... Hmm I don't feels so good. Looks like I might have food poisoning. LOVELY! This is not how I wanted to spend my time in Paris but I will get through it and press on! Jeremy has offered several times to go to the pharmacy but I decide to just let it run its course and continue as planned. Stubborn - is an understatement.
So today we have planned an "ART DAY!" A visit to the Louvre during the day and then tonight we have a visit planned to a very special jazz club in the latin quarter. SO EXCITED!
We of course stop for espresso at La Ribera and a quiche at Desgranges. She loaded us up with snacks today as well! The little almond heart cookies were ones we fell in love with and have decided I will have to try to make them at home. We hop the metro and before we know it we are in front of the US Embassy on one side and the Louvre on the other! Awesome! This was an awesome adventure. We spent 4 hours just in the Denot section and then went to the Exhibition on the Italian Renaissance. We could take pics everywhere else but not the exhibition area - which is strange - but whatever!
US Embassy
view of the Palace from the outside
Hey lady -- you're lookin might fine... fine art that is... Oh that was horrible.
I think the ceiling were more spectacular that most of the art we saw!!!
ceiling detail
Venus de Milo!!!
The Centaur and Cupid
Man riding Centaur/snake/mermaid hybrid - gotta love the roman imagination
The Louvre was amazing! Of course we took over 100 pictures but figured we would show a few of our favorite instead of an exhibit mini-site! We stopped and for sammies in the museum cafe and a much needed espresso then walked from there to the Notre Dame. It wasnt far at all and the walk was actually really awesome! We got to see the city hall, and Carrousel La Belle Epoque, walked over the bridge and really just took it all in. What a GORGEOUS city. We are constantly in awe of how much it has to offer. I feel like we could live here a lifetime and never really see it all.
Carrousel la Belle Epoque
gorgeous city hall
Seine with an amazing view from the bridge
wow!!!! This is awesome!
By far the most beautiful cathedral I have ever seen.... We just sat and stared at it for an hour. The line was 2 hours long otherwise we would have gone in -- something we will do next time.
We, of course, decided it was time to go back to the apartment to freshen up before heading out for our fantastic evening of crepes and jazz!!! We decided to go to a place we had heard lots of great things about called Little Breizh near the jazz club - its serves some of the best crepes in town! And this was no joke!
smoked salmon crepe with cheese and a dill cream sauce! YUMMO!!!
Apple and brie crepe with rosemary and hazelnut dust... This was the best crepe I've ever had!
loving the blue!!!!
This tiny little place was more than I expected. It was so cute and you smell the crepes cooking in the kitchen with the open view to the dining area. We got the back corner table and just sat and relaxed with our food -- we have now gotten used to taking a long time to eat -- even when its just something small.
So around 8:45 we head out to the jazz club which is a little bit of a walk from the cafe. We dont mind at all since we have now discovered how much we love how Paris looks in the rain at night -- I cant get enough of it! We walk through the latin quarter and discover bars with bras hanging from the ceiling and guys screaming at your to come into the bar... yeah no thanks. Its really lively here and thats something different than what we have seen in other parts of the city! The street we are on is no big enough for a car to get down and its packed with people, bars and cafes. We finally get to the club and THERES A LINE! Ok now I KNOW this is going to be good! Its not a long line but none-the-less we get even more excited.
This placed turns out to be one of the greatest hidden treasures of the city! Hands down one of the best parts of this entire trip!
paris at night
the street we have to walk down to get to the club - awesome!
Caveau de la Huchette
Here's a little history on the club... its really quite amazing!
"In 1551 the building was used for meetings of the Rose-Croix and the Knights Template (both ancient Christian masonic groups) and in 1772 was converted into a secret lodge for French Masons.
You could access it from the the street and from a door underneath as small bridge. The lodge was composed of two basement rooms and cellars that served as the meeting space. It would later be a hiding place for the Montagnards (a political group) and the Cordeliers (a populist club) during the French Revolution!
The room above the cellars was converted into a tavern and after the revolution the basement would be used as prisons. There are still some of the swords, muskets and even a chastity belt from that era still on the walls.
While Paris celebrates its new found freedom the Jazz revolution invades the St. Germaine de Pres and its cellars which hosted parties centered around jazz. Le Caveau de Huchette would be the first club in Paris that played jazz under the arches in the cellars starting in 1946. It has hosted the likes of Count Basie, Sidney Bechet, Art Blakey, Billie Holiday, and Lionel Hampton to name a few. It also became a mecca for swing dancers as there were few areas where this was accepted. Even today lovers of jazz, musicians and dancers all agree that this club still resembles that of the great days of the Cotton Club and the Savoy. And you step back in time the second you walk through the doors."
It really was like stepping back in time! All the dancers, the music, the vibe was just like we had been there during the great birth of jazz age! Jeremy and I are such HUGE fans! This was really a special place to us! (PS. you have to walk through the bar, down a winding staircase and into the basement to get to the club - truly underground!)
The band was called the Paddy Sherlock band and tonight was SWING! YES!!!! There was an alto sax, an electric guitar, a standing bass, bongos and full drums. The front man, Paddy himself, sang and played the trombone. It was PERFECTION! I sang along with every song they played! We watched the dancers spin each other around, listened to the music, and just felt the energy. We were able to get a few pics and also a clip of the band playing. Every time we put a record on, at the house, I close my eyes and try to remember that room, and imagine I am watching the band play.
Side Note: During the intermission the singer came over to us and I told him how much we really enjoyed this - he noticed that I was singing along to all the songs and mentioned how rare that was. Then he asked why we were in Paris... I told him we were on our honeymoon and before I could get the whole word out he reached over and kissed me! He looked at Jeremy and said, "Uh - Kiss the Bride!?" Jeremy just laughed and shook his hand... and we both giggled at how hilarious and amazing this whole night was. It was an awesome moment.
stairs from the club to the bar
view of the couches across the room from where we were sitting
our view of the band
dancers
This has been a dream come true for us. Places like this don't exist here in Dallas and this quickly became our favorite spot in Paris. Also, it inspired Jeremy and I to take dance lessons so the next time we go back - we can be the ones clearing the dance floor!
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