Day 5 (Friday 11/1/13)

Well after our Disney trip yesterday, today we decided we needed to keep it low key. 
Besides its rainy and cold and perfect for nothing too over the top. 

We hop over to La Ribera for our daily morning ritual of espresso and then next door to Desgranges (the most adorable boulangerie/pâtisserie) for a quiche aux jambon.  We have gotten there just in time for all the cases to be full of wonderful treats and they are nice enough to let me take pictures.  I have to tell you this place was so amazing to be able to go to every day.  We got the best of everything here.  The owner spoke no english but she was able to understand my 1/2 french and was SOOO sweet.  She had a woman that worked with her that spoke wonderful english and she was always so friendly and helped us so much!  I think I miss this place most of all... 

our view walking from the coffee cafe across the street

owner of the shop

main case with all the amazing cakes and pastries

front window case with savory foods and pre-made dinners/lunches, quiches and sammies.

 I mean LOOK AT THIS!  Can you tell me why we dont have one of these in every neighborhood here!??  Are you telling me that no one would come in?  This place was BONE DRY empty by 7pm every night -- If I ever get my own cafe i am going to have something just like this.  You can come in and get a little something and be on your way or sit and eat or order off the menu.  I just see no reason why this isnt a more regular thing in the states!

Ill get off my foodie soapbox now.

Anyway -- I have been dying to see the Arc de Triumphe and the Champs Elysee so we hop on the metro and head that way.  Despite the rain we are ready and willing to go walk around. 
We discover quickly, after getting off the train, that the umbrella we have borrowed from the apartment is broken and we will need to get a new ASAP once we get on the Champs... We spy the Arc and start to take pics!  There are TONS of people crammed underneath it so we decide to keep our distance.  Its amazing!  And all the streets leading off the circle is just what I thought it would be...

Funny story -- while we were walking we almost get duped by a pickpocketing jerk.  Apparently there is a scam they run where they pretend to find a gold ring on the ground and then, while they are attempting to let you take it, they pick your pocket...  Well this guy went ALL out.  Telling some sob story about how his mom just died and he wants to do something nice so I should keep it.  Mind you - I have no idea about this scam.

Side Note: Jeremys pants are ummm... fitted... and he keeps everything in his front pockets, and my small bag is shoved so far into my armpit no one was getting anything out of it unless they tackled me.

So he put this ring on my finger and walks away only to, im sure, realize he got away with nothing.  So he comes back and tries to ask us for money -- we have only a few coins on us and nothing less than a 50 euro bill.  So all he is getting are the coins. He is not happy with this - so I try to give him the ring back and tell him we dont have anything else.  He literally touches jeremys leg and points at his wallet and starts saying how we have money and he needs a sandwich.  I tell him NO and we walk away -- with our money and all our things including the broken umbrella and "The Precious."  I tell Jeremy we have got to get rid of it -- its giving me bad juju and I want it out of here.  Im not sure when, but after we got him a new umbrella, he ditched the broken one and "The Precious."  We felt much better about it.

So here we are in the most NON-PARISIAN area of Paris.  We have been nearly duped, paid WAY too much for a new umbrella and realize that this place sucks and we want out.  We tried walking down the Champs Elysee in the rain and took some pics but it just felt so American and gross.  I needed to get out immediately so we decided to head west to a record store that is supposed to be on any audiophiles bucket list (Souffle Continu).  After walking in circles, totally confused about where the metro was, we finally find it and get on the train....  only to realize we are on the wrong train.  We go one stop and have to walk a half mile, in the now pouring rain, to get back to the metro station where caught the wrong train, and catch the correct one.

We finally get to the 11th arr. (nearly a 45min metro ride) and its sooo cute.  More urban feeling that most places we have been but still very nice.  We follow our google maps directions and get to the record store only to find that its closed.... We are SO confused!  We are there during open hours, so there is no reason for it to not be open.  Totally bummed out we decide to walk back toward the metro and stop for lunch a super packed tiny little space we saw while walking (Little Hanoi - Vietnamese).  We figured we could email them and find out why they were closed while we got a bite to eat.

We have to wait a bit, which is fine.  There are only 10 tables in the whole place and every seat is full.  I get a menu which is in Vietnamese and French.  Thank GOD there was an American woman (and her french husband) that could hear me saying talking about how I could figure it out since we eat Vietnamese a lot here in Dallas.  She was also waiting for a table and offered to help us navigate the menu.  We decided what we want and when its time to sit we get a table together! She is a dance teacher and he is a food photographer who works with food magazines.  We bonded in talking about how crappy it is to work in high stress advertising companies where the people are expected to live to work.  They asked us why we were in the area and we told them about the record store being closed -- here's the epiphany -- It's All Saints Day and in France its a national holiday so LOTS of things are going to be closed.  LOVELY!!!  Well we decide to enjoy our meal and figure something else out later.  Jeremy got a beef noodle dish and I got a chicken/rice dish with pickled veggies.  SOOOO good.  Might actually be the best Vietnamese Ive ever had.  They also had imperial rolls (fried spring rolls that you wrap in lettuce with mint and cilantro and dip in a vinegar/fish sauce) that blew my mind!

my chicken and rice dish

Jeremys beef/noodle dish

We are half way through eating and feeling a little defeated on coming all the way out here for no record store.  Here is where we find out that everything happens for a reason.  The lovely couple that we have befriended tried to suggest things we could do in the area and mention that Père Lachaise Cemetery is right around the corner!  I mean - ARE YOU KIDDING ME!  How PERFECT!!!  All Saints Day and we can go spend the rest of the day in the most AMAZING cemetery!  I nearly did a happy dance in the middle of the tiny restaurant.  (Jeremy wasnt so happy wearing his nice italian leather shoes but he got over it)

So we headed off to see our good friend Jim Morrison and walk around one of the most beautiful places we have ever seen - with the most appropriate weather - on the most appropriate day.

love all the creative political graffiti here

30 is where our friend Jim is buried

loved this gorgeous yellow tree

what a view

GORGEOUS mausoleum at the very back of the graveyard.

This feels like more than happenstance to me... It was really breathtaking.

We went back home for a wardrobe change and a little wine/terrace time before meeting up with my friend Suzy and her husband, Chris, for wine and dinner in the 2nd.  I haven't seen Suzy since high school.  She and I were always friends and have known each other since 8th grade.  She is one of the few people that remember me when my hair was purple. HA!

Suzy and Chris -- had to steal a pic from her facebook

I feel AWFUL that we didnt get a picture together.  I dont know WHAT I was thinking!!!!  Anyway - they order wine for us and we get to sit and chat and we talk about the wedding and how much fun we are having and I feel like we haven't been apart for 10min let alone 12 years.  It was so nice to have a friend in town and to be able to catch up and just relax.  We head to dinner -- and Im not sure the name of the place -- and one look at the menu and I am already excited! We had an AMAZING meal -- and I finally got my traditional french glace and lots of chocolate!!!

sauted wild mushrooms with black rice and a mushroom cream sauce - PERFECT for dipping bread in!

raw scallop app with pickled veggies for Jeremy

Jeremy's veal cheeks with white bean ragou

Sea bass with squid ink, a sauted morel mushroom, and veggie puree

The french version of a death by chocolate... OMG!

poached figs with a homemade cream and brandy sauce

As if this night couldn't get any better -- We discover what nighttime Paris looks like in the rain. 

 

Despite the days earlier disappointments -- We think this has been just as amazing and inspiring as the rest of them.  We'd rather have a bad day in Paris than a good day any where else.