The first day, my Dad and Jean had to drop off their rental car and, despite the crazy Parisian traffic, they made it back alright - Its really not a stereotype that driving in Paris is a nightmare! Meanwhile, us girls had lunch in the Luxembourg Garden and then we all met up to take a boat cruise. Its always such a good way to get oriented and see everything quickly.
It was my Mom’s birthday on Sunday, which we celebrated by going to the Marais for the world’s best falafel! (Pierre Herme was closed, so we had to wait until Monday for his pastries.) We spent most of the afternoon on a bus tour, which was actually a lot of fun. Its so worth looking like a lame tourist because you basically just sit in the sun and get to see one awesome thing after another. I would definitely recommend it!
Because it was Sunday and most good restaurants are closed, I decided to make dinner at my apartment. It was a bit squishy (my kitchen can seriously hold no more than 1.5 people) but, with the help of paper plates and easygoing guests, it turned out fine. It was a nice way to share some of my favorite Monoprix finds too, including tomato and basil tortellini with salted butter, herbed cheese with baguette, salad with tomatoes and parmesan, and, of course, lots of wine!
On Monday it was my Dad’s and Meg’s birthday! We walked around the Louvre, up by the Opera House (it was closed for a rehearsal), and then had lunch at the cafe at Galleries Lafayette (definitely one of my favorite spots - a good salad bar with a view!) I had class in the afternoon, but they continued on a tour to Montmartre. We went for an amazing dinner at a restaurant called Les Bouqinistes - It was delicious! I’d heard about it from quite a few people, and it definitely lived up to my expectations. I couldn’t resist anything on the table and ended up having bites of mushrooms, prawns, lamb, ‘tiny vegetables’ that were weirdly adorable, two different kinds of fish, and lots of dessert. My absolute favorite was the mashed potato that came with my meal - so, so good. I’m not doing a very great of describing any of this because there was so much more to it, but it was the best meal I’ve had here yet!
Meg and Jean left the following morning, but my parents stayed with me for the next two days. We walked around St. Germain des Pres and went to the Bon Marche Grande Epicerie for lunch. I had class but they went on to walk past the Eiffel Tower to the Trocadero around the Musee d’Orsay and back to the Latin Quarter. We went La Tourelle for dinner, and it was surprisingly good. Matt and I had been and it was good, but this time it was even better. And I’ve found a new love - escargots! I’m pretty sure anything in that much butter and garlic would be delicious, but these are amazing. I’ve also expanded my limited carnivorous preferences to include lamb. In fact, La Tourelle was so good that we went back the night after!
My Mom and Dad went home on Thursday, but only after some serious public transportation drama. Before they left I showed them how to take the train to the airport and made sure they got their tickets. I’ve been on it before when Matt came and think its generally the most effective way to get there, especially because there’s an elevator to the platform just outside my apartment. But, this being France, it was strike day! So the train wasn’t running and we had to find a taxi in rush hour... But, everything worked out alright, and they got home safely. (Except my Dad’s luggage was lost, which is seriously like the 6th time Air Canada has done that to him - I’m beginning to think its on purpose!)
Since then, I’ve been sick! I didn’t feel very well in class on Thursday and its finally become a full blown cold. I didn’t go outside at all yesterday except to get coffee and some groceries. It was also pouring outside yesterday! Today, I’m just staying in with some tea and a few good books. Thankfully I brought some Advil Cold and Sinus in my first aid kit, so at least I’m medicated!
I didn’t take very many pictures during the last week, but here are some favorites, mostly from the boat cruise, notre dame and the bus tour... (I don't have one picture of Jean - I dont know how that happened!! Sorry!)
Boat Cruise
Notre Dame
Ile St. Louis
On the bus tour...
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