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| All my favourite people in one little photo! |
Well it finally happened - on the last weekend I took my fellow Triplets to Paris, to get to know the city and meet my favourite French friend and fellow la Bourboule fancier! And what can I say, they all got on famously, as you can see from this photo. From the word GO! there was no shyness or hesitation, and by the end of the day it seemed that we had all known each other for decades.
It was rather a whistle-stop tour, of course, since they insisted on visiting all my usual haunts, planning to vicariously partake of all my future visits to Paris. Arguably this was completely unnecessary, since they are already planning the next trip, having fallen in love with Paris and my Parisian friend.
So following my usual procedure, having been met by my faithful friend A, we took the Metro from the Gare du Nord to Chatelet, and headed towards the river direction Louvre. We meandered along the riverside, making comparisons with London's Themse (concluding that both cities had equal though different charm), and started to pair off, so my three young friends could get to know each other.
Our first stop was the Christmas market at the Champs Elysee, partly because the Triplets love such markets, partly because I was in search of a tete-de-negre, a continental sweet much coveted by yours truly, and rarely available in England. We limited ourselves to the first two dozen huts, since the Quadruplet doesn't like crowds, and anyway we didn't have much time.
Alas, I didn't find this toothsome delicacy on this occasion, but made up for it by patronising a stall from the Auvergne, where I purchased some cured ham.
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| Fag end of the Christmas market |
Then we noodled around a little near the Place de la Concorde and the Jardin de Tuileries, and proceeded to head for the rue Saint Honore, the major luxury shopping street in Paris, and the location of some of my favourite locations, to wit (1) Richard Grand cashmere shop, where I purchase my colourful cashmere stoles (well, I should really use the past tense here, since I have a pretty much complete collection now); (2) the Hermes main shop, my motherlode of scarfish (scarvish?) delights; and (3) the Club, where we had lunch.
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| At the Place de la Concorde |
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| Interesting 'hieroglyphs' on the Luxor obelisk |
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| The Luxor obelisk |
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| My friends all turning their backs on me - was it something I said? |
Lunch was as usual a splendid affair, we partook of the buffet while watching several energetic swimmers in the indoor pool, against a backdrop of parkish greenery. As the Triplets said, it is rather special to be in the centre of Paris in the middle of a secluded, empty (of tourists!) private park. Pity that picture-taking is discouraged!
Lunch over, we went to the Louvre, the Third Triplet having expressed a desire to see the pyramid there. I dislike the thing - nothing wrong with it in principle, but in the wrong place - but endured the sight to please my young friends.
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| There is the pyramid, defiling a quad of the Louvre |
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| It is on the right, cleverly omitted from this photograph |
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| Loads of photos were taken, and the Quadruplet's many-stickered coat was duly showcased |
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| Notice how those two employ the same - inept - haircolourist? |
That done with, we forded the river and headed towards our next destination: Shakespeare & Company, opposite Notre Dame. I have covered that bookshop in a previous post, of course:
http://dblenck.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/second-hand-books-heaven-in-paris.html
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| Back to the riverside! |
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| Yes, it's that church again! |
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| Shakespeare & Company - the Triplets were duly impressed by this amazing bookstore, despite having been granted a mere 20 minutes inside. It was rather a hectic day for the shop, so A and I waited outside to avoid the crush |
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| Splendid Autumn colours, though the day was murky again |
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| Unusual angle? I do like photographing this temple of theos |
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| The Triplets behind bars |
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| Seriously lovely people! |
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| The 'rose' of Notre Dame |
After the bookshop it was time for coffee and sorbet at my favourite cafe, Le Flore en l'Isle, which has Bertillon ice-cream and simply wonderful water to drink. We all had sorbet, despite the cold weather - some things just have to be done!
Tearing ourselves out of this cozy corner, we wandered back to the Isle de la City, along the rue du Cloitre Notre Dame, the rue de la Cite, and across the Pont Notre Dame. Having a little time left to fill in, we did a little shopping around the Hotel de Ville, before finally boarding the Metro again.
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| Dusk fell and the weather improved - when it was too late! |
Back at the Gare du Nord we went shopping for Carambars (a chewy French bonbon) in one of the local little supermarkets, and finally ended up at that nice new cafe just outside of the Eurostar entrance for a last coffee.
By now we were feeling a little subdued, since farewells were imminent and we already felt leaving pains. But we all bore up well, and tears remained unshed, even when we took our leave at the automatic ticket reader/barrier.
Our journey home was uneventful, the Triplets both fell asleep, just as on the inward journey, and I was thrown back to my own internal resources (which are luckily extensive). Splendid people, both of them, but less energetic than tree-sloths. All through our dash through Paris I had to wait for them. They dawdled and hung back, while I dipped around the crowding tourists, weaving in and out of every little gap, taking shameless advantage of hapless non-locals and better-mannered Parisians, gaining ground and making speed, all in vain, of course, because I had to wait for those slowcoaches at every street-corner! Oh well, nobody is perfect!
It was, nevertheless, as Leberecht Huehnchen would have said, 'Simply Monumental!'
