A Perfect Day in Paris

Pages From Jan's Travel Journal: Saturday 04-23-22

We began our day with coffee and nibbled on some bread and snack cakes. Rain was in the forecast, but we didn't let that threat slow us down. Des had a treat in store for us. Our son told us that we were going to Angelina for what he said was the best hot chocolate in Paris. We rode the metro to a stop not far from the famous tea room, which is located on the Rue de Rivoli across from the Tuileries. A visit to Angelina is an indulgence not to be missed. For over a century, those elegant rooms have hosted aristocrats and celebrities from all over the world. After the very first sip, I was entranced by that hot chocolate. It was as decadent as Desmond had described, yet not overly sweet and was served with a dish of whipped cream on the side. The interior of Angelina is absolutely gorgeous and the salon in which we were seated was beautifully serene and sophisticated. What a lovely way to begin our last day in Paris! 

The hot chocolate at Angelina
 is not to be missed!

After leaving Angelina, we entered the Jardin des Tuileries, where we would meet Vincent for the first time. Since we had arrived a bit early, we wandered the beautiful landscaped grounds. The extensive gardens were created by Catherine de Medici in 1667 but were only opened to the public after the revolution. We passed the colorful carousel as we strolled the wide, graveled pathways and paused at a large fountain where many delighted children were playing with little rented sailboats, pushing them out into water using dowels. The wide basin of the fountain was ringed with chairs, where parents and grandparents watched their little ones. It was a scene which had been played out for over 170 years. 

The charming carousel at the Tuileries in Paris

Sail a boat in the fountain at
 the Tuileries in Paris

As we continued on, we admired the beautiful flower beds, statuary, and manicured trees. Before long, we saw Vincent walking toward us, looking quite handsome in his uniform. He carried a colorful package which contained an enormous praline brioche, still warm from the oven. Vincent had made a special effort to acquire this treat and we got acquainted over soft, warm hunks of the delicious bread. Afterward, the four of us strolled through the gardens, out toward the Louvre, and down to the Seine. 

There is beauty everywhere you look
 in le Jardin des Tuileries.

There were dozens of people, mostly couples, picnicking on the concrete embankment, their wicker picnic baskets and bottles of wine at hand. They relaxed in the sun, idly watching barges and tour boats floating by. Desmond and Vincent left for a short time to find something for us to eat so that the four of us could enjoy our own little picnic on the Seine. Soon we were munching baguette sandwiches and sipping soft drinks as we watched the boat traffic. 

The Louvre, across the Seine

Our lovely lunchtime view on the Seine

I had noticed that the stone wall along the river had an unusual feature. Windows! But why? I asked Vincent if he knew why there were windows set at intervals in the stone and concrete walls. I picked the right person to ask, because he answered that they were the windows of the train tunnels along the Seine. He is a conductor for the SNCF and would shortly be working a train through those very tunnels. He told us that in places the tunnel is more of an open trench. You could be walking at street level and peer over the wall to see the trains passing by. He also told us that on stormy days when the wind is high, water splashes from the Seine and through the windows onto the train.

In the lower right of this photo you can see
 one of the windows in the train tunnel along the Seine.

After our enjoyable time with Vincent he headed off to work while Craig, Desmond, and I boarded a bus to go across town where we would be attending a matinée performance of the Lion King Musical. The venue for this was the historic Mogador theater, which was inaugurated in 1913. Among the dignitaries at that opening were president James Garfield and future president Franklin Delano Roosevelt. It’s a beautiful and luxurious music theater which seats 1800 people on three tiers. The velvet-covered seats were small and very close together, with little legroom. The beautiful theater was teeming people and the air grew warm but we soon forgot our discomfort as we watched the amazing performance. It was truly magical.

The historic Mogador Theater in Paris

As we made our way out of the Mogador, I saw that the floor and seats were still spotlessly clean. There wasn’t a single empty cup or crumpled wrapper in sight. Sadly, we rarely find that kind of politeness and respect in America these days. We exited the theater to find that the forecasted rain had come and gone while we were inside. What great timing!

The metro soon delivered us to our little Montmartre apartment, where we freshened up and relaxed a bit. For dinner, we walked a few blocks to an Italian restaurant which had been recommended by our host. Piccolo Rosso Trattoria Pulcinella is a big name for such a tiny place! It was still early and we had no trouble finding a table, though it wasn't long before the restaurant was filled to capacity and waiters were passing by with heaping plates of pasta and other delights. We soon understood why the place was so popular. We had each ordered a pizza and they were outstanding! Mine was similar to a pizza Margherita, with fresh mozzarella, house-made pesto, and tomatoes, topped with fresh roquette. The crust was flavorful and tender with just the right amount of chewiness. We were all impressed and agreed that this was a place worth remembering. Too full for dessert, we waddled happily home.