Gotham Gal

I need sleep

I must be on the 2AM - 11PM schedule.  It sucks.  I'd rather be on the 1am - 10pm schedule.  I am literally lying awake waiting to sleep and eventually just pop and ambien.  The bad news is that I am running out of ambien, the good news is that I went to a pharmacy this morning and showed them my prescription and they were happy to give me 14 more pills.  A beautiful thing.  I love Paris.

We ran a variety of errands this morning.  First we went to a hardware store to replace the hot water pot.  Emily went to make tea yesterday.  Took the pot off the electric burner and put the pot on the stove.  We had a slight fire, although caught it in time.  She fried the entire contraption.  The separate tea pot is big in Europe, obviously we do it the old fashioned way in our home in NYC where we boil the water on the stove.  Looking back it was pretty funny, at the moment, it wasn't.   Spent the morning near the Bon Marche on Rue de Cherche Midi.  Dropped a few things off at the dry cleaner.  Ouch.  Wear the clothes until they are truly gross.  The cost is beyond.

Jessica began her french class today.  Runs from 9-12.   We hooked up with her for lunch.  After, she went with her friend who is town and Josh, Emily and I went to Montmartre. 

The key, of course, is going to Sacre-Couer to take in the views.  Beautiful but touristy and tacky.  A one time journey.  As we attempt to work our way through the maps and such, we learn as we go.  We walked up the hill and realized after that there is a small tram to take you up the hill.  I knew that but wasn't sure where it was.  Oh well.  A quick walk through the church and then on a mission to find a local patisserie. 

The key is google maps.  Love it.  Your own personal walking GPS system.  Isn't perfect but works better than anything else.  We finally ended up at our location, Arnaud Delmontel after a serious walk.  Wasn't worth the journey, taste wise, but fun anyway.  There were a few shops where people were waiting in line.  I should have trusted my instincts and gone in to those shops.  C'est la.  We did stop in a vintage shop en route and check out the neighborhood so not all was lost.

Tonight was a classic.  Fred made reservations at somewhere he wanted to go.  We got there and realized it wasn't worth staying.  So, we walked down the street and went to Brassierie Balzar.  It has been around forever.  There is even a Picasso hanging in the restaurant with BALZAR plastered across it (by Picasso who must have eaten here for years).  The food was basic and fine.  Steak, chicken and profiterolles.  Nothing to write home about but a good solid well cooked meal.   Think Pastis and Balthazaar in NYC but  on the lines of the blue hair crowd vs the hipster crowd.

Tomorrow, Fred is going to Slovenia and we are going to attempt to go up to the Eiffel Tower, and suck up the line.  I have promised Josh that we are going to get up to the top.

And on Sunday they rested...

And on Sunday they rested, almost. 

I am exhausted.  Last night, Jess went out to a club with her friends.  Getting home is a challenge.  Paris is not like NYC where you walk out on the street and just hail a cab.  It proved to be quite a challenge.  Listening to her night makes me pine, but only for a few seconds, to be 17 again.  Of course, 17 years old and our child.  I have actually vowed to come back in my next life a size 4, that can wear and eat anything and live the life of our children.  Jess went to a club and around 130 am, The Virgins got up and started performing out of nowhere.  All the top worldly hipsters were there, Cory Kennedy and Agnes Deyn.  I could see Fred was either dying that his 17 year old daughter was roaming Paris at 2 am or that he wishes he was at the club.  Hard to judge. 

I barely slept 4 hours last night.  We had to get up to go to the Green Market today at Boulevard Raspail.  Opens at 7am and closes at 1pm.  It is completely organic and not that big.  We were all in a fog.  We walked through the market and picked up a few goodies for breakfast and dinner but left short-handed.  We forgot that Paris closes up on Sunday.  How civilized.  We got muffins, breads, tomatoes, and sausages.  One potato pancake to go but otherwise, not enough food.

We sauntered home and made our spread for breakfast.  Then, we relaxed.  Finished off our reservations for dinner, planned trips that are coming up and realized it was time to get more food. Bon Marche is closed on Sunday so we needed to go to the Marais.  The Jews (we are one of them) are open on Sundays and closed on Saturdays.  Perfect.

The girls and I went to the Marais, walked the area and found a few places where we could buy bread, cheese and meat and of course, a few sweets.  Yes!  Also, the shopping there is fantastic.  We will return.  Sort of Sohoesque.  The side streets have some hip stores and the main street is like West Broadway.  Fred and Josh took a bike ride back to Il St. Louis for a little ice cream at Berthillon.

There are a few things that are frustrating about living in an apartment in Paris.  The supplies to use for cooking are beyond lacking. I feel as I am back in college.  Air conditioning is a joke but lucky for us, the weather has been cooperating.  Charming in some ways.  All technology is bootstrapped.  We can bootstrap, thank god.  The Metro is wonderful. Paper products are nil.  Think green and bring your own bag.  

We stayed at home tonight and made our smorgasbord of goodies, drank wine and tasted desserts.  Obviously exercise is not part of this program except some serious walking.  Alas. 

It is actually a nice thing living somewhere for a month where life is not what you are used to.  Makes you think about the world differently.  That can only be a good thing.  As the world gets flatter, seeing different cultures gives all of us a different perspective on the world.

another very long day...

We have been getting up quite late.  I used to be able to move time zones without a problem.  Old age has set in.  It sucks.  But there is something very relaxing about getting up at 11.

 After a cup of espresso, we jumped on the Metro and went to the Rodin Museum.  One of my favorites.  The garden, the sculptures, the entire ambiance of the museum.  A must see when ever in Paris.  The roses were in bloom and of course, the Thinker is classic. 

Fred, Josh and Emily were shattered and decided to call it a day and just relax.  Not Jessica and me, we carried on.  Someone had to.  We said au revoir and went to the Baccarat Museum.  Housed in a 19th Century home that has been renovated by Philippe Starke who created a Crystal Room, literally.  The place is incredible.  The room is like something out of the Marie Antoinette days.  Then the crystal which is housed in large glass boxes marked by date lets you see how much or how little the style has changed over the years.  What I didn't realize is that Baccarat was commissioned to design many of the fragrance bottles which are still used today from Guerlain to Cartier.  This place is definitely worth the journey  Even the bathrooms are beautiful.  We made reservations for dinner there in a week or so.  Fit for a king or queen, literally. 

Hopped another Metro to the Tuillieries and hd a bite to eat at Cafe Renard which is simple and is a treat just to sit in the park.  We walked across the way to the Museum Orangie.  This museum reopened a few years ago.  It is incredibly modern stocked with impressionist art.   On the main level are two rooms.  Each has a parachute type shade that covers the ceiling to allow natural light without harming the paintings.  Each room has four large water lily Monets.  We walked in to the first room and my eyes teared. The pieces are so magnificent, huge and breath taking.  My picture obviously does not do the painting justice.  Downstairs, there are painting from Van Gogh, Gaugin and all the great impressionist painters. 

As we walked back home through the Tuilleries, we saw two Richard Serra pieces.  The best part was the sign posted in front of the Serra's.  Do not touch, this is art.  I took a shot of the sign.  We weren't the only ones who got a kick out of it.

We grabbed the Metro and once we got off, strolled home.  Stopped by Barthelemy which is like heaven if you like cheese.  Picked up 3 small cheese bites to bring home for the troops.  No pictures allowed but I did take one and then asked.  Bad behavior but no one knew I took the shot but me. 

After finally getting home, washing off, and getting everyone moving, we headed off to dinner.  We had a fabulous meal.  Completely unexpected.  The restaurant is called Les Cocottes.  Everything is served in small casseroles.  We attempted to get into Christian Constant, down the street, but Cocottes is his place too.  I began with a puree of pea soup with spicy pieces of chorizo.  Jessica had Italian tuna in a small glass that was fantastic.  For dinner, I had four large shrimp over a mixture of roasted vegetables.  Everything was full of flavor, textures and had a twist of Spanish influence.  A winner.

We walked over to the Eiffel Tower, looked at the line and laughed.  We will be back and have drinks at the restaurant inside.  Another evening.

Home now, watching the Da Vinci Code.  My feet ache...but tomorrow is another day. 

More on Paris

We got up late again and decided we should kick off our day having breakfast at Laduree  After a taste from Laduree yesterday and a peek in their store, we couldn't resist.  We had baskets of croissants and breakfast treats with freshly squeezed orange juice on the side and coffee, hot chocolate and tea.  Oh, and of course  butter and jam.  I would never indulge like this in NYC.  I seem happy to gravitate to all the goodies in Paris, it is the vacation frame of mind. 

Afterward, Fred headed back to the apartment to do work and the rest of the crew headed out to Bon Marche to stock the frig.   The new digs for the Bon Marche gourmand market is a total WOW.  Think Citarella meets Dean & Deluca with a little Food Emporium tossed in on the side for supplies, some farmers market items and of course anything you can imagine.  We were all agape.  We have decided to make dinner at home a few nights a week, just to chill and so we don't go broke.  I particularly loved the section devoted to Duck Confit.  Only in France. 

After leaving Bon Marche, with 3 heavy bags in tow, we walked towards Poilane.  Fabulous breads. On the way there, I stopped in a hardware store and bought a pull cart.  I have one in NYC and love it.  I might look like an old lady using it but it is a genius accessory for green markets and Chelsea Market.  We packed it up and Josh pulled the cart. 

Once we got home and unpacked the groceries, we walked back out the door for a little more exploration.  We grabbed the metro and went to see the Notre Dame.  We strutted in, looked around and left.  Little did we realize that we had walked in the exit and left out the entrance.  There was a huge line.  My apologies to everyone there.

Behind Notre Dame is a holocaust memorial.  Worth seeing.  You walk down poured concrete steps into a small open area.  It is almost suffocating.  Underneath the stairs is a small doorway.  Inside are two jails that are crypts filled with ashes.  One long hall way, which is blocked off to entry, is filled with tiny light bulbs that I believe represents all the Jews deported from France and sent to the Nazi Camps during WWII. 

You can't help but walk over to Ile St. Louis after and get some ice cream at Berthillon.  The best ice cream in Paris.  There are a variety of places that sell the ice cream on the island, don't be fooled, and make sure you go directly to the original which is at number 31, Rue de St. Louis.

We walked back to our place and stopped by Patrick Roger to get some chocolates.  He is known for dramatic windows of chocolate.  While we were there they were installing these mummy like figures of wrapped chocolate.  Behind them was a shaved chocolate bear, larger than me, that must have been in the window earlier.  We got a dark chocolate bar filled with nuts and dried fruits and ginger.  Delicious.

Went home, kicked our heels up and made dinner and drank a good bottle of white wine from our wine store downstairs. 

All and all, a damn good day. 

Restaurant 1728

Last night, Fred and I had dinner with some people who were in Paris for a conference.  One of the 3 people grew up in France.  He chose Restaurant 1728 for dinner.   It appeared to be a beautiful dining room but he had booked the upstairs private room.  If ever in need of a private room in Paris, this is not so bad.

The food was delicious and so was the wine.  The meal lasted almost 3 hours.  A tad too long for my taste but there is this leisurely attitude in Paris which can be charming.  One on hand, if you stay somewhere for 3 hours, you can drink a helluva a lot more wine and are never really full.  On the other hand, that is a lot of time. 

We all began with a amuse bouche that was in a very small shot glass.  The bottom was filled with a whipped avacado puree and the top was a spicy red pepper coulis.  Simple, summery and good.  For an appetizer, I went with the sashimi ( only served on Mondays).  Raw tuna and salmon, sliced with soy sauce on the side.  Fresh and simple.  Since I didn't really know the people at dinner, I didn't lean over to Fred's plate and have a bite.  I did think long and hard about not digging in to the person to the right of me.  He had a tuna tartare that was almost blue.  It looked fantastic. 

For the main course, I went with the duck.  The portions were quite small.  A spicy duck breast and a simple duck leg.  On the side were whipped carrots.  Interesting combo. Eventually they brought out the dessert plate and everyone chose one thing.  It was good but not an omigod.  I would have gone with the cheese but that supposedly would have taken too long and one person needed to get on a board call.  After all, how can you pay for the meal with out a few board calls here and there. 

I will cower in the corner while people shoot pellets at me but food in Paris, although excellent, is not any better than NYC.   As a foodie, who truly tries to make each meal delicious, I have found that the food in NYC is the best in the world except for the croissants.  Perhaps one sided, but I think not.

thanks and paris apartments

thanks so much for all the comments about everyone's favorite and can't miss spots in Paris. 

I found this apartment after spending hours on line.  I zeroed in on Patrick Rech who is an ex-pat living in San Francisco.  His website is called Paris Luxury Rentals.  He has the same thing that most of the sites have but was better priced and you were dealing directly with Patrick instead of an agent.  It made a huge difference.  I'd recommend him.

Another day in Paris

Today we went to the Marie Antoinette exhibit at the Grand Palais.  Quite impressive.  The life of Marie Antoinette who has obviously made her mark on France.  The only drag is that the all the information was written in French.  The family is a bunch of history buffs so although much information was discussed, I picked up a book on the way out.  The old paintings, the furniture.  It is incredibly how well preserved everything is.   After the culture, a snack.  There happened to be aLadure cart in the museum stocked with every flavor of macaroon you can think of.  We tried the citron and chocolate.  A total wow. 

We jumped on the Metro to run a few errands and stopped at Le Fumoir for a quick bite and something to drink.  A great place for a drink.  A clubby bar that that sits across from the Louvre.  I had actually been there years ago for dinner.  We should have gone to Cafe Marly which is on of my favorite lunch spots, but next time. 

 We walked past the Louvre and through the Tuilleries until our shoes became filled with the white sand.  So beautiful.  Then of course, we walked over to Rue St. Honore.  We strolled down to Jean-Paul Hevin that is a chocolatier.  We had some dark chocolate bark loaded with hazelnuts, a few roasted chestnuts, a raspberry filled dark chocolate bar, a rich chocolate mousse wrapped up like a cigar in a thin crispy flaky thin cookie and a dark chocolate filled praline.  Nothing bad...no surprises there. This picture is of the chestnuts and you can see Fred blackberrying ( is that a word ) on the left hand corner. 

After a serious tasting, Jessica led us directly to Colette and this it he look on her face once she found it.  Colette is a concept store.  To the public eye, there is only one of everything.  In the back, there are sizes.  Each outfit appears to be put together from a stylist.  Everything works.  They carry items that you really can't find anywhere else.  I describe Colette as Kirna Zabette meets Jeffreys and Barneys stops in for a second, a very quick second.

The boys bagged out on the Colette experience although Josh must come back to purchase at least one pair of sneakers.  They grabbed some bikes and went home.  I took the bike home with the girls afterward.  My first bike experience in Paris.  I admit, I miss my vespa.  The whole experience is a little scary yet exhilerating at the same time.  I might stick with the Metro and my feet but time will tell.

We parked our bikes and stopped in the actual Laduree store which is in our neighborhood.  Just to take a peek.  Wow, wow, wow.  Coming back for more. 

My feet are up, I am exhausting and preparing for dinner.  We are meeting some people tonight who are in Paris for dinner at the 1728 restaurant. 

More later...

Paris

Last summer, we made the decision to spend a month in Paris.  In all honesty, it was Josh's idea.  He was done with camp, the girls had moved on to other activities and he had no interest in returning.  He wanted to go somewhere that was urban where he could do museums, eat great food and get to know the place.  He was 11.

So, here we are in Paris.  I wish we were partying like it was 1999 but unfortunately it is 2008 and the cost of everything is beyond.  After the culture shock of cost, I have moved on.  What else can you do?  We are here and should enjoy the moment. 

We rented an apartment in the sixth.  A two floor walk up, very Parisian.  We spent the first day adjusting to life.  First meal was down the street for coffee and croissants.  The first night we had dinner at a small bistro down the street called Le Bistro de Henri.  Nothing to write home about but a neighborhood joint.  After trying to get into this time zone and ambien for all, we woke up and dug in.

Fred and Emily got up and took a ride down the Seine in the morning and picked up bread and jams at Eric Kayser who has built a small empire of 12 bakeries, half in Paris and the other half abroad.  Delicious.  When I woke up, I found Emily and Fred downstairs at our local cafe having coffee. 

We got on the Metro and began our journey at the Picasso museum.  I have been a few times.  I love how the building housing the museum is old and inside the architecture is modern.  Pieces span Picasso's life from oils to pen and inks to collages to sculptures. His entire life.  This piece is girl with a hat and pom poms. 

After walking through the Marais, the Jewish ghetto which is now more like the West Village, we made our way over to the Pompidou which might be my favorite museum. We had to stop at this tiny store where the smell of cheese and salamis hit us on the street en route.  Josh went in and bought a piece of cheese for the walk.  Yum. Once we got to the Pompidou, we had lunch at George which is at the top of the museum. Worth going.  Good food and the decor inside is wild and the views are extraordinary.

To the Pompidou. The collection is vast.  Each show, including the permanent exhibit is curated like no other.  The current exhibit is called Traces du Sacre which tells the story of art from before WWI to post WWII.  It was incredible.  So incredible that both Jessica and Emily have vowed to return before we leave.   There was also an exhibit downstairs devoted to pushing the envelope  in architecture around the world.   This piece is from the permanent exhibit.  Huge paper machier.

Couldn't help but have a little treat after all that culture and we hit up the creperie.  Nutella and bananas.  So good.  The key is having them make the crepe right there.

The boys decided they had enough so they grabbed a few bikes.  This is a beautiful thing.  With a pass you can jump on a bike at different locations around the city and go to your destination and drop the bike off.  The future of cities to come, at least I hope so.  But, the girls, die-hard that they are, had to hit up some stores in the Marais.  First, we stopped at Cafe Progress for some liquid and to recharge our batteries.  Then, we literally shopped til we dropped, hopped on the Metro when I cried uncle and headed home.

For dinner, we went to Sensing.  The food was sensational.  I began with a tuna tartare that was rolled up like a cigar in a thin crust and served standing up over a lemon confit.  Woah.  Fred had a pea mousse that was served like a soup in 5 separate glasses with chopped prosciutto on the bottom and a foam on top.  Rich and divine.  I had yellow chicken.  Only in France.  Chicken rolled up and then stuffed with a chicken mixture over long tubes of pasta baked in cheese.  Josh went with the lamb with herb gnocchi on the side, the girls went with cod that was served with a foam and Fred went with the tuna seared with fois gras inside.  All absolutely delicious.  Josh, of course, had to top off his meal with a cheese plate.  You gotta love it. 

Emily and Fred grabbed the Metro home because Emily looked like she was about to fall asleep at the table.  I walked home with Jess and Josh around the Luxembourg gardens (closed at nightfall) where there was an incredible exhibit hanging on the gates of large photos taken by photo journalists who work or have worked for Le Figaro dating from the early 1900s to the present.  Very cool.

We made it home, we are shattered.  Tomorrow, is another journey. 

Correspondence from VA

I got an email from someone yesterday.  Not really sure who they are but they named themselves as Career/Mom from VA.  Thought I'd share our email.  Interesting question but she seemed to like my answer. 

Joanne, Have you ever received e-mails from women who have a career they've decided they never really wanted? Even if it is successful? I think this is an interesting topic. I, myself am educated in the healthcare field, have always been a working mom. However, I was never truly the "ambitious" type who wanted to work 80 hours a week to achieve anything, other than harmony within the family. I would like to hear you opinion on this.

Thank you,
  Career/Mom from VA

I have heard from women in the same position as yourself.  It is an interesting topic.  Every one, including men, should make the choice that works for them and their family.  Otherwise, no one is happy.  The key is finding what makes you content.  If working 80 hours a week is what rocks your world, then by all means, do it.  If staying home even though you have a PHD from Harvard, then do it.  To me, life is all about finding your sweet spot.

joanne

Joanne, Well said! Thank you for responding to my e-mail. Career/Mom from VA

Wedding...

There was a time in our lives when we went to a shit load of weddings.  Now, we seem to be going to bar mitzvahs.  The circle of life.  Next up, 50 year old birthday parties.  Yikes.

We went to a wedding out in Laguna, CA this past weekend.  A large planned event down to every single detail.  Impressive.  Met some new people and saw some old friends.  It was really nice.

Fred and I seriously relaxed.  I am not sure we have relaxed this much in 20 years.  We literally parked ourselves by the pool from 9-5 two days in a row.  It was sheer bliss.  We didn't move.  We didn't even walk down to the beach.  It was a beautiful thing. 

If you feel like going somewhere which is beautiful, Laguna is it.  If you feel like going somewhere where you are seriously pampered like no other, the Laguna Montage is it.  I have never been anywhere that has this type of service.

There are 900 people that work on the premises with 250 rooms.  That says it all, almost.  People come by every half an hour or so to clean your sunglasses, spray your face with Evian, give you orange sections or grapes.  Also, as the sun moves, people come by and move the umbrellas around to block out the sun.  They needed to move my friends chair for maximum shade.  They did not tell her to move.  They literally picked her up while she lounged and moved her accordingly.  We all sat there with our mouths agape. 

Insane, yes.  When I seriously need to recharge my batteries, I am going back.  Laguna Montage is a sweet spot.