready for the next day’s road trip to Amsterdam.

After coffee and a light breakfast we walked down to Monoprix near the San Marcel Metro to pick up a ffew items for the road although I’m using one of Susie’s cheese breads to make a variant on the Parisian jambon baguette to get us through until we arrive in Amsterdam. We also made use of the ham and cheese left in the house for a sandwich at home before heading out for the day.

Leaving the apartment we made our way to the no. 5 at Campo Formio getting off at Bonsergent. From there we set off to find the pastry shop Liberté (a Clothilde Dusoulier recommendation) in the 10th arr. but it was closed.

No matter, we strolled over to Canal Saint-Martin and enjoyed a walk down in the direction of the Seine. Along the way we got an opportunity to watch one of the swing bridges at work, playing havoc with traffic but how else is an empty canal cruise ship to get home?

sitting out in the 10th arr.

We got cut our walk short and got back on the 5, getting off at Gare d’Austerlitz where we left the Metro and headed for Seine just opposite the Jardin des Plantes and the batobus, the river's hop-on-hop-off river bus. Touristy you bet, but for our last full day in the city a tour of the Seine was in order. It was a gorgeous day and what better place to enjoy Paris than from the river?

Leaving the batobus near Place Saint-Michel we made our way to Gibert Joseph bookstore on Boulevard Saint-Michel and browsed the stacks for a short while. Although we couldn’t quite put our finger on anything specific, we both thought the store had downsized its overall book holdings from when we first started going there in 2006.

les bouquinistes

Anyway we eventually found ourselves in the Odéon neighborhood where we stopped for an aperitif of Suze and to watch the flow of humanity — and in that part of the city it was a constant river of people moving every direction up and down the street.

After leaving the bar and our empty Suze glasses we walked toward the Seine passing over the well-worn cobbles of rue de l’Ancienne Comédie. Along this very old street in the city you’ll find what is touted as the oldest bar/cafe still operating in Paris: Le Procope. Our objective, however, was across the small street: Un Dimanche à Paris, one of Susie’s  favorite pastry shops.

rue de l’Ancienne Comédie

We then headed over tot he quai and upriver on the left bank eventually stopping near the Pont de la Tournelle and shifting our people watching to those who, like us, enjoy a stroll along the riverbank.

We were lucky enough to share in the moment of a newly married couple, whether local or tourist I couldn’t say, a couple who certainly wanted one of their memories of that special day to include the Seine, Notre Dame and the dying light of a lovely spring day in Paris.

For dinner that evening, our final dinner in the city, we opted to try the Rotisserie d’Argent. 19 Quai de la Tournelle in the 5th. Little sister of the legendary restaurant Tour d’Argent across the street — the Rotisserie focuses on traditional Paris bistro specialities while also being much more forgiving when it came to l’addition. Susie had a delicious fish for her plat while I naturally gravitated toward the steak frites one last time, all washed down with a house red. Both meals were wonderful.

Rotisserie d'Argent

After dinner it was back to the Metro and home, our Paris leg of this journey fast coming to en end.

Next: to Amsterdam, renewal of old friendships and a brief tour of the Netherlands.