mmm-yoso!!!

Paris - Boulangerie Collet, Dinner at Pertinence, and the View She Never Tires Of

It had been a fun day so far and after taking a short break at the apartment; the Missus wanted to head on out again. So, off we went to the Marais, and resumed our "lèche-vitrine". We eventually came across a wonderful green space; Paris is full of these little parks. This one had a lovely garden, benches (of course), and wonderful waterfalls. I came to find out that this was Square du Temple.

It was a lovely little oasis.

On the way back to the apartment, the Missus said She was feeling a bit "peckish" and I mentioned checking out another Boulangerie right around the corner from the apartment, Maison Collet.

And we got ourselves a croissant aux beurre to share. This was a bit overdone, hard, dry, and lacking in the amount of butter I enjoy.

Well, it was good to try. Another one for the books.

Boulangerie Collet
100 Rue Montorgueil
75002 Paris, France

We managed to get in a short nap, then got ready for dinner. We had reservations at a restaurant in the 7th Arrondissement, Pertinence, which held a Michelin star. As has been our habit in recent years, this one was helmed by a Japanese Chef, Ryunosuke Naito from Japan and Kwen Liew from Malaysia. The little restaurant serves only 14 covers a night!

The sun was still shining rather brightly as we finished our walk to the restaurant. It was the end of May (2019) and the sun doesn't set until past 930pm during this time of the year.

It's a clean, spartan dining room and the only folks working were the two chefs!

There is what looks like some kind of sleek manhole cover in the middle of the dining area, which turned out to be a hatch to the cave below. During our meal, the Chef had to run down to grab a bottle, the fellow eating at the other table went "ooooh" and looked at me humming the tune of Mission Impossible. I answered with "Monsieur James Bond"! And he cracked up....who said the French don't have a sense of humor?

Speaking of wine; we took the 6 course tasting menu (105/€). The Missus got the wine pairing, which cost a supplement of 70/€ and was enough for the both of us to share.....as for me; I got the caviar supplement at 30/€ which was worth every last bit of money.

After the wonderful and warm bread bites, the amuse was brought out; a Green Pea Foam, light as a feather, with a slight sweetness and tart from the kiwi jelly.

And then the first dish......the Langostein which came with a Konbu Sauce and a Miso Sauce. Check out that caviar; which really complemented the plump, sweet-briney langostein.

I preferred the konbu sauce with this as it heightened the nice seafood flavor. Also loved that nothing was over-seasoned.

The Missus loved this bottle of wine the best.

Man, look at the size of that Foie Gras.......

And yet, it was the thin slices of pickled daikon that really impressed me. It also was a nice foil to the rich-livery foie gras. Not a big fan of the Amaretto sauce though.

When the Red Mullet came out; I really didn't know what to think as it looked like a solid piece of fish; but it was amazing and my favorite dish of the meal.

The skin was light, yet very crisp, it was a treat indeed. The flesh was perfectly moist and mild in flavor....cue in the caviar. The grilled lettuce had a nice sweetness to it; but it was the celery micro greens that were really amazing, packing quite a punch of flavor!

Next up, the pork neck, which was done medium rare - yes medium rare.....I trust places like Pertinence. And this was very tender, considering it was pork neck, and had a touch of anise lingering on the tongue.

Man, I was pretty full after this......I usually leave dessert totally up to the Missus; but this time it was Roquefort with Umeboshi Caramel Camambert. How could I resist???

This was a fine and enjoyable meal. Service was excellent and relaxed, the dishes well paced, quite impressive with the restaurant staffed with only the two chefs. It was well worth the price!

Pertinence
29 Rue de l'Exposition
75007 Paris, France

Since we like to eat rather early; our timing was perfect as we left the restaurant and headed up to Rue Saint-Dominique and then up Avenue de la Bourdonnais crossing the Seine on Pont d'Iéna to see the sight the Missus never tires of.

And then we headed back to the apartment......

And then off to sleep. Where I'm sure the Missus was dreaming of the "City of Lights".

Thanks for stopping by!

Paris - Jefrey's Cocktail Bar, Stohrer, Sainte-Chapelle, and Café Montorgueil

**** Sorry, not much food in this one, but if you like amazing stained glass.....

Our train from Stuttgart arrived right on time to Paris 'Est. We then caught the metro to Les Halles to the apartment where we'd be staying. On our last visit to the Missus's favorite city, we found that we really enjoyed staying on the Right Bank and I found an apartment close to a street we loved on a prevous visit. After getting the keys to our flat and freshening up for a minutes....well, you know the Missus, She wanted to get out and about. I had a route in mind and we headed East on Rue Grenata and then took a quick turn on the corner. The Missus was wondering why I seemed to be going around in a circle when we came to my first destination....to which I replied to Her "voila!"

This is Passage du Grand-Cerf, a shopping arcade if you will. Created in the 19th century, these glass ceiling shopping arcades once numbered over a 150....but most are now gone. There are a few left; the most well known....at least to me is Galerie Vivienne. There is such charm in places like this....it transports you to a different time. The window shopping....or as the French call it "lèche-vitrine" which literally means "window licking" is fun. I'm guessing those folks with their faces right up to the windows....steaming it up with their breath do look like they are licking it. We've all seen (or done) that, right?

From here we headed down to the Seine, taking Rue Sainte-Denis until we came upon this square right in back of Les Halles.

The rather lovely looking square has quite a grisly history. It is now called Les Fontaine des Innocents and was once the site of a cemetery. I had read that the cemetery had become so full that the bodies were pushed into the cellars of nearby residents. Eventually orders came down from Louis XVI to move cemeteries out of the city for sanitary reasons.

And so the residents of Holy Innocents' Cemetery were moved. But it doesn't quite end there. Apparently, all the intact skeletons were moved to what is now the tourist draw, the Catacombs of Paris.

And it's not only large squares and fountains. Right on the corner of Rue de la Reynie and Rue Saint-Denis I saw this.

Which for some reason grabbed my attention. After doing a bit of searching...luckily the inscription on the monument is readable; I came to find out that this is a monument to Eugene Scribe a popular Playwright and Author.

That's the Tour Saint-Jacques ('Saint James's Tower'), which is all that remains from a church, Church of Saint-Jacques-de-la-Boucherie ('Saint James of the Butchers') which was sponsored by the butchers at the nearby Les Halles. The church itself was destroyed at the end of the French Revolution. But by contract the tower was saved. There's something around every corner in Paris it seems.

Our last trip to Paris had been in November of 2018 (this was the end of May 2019) before the horrible fire at Notre Dame in April of 2019. We were horrified watching it on the television. We took a walk past....the fire had just occurred the month before and we were wondering what we'd see.

We were happy to see that Notre Dame was still standing; but saddened at the damage.

We crossed over to the Left Bank on he Petit Pont and strolled around for a bit...this is the lovely Square René-Viviani.

Then passing the super crowded (with tourists) Shakespeare and Co.

And then decided to go turn around and head back.....and grab a café allongé on one of the cafe's near to where we'd be staying.

And so, we ended up at Café du Centre on Rue Montorgueil a half block from where we were staying.

There's something about this mostly pedestrian market street that we enjoyed.

It was lively. And yes, there are tourists. But there seemed to be the hustle and bustle of everyday like as well.

I'm wondering how much Covid-19 has affected the café culture in Paris. There's something wonderful about sitting outside with our café allonge....you can spent 10 minutes or 3 hours with your coffee if desired....you can read a book, a paper, socialize, or just be like us and watch the world go by. It just seemed so therapeutic.

Losing this would be tragic.

Café du Centre
57 Rue Montorgueil
75002 Paris, France

After spending a good amount of time just chilling, we headed back to the apartment.

The evening we had reservations at a place I posted on earlier. Before dinner, I wanted to grab a cocktail from a nearby Cocktail Bar I had read about named Jefrey's. It was just one street down from where we were staying.

It's a cozy little place with both upstairs and downstairs seating. We had two of the four seats at the bar. We loved the service here; the folks working were so friendly.

While working through a round of the standards....you know, an Old Fashioned for me, etc. We chatted with the bartender who was so knowledgeable and friendly.

After mentioning that I enjoy smoky flavor profiles he recommended that I try the "Smokey Monkey" made by, well, Monkey Shoulder. It was really wonderful. Sorry to say, I was told that while Monkey Shoulder is available in the U.S.; Smokey Monkey is not.

We were happy to have found a place to grab a cocktail in the neighborhood and would revisit on later trips.

Jefrey's
14 Rue Saint Sauveur
75002 Paris France

Sadly our dinner at Le Pont de Sichuan didn't live up to the first visit. But that was ok......

The next morning I got up and did a couple of things online; then it was time to grab a croissant.

I decided to head to the oldest Patisserie in Paris, Stohrer which has quite a history, dating back to 1730 and just happens to be on Rue Montorgueil.

Another claim to fame that Stohrer brought the Rhum Baba to France. It is claimed that the modern version of this cake was in this spot sometime around 1835.

I stood in line and ordered a croissant au beurre, which looked lovely, nicely lacquered, crackly, but on the dry side and not quite to our taste in terms of the butter flavor.

It was not bad....perhaps I should have gotten a rhum baba as well, but it seemed to early in the day.

Stohrer
51 Rue Montorgueil
75002 Paris, France

After having the croissant, we headed out. I had purchased advance tickets for Sainte-Chapelle and the Conciergerie. We got to the location right before opening and were quickly allowed entrance.

The very gothic exterior of Sainte-Chapelle is somewhat obscured by the surrounding buildings. And you really don't get the full scope of the chapel.

And then you enter and are simply awestruck at the beautiful stained glass.

There are over 1,000 biblical scenes depicted in the stained glass of the upper chapel in the photo below!

And the lower chapel!

Originally built over the period of ten (!) years - 1238-1248 as a Royal Chapel by Louis IX to house relics including the supposed Crown of Thorns. 

The chapel was damaged during the French Revolution, but restored in he 19th century.

Amazing!

Sainte Chapel resides in a large complex of structures originally called Palais de la Cité, now called the Palais de Justice.

Right next to the Palais de Justice is a place with a grim and dark past; once a palace, the Conciergerie became a place of detention after the French Revolution. It is where the Revolutionary Tribunal tried "enemies of the Revolution". During a two year period (a year of which is called "The Reign of Terror") almost 2800 people were executed by guillotine.

Entering the barren and haunting halls is quite an experience if you know just a bit of French history.

And even in the most somewhat innocuous places, the reality strikes you. The lovely courtyard looks so peaceful.....

Until you look up and notice the scary looking spikes; still in place, to keep prisoners confined.

There's a memorial room in La Conciergerie that lists out the 2,780 names of those condemned to death, with some very familiar names.

Whew....we needed a break.

So, we headed back to the apartment and decided to stop for another caffeine break. This time at the place next door to Café du Centre, Café Montorgueil. We actually found that we enjoyed this café quite a bit....it had more of a relaxed local vibe and was actually cheaper than the place next door, go figure?

We enjoyed our Café Allonge; while watching time and people slowly pass......

Café Montorgueil
55 Rue Montorgueil
75002 Paris, France

Before we knew it, an hour had gone by. We decided to head back to the apartment for a short break......

Before heading back out to do more exploring, shopping, and then of course; dinner!

For those that took the time to read this rather long and rambling post, I thank you! And I'd especially like to thank both Kerri and LaurieH who both mentioned missing our travel posts....thanks so much for the kind words!

Paris - Doing the Flâneur Thing, Aperitif at Juveniles, Dinner at Zebulon

On our last day in Paris, we got up a bit early, and had breakfast at the hotel.

What we had would be enough to hold us until dinner.

For our last full day; we decided to do what brings us such pleasure in the city; something I mentioned before, you know, the Flâneur thing...."to wander with no purpose".

Our hotel, the very pleasant Hotel Malte was located on Rue de Richelieu and just one block away was the Palais-Royal and the interesting courtyard with some "interesting" art installations; like the Colonnes de Buren, basically black striped columns of various height, which as many of what folks call "modern art", is somewhat controversial due partly to the historic location it was installed on in 1986.

Same with the, ahem, "balls of steel"....the La Fontaine des Spheres.

I guess folks were looking for something a bit more grand and traditional....perhaps like this Statue of Joan of Arc on Place des Pyramides?

We crossed over to the Left Bank on Pont Neuf and onward to the 6th Arrondissment. 

And eventually found ourselves at the University of Medicine, where we noticed some interesting stone reliefs...….you know medical things like reducing a fracture.

Or exorcism???? You know, standard medical stuffs.....

From here we walked over to Hermes, where the Missus did a bit of shopping. And in case Hermes didn't suck your wallet clean and you have an extra grand (or two); the historic Hotel Lutetia is ready for you....

We weren't ready for a break just yet, so we sauntered over to Le Bon Marché, where it was Black Friday.

It was interesting to see what folks were purchasing.

From here we headed back and crossed on Pont Neuf yet again.

That the Equestrian Statue of Henry IV on Pont Neuf.

We walked up Quai du Marché Neuf to take a peek at one of the symbols of Paris.....as this was November of 2018, this was Notre Dame pre-fire.

It's a reminder of how lively and lovely the Cathedral was.

We decided to wander some of the side streets around the Cathedral, which seemed to be rather peaceful and quiet compared to Rue de la Cité and other surrounding busy streets.

In Paris, you may notice iron structures like this.....

These are called "Empeche-pipi"...aka "pee preventer". The metal pieces would make urine splash back onto the offender...….

There's quite a bit of history packed into this small area. During one of our visits to Pere Lachaise we came upon the tomb of Héloïse and Abelard; it's quite love story - tragedy. Well, even though the house where they resided is gone; the structure built on the site in 1844 is highly decorated and has carved heads representing the couple at 9 Quai aux Fleurs.

From here we walked to the Marais and the Missus found a cute bracelet. We then took a short break at Place des Vosges; which looks wonderful, even in winter.

Before heading back to the hotel for a break before dinner.

As this was our last night in Paris, I wanted to have dinner and made reservations for a place that was quite popular. But first we decided to get an aperitif. Right down the street was the well regarded Wine Bar and Bistro, Juveniles. The food is well regarded, but we just decided to drop by for a glass of wine before dinner.

We enjoyed both the atmosphere; friendly and unfussy, and our wine.

I think we'll return for a meal on one of our trips.

Juveniles
47 Rue de Richelieu
75001 Paris, France

As for dinner; I had made reservations at another place right down the street. This one was what I'd call a medium priced, modern French, manned by yet another Japanese Chef - Takashi Aoki, named Zebulon.

The interior of the restaurant is simple, but comfortable, and stylish. Both the Missus and I went with the "Menu Zebulon", three courses.

The Amuse Bouche was a simple gravlax with quinoa, nice, clean flavors.

The Sea Bream Tartare was fresh....fairly tangy from the calamansi used in the vinaigrette.

The watercress leaves really helped to cut all the sour tones and add a nice pepperiness to things. The fish was toothsome but not tough, though there was perhaps a bit too much ginger used for the fish.

The Butternut Veloute was smooth and comforting.

Creamy but not overly sweet......the coffee added on the side was kind of a strange addition.

The Cod was perfectly cooked and seasoned; so moist and tender.

The spinach added a nice mildly bitter-chlorophyllic note to the dish; but we both thought the coconut-lemongrass foam kind of took the dish is a totally different direction....almost Thai...but not quite. 

The Lamb Two Ways was a mixed bag.

The confit lamb was so silken, rich, gamey, just plain delici-yoso. The roast was a bit too chewy, tough, and salty. Loved the slices of beets which added a nice mild sweetness, which the roasted lamb needed.

I got the Cheese course....which was served at a perfect temperature.

And the Missus enjoyed Her dessert; telling me it wasn't overly sweet.....

Overall, we enjoyed the meal, and while it wasn't earth-shattering, it was priced right at around 120 Euroes for two including wine.

Service was excellent and we enjoyed the atmosphere. As of this writing Chef Aoki has moved on and Benjamin Andreux is the new chef de cuisine at Zebulon.

Zebulon
10 Rue de Richelieu
75001 Paris, France

As is one of my rituals, I ended the night with a beer back at the room.

I did feel like I earned it....don't you think?

And the next morning after a quick breakfast we were headed home. Another trip to Paris in the books.

Thanks for stopping by!

Versailles and a Late Lunch at Canard Street (Paris)

By November of 2018, we were on our third trip to Paris (can you believe it's now up to five?). And even though one could fill a lifetime exploring, and enjoying the city, the Missus thought we should start exploring places around the city. Starting with the Palace of Versailles. So, I got purchased advance tickets online and we headed out on the RER "C" line making it to Versailles-Rive Gauche in 40 minutes or so. From there it was a short walk to the Palace.

It was a misty - foggy day in Versailles.

But there's no denying the grandness of the Chateau.

It is indeed quite impressive and opulent. Hard to believe that this was once a "small country hunting lodge and residence" built by Louis XIII. Eventually, under Louis XIV, the property underwent four "campaigns", huge renovations. The King actually made Versailles his permanent residence and the center of political power, until the French Revolution. It has quite a history and a lot of rooms (over 2,000) and even had zoo (the "Menagerie"). Marie Antoinette had a "farm" ("Hameau de la Reine") created on the property, where she could escape....and where she could have a "faux country life".....milking cows and sheep; which were carefully cleaned and groomed. The book Marie Antoinette: The Portrait of an Average Woman; has this quote:

"Sheep were led to pasture by ribbons of blue silk tied round their necks"

All this decadence, all that taxpayer money, all the social inequality...….just a few of a the many factors that lead to the French Revolution.

It's all on display in the various rooms in the Chateau.

Don't forget to look up at the ceilings!

The most well known room in the Chateau is probably the Hall of Mirrors.

Which is where the Treaty of Versailles was signed, which ended World War I.

We walked out onto the gardens......still quite grand; even on a misty day like this was.

And of course; all the fountains.

From here we decided to check out the Grand Trianon.

Which Louis XIV built as his escape from the Chateau.

We also explored the Petit Trianon as well.

By this time; the Missus and I were "palaced-out" and we decided to head back to Paris.

The lines were growing ever longer as we left. We caught the train back to Paris and the Missus decided to do (even more) shopping. We made a return trip to Repetto (which I've posted on before).

Sadly....at least for the Missus; She discovered that She had all the styles and colors that She wanted.

We decided to head back to the hotel for a break, but decided to grab lunch. We wanted something quick and decided to head back to Canard Street. We got the Demi Magret and the Sandwich de Foie Gras.

The duck breast was surprisingly good....especially for what I consider "fast-casual" food. It was just a tad over-cooked, but still juicy, tender, and full of flavor.

We didn't care for the baguette used for the sandwich; it was dry and much too hard and chewy. Hardly any foie gras torchon as well.

Still, this came out to around 20 Euroes which ain't bad for duck breast and foie gras, right?

Canard Street Paris
16 rue des Petits Champs
75002 Paris, France

We had a well deserved nap; then took an early evening stroll. We then headed off in the direction of dinner. This was to be our first visit to Le Pont de Sichuan, you can read that post here. We were still a bit too early for dinner and noticed this spot right around the corner of our destination.

And stopped for an aperitif.

It seemed like a popular after work destination.....lot's of folks having whatever the version of happy hour is in Paris.

And we had a seat at the bar and had a couple of Kir before dinner.

Le Trader's
3 Rue de la Bourse
75002 Paris, France

A nice little aperitif!

Thanks for stopping by!

Paris - Le Pont de Sichuan times two

In my previous post, I mentioned the reservations I have and the realities of doing a post when just doing a single visit to a restaurant. But, when travelling, the reality is, you may only have one meal at a place......often a meal you were looking forward to, had planned on having, and when, like that visit to Le Comptoir de la Gastronomie does not work out, well things are magnified. And then there are times when you have a second opportunity to revisit a place. Le Pont de Sichuan was such a place.

My apologies about doing this a bit out of order.

It was Thanksgiving of 2018 and we were staying in the 2nd Arrondissment, as I mentioned in my previous post. We had visited Versailles (coming up in a future post) during the morning and now wanted some "comfort food" (it's all relative, no?) for dinner.

Right up the street was a place I had on my "list"; Le Pont de Sichuan. I had read some positive things about the place....taking note of the ahem, "authentic Sichuan" tag thrown about. Even though I'm not one to use "authentic" in my descriptions; because cuisine is not like a signed Picasso; it is not a static picture, it changes, is dynamic....ok, enough of that.

We decided to check out Le Pont de Sichuan as our Thanksgiving meal.

We were the first customers in the place. The service was also quite nice in terms of Chinese restaurants; it definitely had a French touch to it. I'd done a bit of research and had pretty much decided on two of the dishes beforehand.

One of them was the Crispy Lamb with Cumin.

The lamb had obviously been braised first, then deep fried making the exterior parts quite crisp. Nice and gamey and tempered with soy sauce and cumin. Not overly salty, crisp and then tender....while, in my opinion it could have used more cumin, this was a very nice dish.

We needed a vegetable, so we got the dry cooked green beans which were ok.

A bit too greasy and salty and lacking in savory tones.

The other dish I'd been wanting to try was the Marmite de Champignons; basically sautéed mushrooms....but not quite what your mind pictures as sautéed mushrooms.

We loved the earthy, toothsome variety of mushrooms, all the different subtle flavors, different textures. A slight spice, the pleasant savory-saltiness of soy sauce, a slight bit of sour-acidity, some mild heat....and most of all....a good dose of Sichuan peppercorns. The slices of pork was well seasoned and tender. This was so good.

We really enjoyed our meal here.

And so, during our last visit to Paris, at the end of our 2019 Budapest - Vienna - Salzburg - Munich - Stuttgart trip, we were excited to be back in the Missus's favorite city and wanted to have another nice dinner at Le Pont de Sichuan. I even made reservations.

This time, we thought we'd try some more traditional Sichuan dishes along with that amazing Mushroom dish we'd had on the previous visit.

We started with one of my favorites; the Ko Shui Ji (Mouthwatering Chicken).

First off, his was served warm. Second, the chicken was really dry. Third, other than being drenched in chili oil, it really had no other flavors going for it.

The next dish we ordered is another Sichuan favorite of ours, Shui Zhu Niu Rou (water boiled beef).

Think of this as being really dry, hot pot style top round dumped into a one-dimensional chili-oil based sauce....it lacked the complexity of a good Doubian Jian, though at least in this case, there was a sprinkling of ground Sichuan Peppercorn. No garlic tones; no mild hint of sweet, no complex spicy-savory flavors.

It's ok we thought. If that mushroom dish was a good as on our previous visit it would really balance things out. After all, it was the dish we really came for. Alas, it was not.

As you can tell, the color is a lot lighter, some of the mushrooms were really crisp and over-cooked, some were really tough and under-cooked. The Sichuan Peppercorn flavor was MIA....maybe they forgot? The pork was dry and tough. Uneven stir fry technique. Even though the chilies were present, this wasn't particularly spicy.

Overall, it was quite a disappointing meal, which I'm sure was amplified by the fact that we were really looking forward to eating here.

Sad.....I'm not sure what the norm here is? Was it the 'B' team, or was our first visit just a lightning strike?

There are other places we've revisited in Paris over the years that have been quite consistent. This was not one of them. And while I'm tempted to try them again, our time in Paris is always limited, it's costly, we're on holiday, and want to enjoy our meals. I don't think the Missus would want to roll the dice and take a chance that it's "visit B". Life is too short.

Le Pont de Sichuan
86 rue de Richelieu
75002 Paris, France

Paris - Le Comptoir de La Gastronomie

While we had enjoyed our time visiting Champagne, Alsace, and Lyon, the Missus was so excited to be back in Paris. After quickly getting settled into our room at Hotel Malte. The Missus had enjoyed visiting the 2nd Arrondisement and while I like the 7th, I thought it would be nice staying somewhere other than the 7th or the Latin Quarter. It would turn out that the Missus really enjoyed the 2nd. Anyway, with no plans, other than perhaps to do some shopping and do what we love doing in Paris; wander and enjoy. Until recently, I didn't even know there was a French term for what we do in Paris; it's called Flâneur or flânerie a term I first heard on that wonderful podcast, The Earful Tower.

And so we headed out, taking a quick walk through the Jardin du Palais Royal a half block away from the hotel. Framed by arcades on three sides, this was an oasis of peace from the hustle and bustle of Paris on a Wednesday afternoon.

From here it was short stroll to one of the Missus's shopping stops; the Louis Vuitton Vendome location which had just completed setting up for Christmas.

Sadly, the Missus couldn't find anything She wanted to spend Her hard earned money on....so She did the next best thing; She bought something for me.....more on that later in the post.

But heck, we were in the Place Vendome area, known for all the luxury shops in the area.

From here, the Missus indicated She wanted to see the Christmas Window displays and tree at Galeries Lafayette, so we just wandered on over. On our way we strolled through this interesting square and this Statue.

Apparently, this is Place Edouard VII. So, a square in honor of the King of the United Kingdom in Paris, eh? Apparently, "Bertie" as he was called, a man of great um...appetites, loved Paris......though I don't think the square is named in his honor because of his excesses or his, ahem....taste in furniture. Perhaps it's because of his role in getting the Entente Cordial completed.

Anyway, in Paris, every corner, every block, and every square has a story. You can find an interesting blog post on the square here.

Soon enough we arrived at Galeries Lafayette. There's something about the window displays and the Christmas Tree inside the department store that brings out the inner child in me. Perhaps because I spent much of my childhood as a Jehovah's Witness and we didn't celebrate Christmas and this just has me imagining that this is what the holiday season should be like. Maybe not, because the Missus just loves this as well.

We slowly worked our way back to the hotel, took a break, and then headed out to dinner.

I spent a good deal of time trying to figure out what we'd have for this dinner. And naturally, after reading all those blog (and you know....those other sites) posts on Le Comptoir de la Gastronomie….and oh, my, all that foie gras. Sold! So, we made our way the few blocks over to rue Montmatre  (funny thing as I'm a trip behind on my Paris posts; this is currently our favorite area of the city) and the restaurant, which is half deli/restaurant. We had reservations, which was good thing since the place filled up really fast.

Man, was there a queue lining up! And remember me mentioning that all the Korean tourists had vanished from Les Cocottes on our last visit? Well, I think this is their hot spot right now as two-thirds of the customers were either Korean or Chinese tourists.

One of the reasons I picked "Le Comptoir" were all the duck and foie gras dishes. So, we started with a very nice bottle of wine that the friendly, but over-worked Server helped the Missus select.

And the first dish up was the "Pan Seared Foie Gras with Gingerbread and Mixed Salad" (20€ - about $22/US).

We enjoyed the greens; the dressing had a nice acidity. The gingerbread toast was interesting. Of course, I didn't order this for the greens or the toast. The foie gras was terrible, over-cooked, mealy, with sinewy strings in it. It had that texture we call "dog food". Because it was burned on one end, it was quite bitter.

The Foie Gras Ravioli with Truffle Sauce (21€ - about $23.25/US) was better, if having a bit of a greasy texture to it.

The truffle cream sauce overwhelmed the foie gras in the pasta; which was over-cooked as well. You couldn't make out the rich-earthy sweetness of the foie. Too much of a good thing with regards to truffle oil dumped on a typical cream sauce here.

The last dish of the evening was the Cassoulet "Gratine" (18€ - about $20/US).  I enjoy a good cassoulet and even make a version at home; so this was my pick for the meal. Unfortunately, well......this time around, the photo says it all.

The duck was over-cooked (seems to be the theme), hard, and dry. Everything else was so bland and not hot either.

We've had a couple of mediocre meals in Paris before; but nothing that was this bad. You know, it's tough.....if this were San Diego, I'd have made a couple more visits to see if it was an off night, or just not do a post at all. But, when one goes on vacation, spending $$$ to get to a place....working on selecting something ahead of time, well...… I will say this; TripAdvisor and Yelp loves this place....which is why....you know....

Le Comptoir de la Gastronomie
34 rue Montmartre
75001 Paris, France

Well, there was some good (I think) news. The Missus just couldn't find anything She wanted at Louis Vuitton, so She decided I needed a new messenger bag (She hated the one I used to use). Knowing little about the LV brand other than the rather distinctive patterns and logos, I figured that I could get out of this by telling Her that "I don't want loud patterns or a logo on my bag"....hah, that would end things right there....but no, with the help of the wonderful (these sales people are amazing) young lady.....they found me my current bag.....I'm not going to say how much it cost; because I get the heebies when I think of it. So yes, I take an LV bag to work everyday and folks, unless I tell them, can't even tell.

 

Lyon - La Cave Café Terroir and Café Terroir

While I really would have loved to hit up another Bouchon on our last night in Lyon; I thought we should try something different, especially after our rather hefty lunch. As it would turn out; dinner would be just as substantial as lunch....but heck, we were in Lyon after all.

We headed out from the apartment, taking our time, doing some window shopping along the way. We eventually got to the area around Théâtre des Célestins, a place we hadn't explored earlier. There were tons of shops in the area and the Missus enjoyed Herself.

I had a place in mind for dinner; but wasn't able to get reservations. But, I had another strategy; the restaurant I had in mind, Café Terrior started service at 7pm. Café Terrior also had a wine bar a few meters up the street, which opened at 6pm....and I'd read somewhere that the really nice bartenders at La Cave Café Terroir would sometimes make reservations at the restaurant for you. So, we decided to test this out.

We enjoyed the small, rustic, with modern touches of the Wine Bar. The bartenders were indeed quite friendly. The Missus enjoyed a glass of red and I got a Kir. We were given some olives with mustard.

When I ordered our second round, I broached the question. Apparently, this is quite a common practice as the really nice young lady took our names and walked over to the Café....when she got back, she smiled and told us, "voila!" And we had reservation for dinner for the first seating.

You gotta love this place!

La Cave Café Terroir
05 Rue Montcharmont
69002 Lyon, France

When Café Terrior opened, we strolled over and were given a nice corner table. The Missus ordered some wine for us and we were given some charcuterie.

A couple of tables away was a father and young daughter who both were having a wonderful time......chatting and savoring their meal. Kids start young here!

We started with a dish I'd seen in a couple of posts. "Oeuf a la Coque Fermier Mouillettes de Beaufort 24 mois" (9€ - about $10/US). Whew, that's a mouthful! This was basically soft boiled eggs, served with Beaufort, an Alpine Cheese, aged 24 months.

You basically dunk the slightly sharp, nutty, very fragrant cheese in the gooey egg yolk and have yourself a delici-yoso time! Rich, buttery, sharp-milky-savory......this was lovely. The salad helped give your palate a short break between bites.

For Her main, the Missus ordered the "Parmentier de Canette de la Dombes " (18€ about $20/US). This was basically almost like a shepherd's pie of sorts.....

If the potatoes hid rich and gamey duck confit! The rich-gamey-earthy flavor of the duck was excellent and there was a ton of duck hidden below those tasty potatoes, but the duck was a tad on the dry side.

Still, the flavors were wonderful!

I decided to go "hog wild"....even though I'd had pork knuckle just a few days before in Colmar; I hadn't had my fill. I ordered the  Jarret de Cochon (18€ about $20/US). 

This was wonderful; from the tender, porky meat, to the wonderful gelatinous parts, to even the skin, which had absorbed some wonderful flavors. The Missus loves lentils and these puy lentils were very nice; tender, yet still holding shape; whatever herbs were used in the bouquet garni for this was perfect.

While the meal seemed quite hearty, we finished everything! Though we had no room left for dessert. We enjoyed the rustic, yet modern food at Café Terrior. We'd gladly eat here again.

Café Terroir
14 Rue d'Amboise
69002 Lyon, France

We rolled back to the apartment. I'd had a great time in Lyon and could have stayed another day or two. I could tell, though, that the Missus was ready to head back to Paris. We had a wonderful, blissful night of sleep.

And the next morning; following the instructions we'd received earlier, we followed Louis XIV's "bout du cheval" and made our way to Gare de Lyon-Perrache. We were on our way back to Paris......and more shopping for the Missus!

Thanks for stopping by!

Lyon - Les Halles de Lyon Paul Bocuse and Lunch at Chez les Gones

We were really enjoying our short time in Lyon, from the Silk Festival and Vieux Lyon, to the Basilica and an amazing dinner at Takao Takano. We'd seen a lot during that long first day, but there was another place I just needed to visit.

But first, we decided to take a nice morning walk.

Down to Place Bellecour it's such a vast square right in the middle of Presqu'ile.

There's the Equestrian Statue of Louis XIV, which was an important landmark for us.

We had to catch our train back to Paris from Gare de Lyon-Perrache not our arrival station Lyon Part-Dieu. We had asked for some directions earlier and was basically told to follow Louis's "bout du cheval"...the "horse's butt" straight, ahem, down Rue Victor Hugo. Which were very accurate directions.

We headed toward the Saône and just ambled along......

Right past the Passerelle du Palais de Justice we found a outdoor market.....not very crowded on this rather chilly morning. This is the Marché Alimentaire Saint-Antoine Célestins which runs Tuesdays to Sundays from 6am to 1pm.

The market is located on Quai Saint-Antoine between Passerelle du Palais de Justice  and Pont Maréchal Juin.

Being right at Rue Grenette meant it would basically be a straight shot to our next destination which La Part-Dieu neighborhood.

I mentioned Paul Bocuse in my first Lyon post, much revered, especially in his home of Lyon.....a man who was called the "Culinary Pope"; for those who are Anthony Bourdain fans, just look at this picture. 'Nuff said.

I wanted to visit the marketplace that bore his name; Les Halles de Lyon Paul Bocuse.

Plus, I love these market halls......I always get a better understanding of the cuisine of a city, when I get to walk around the marketplaces.

And there were indeed some top notch products for sale.

Visiting made me wish we had more time....as it was, we had meals planned out.

We were getting a bit hungry, so we searched among the seemingly endless stands that wind their way thru the gleaming market hall.

And settled for one that served some traditional Bouchon fare and one dish I had been waiting to try as well.

We were seated at one of the small tables and the Missus ordered some sparkling water and a glass of wine for Herself.

I ordered the food...…..which took a while.....actually a good sign to us.

The Missus had enjoyed Her Andouillette so much at Bouchon des Filles that She ordered it here.

Which was served with some mushy vegetables and pretty tasty, but super buttered Gratin Dauphinoise (Scalloped Potatoes).

Like the previous version, this basically exploded upon being touched by a knife. This one was pretty funky and really chewy, the mustard sauce did it no favors.

I ordered the Tablier de Sapeur (The Sapper's Apron).

The tripe was nicely breaded and fried; layers of different textures; the crunchy breading, the chewy layer of tripe, and some additional meaty crunchiness of the rumen. It was very mild in flavor and the sauce gribiche helped things along.

Like with the Missus's dish; I didn't care for the vegetables or potatoes much.

This was an interesting meal; much more rustic than what we'd had two nights before at the Bouchon. Still, it was fairly inexpensive...and I got to have dish I'd been wanting to try.

Chez les Gones - In Les Halles de Lyon Paul Bocuse
102 cours la Fayette
69003 Lyon, France

After the meal the Missus had Her eye on dessert.

And we took our sweet time getting back to the apartment.

Stopping to do some shopping along the way.

By the time we got back it was mid-afternoon.

It was time for a nap.....and then....well, dinner of course!

Thanks for stopping by!

Lyon - Fourviere Hill and Dinner at Takao Takano

After exploring Vieux Lyon we headed up Fourviere Hill, there are two funiculars up the hill; but you know the Missus, right? We walked up the hills...….

Even with the haze and mistiness, the views were amazing.....

It was on this hill that Lugdunum was established by the Gauls in 43BC.

There are two main sites on the hill; the first being The Basilique Notre-Dame de Fourvière (Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière).

While completed in 1894; it is said that the actual planning of the church was made centuries before.

A plague ravaged Lyon in 1643, the city council promised to do a pilgrimage to the top of Fourviere every year if the plague stopped. It is said that the Virgin Mary  saved Lyon from the scourge and the Basilica is dedicated to her. Mary is also said to have saved Lyon from the Cholera Epidemic of 1832 and prevented the Prussian invasion during the Franco-Prussian War. So of course, Mary deserves her due.

When you enter the Basilica, your eyes are drawn to the six grand mosaics that line the walls. All featuring the Virgin Mary in their story.

The Christian Council of Ephesus in 431, declares Mary to be Theotokos ("God-bearer").

The Battle of Lepanto; where Mary is credited with the victory.

Three scenes of Joan of Arc. In the first scene; on the right she hears messages from Mary.....

Louis the 13th dedicating France to the Virgin Mary.

The Lower Church (crypt) is dedicated to Joseph.

And here you'll find naves with statues of Mary from around the world.

Our Lady of "La Naval" - Phillipines.

Our Lady of China.

Our Lady of Fatima (Portugal).

Are among those we passed.

If you're ever in Lyon the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière is well worth visiting.

Since this was a Monday; the Gallo-Roman Museum was closed, but it had been a busy morning, so we just enjoyed walking through the two Roman Theatres.

The larger theatre was built during the reign of Augustus the smaller during the reign of Hadrian.

From here we headed down back down to Vieux Lyon and ended up grabbing a quick croissant (sorry photos didn't turn out) from a Boulangerie.

And did some window shopping.

We were overdue for a break and so we headed back to the apartment. After a short nap, I woke and with the Missus relaxing, decided to head on out for a walk.

Just a few blocks down the street from our apartment was the vast Place Bellecour, the third largest square in France. Funny thing is; we've been to the other two, Esplanade Quinconces in Bordeaux and Place de la Concorde in Paris.

From here, I walked along the banks of the Saône. That's the Passerelle du Palais de Justice below.

I was ready to head back to the apartment when I saw the sign to my right. It's just a sign for the chain of wine/champagne shops, Nicolas, not a big thing really. Except......we were arriving right after the release of the Beaujolais Nouveau for 2018. It's a big deal....on the third Thursday of November, festivities start at 1201 am. Barrels of Beaujolais Nouveau are rolled down the streets of Lyon. Races are held to deliver the first new bottles to destinations throughout the country.

So, I went into Nicolas to purchase a bottle. The gentleman working was really friendly and spoke great English. In the end, he convinced me to buy the second cheapest bottle, telling me, "you try this one...it is c'est bon....if you like, then come back for more"!

Returning to the apartment, we needed to get ready for dinner. I had booked this meal way in advance; at a place named Takao Takano, yet another Japanese Chef heading a French restaurant with Japanese touches to the dishes. I had booked as soon as I knew we'd be going to Lyon. And wouldn't you know it; two weeks after booking dinner at Takao Takano; they got their second Michelin Star!

The night was lovely as we crossed the Passerelle du Collège and made our way to the restaurant.

Then something quite amazing happened. We chatted with our taxi driver on the way to the apartment from the train station...it was pretty chilly and I mentioned snow. He laughed and said it was too early to know in Lyon and it rarely ever happens (apparently he's correct) and almost never in November. So guess what? As we walked up Place Maréchal Lyautey, we felt tiny flakes hit our head and noses....it was snowing! Nothing major, just a light flurry....but we felt happy as schoolkids!

We arrived at the rather discreet location for Takao Takano, on a rather generic mixed use street.

We arrived and was greeted by the hostess, a wonderful young lady, who sat us at one of the tables (there are about nine in the restaurant) near the window. Where we watched the last of the light flurry hit the ground and quickly evaporate. Would that be an omen?

The simple interior of the restaurant quickly filled up. The Missus had a glass of wine; I got some Japanese Whiskey as an aperitif.

We got the 120 Euro tasting menu....and shared a wine pairing. Believe me when I say; this meal was worth every penny!

Things started off with a good sized amuse; a Egg Custard, Smoked Mackerel, and Mushroom Consomme. Think of this as an amazing chawan mushi with amazingly earthy shiitake flavors, and a superb, smokey, rich saba.

The first entrée was an poached Oyster from Maison Gillardeau, considered the "Rolls Royce" of Oysters. amazingly clean flavors, mildly briney, with a sweet, almost nutty finish.

The black tea consommé and dashi added an amazing finish, really enhancing the sweet-brininess of the oyster. Amazing!

An unmistakable fragrance wafted our way even before our next dish hit the table. It was the familiar fragrance of white truffle.

Served with a wonderfully tender, meaty, sweet and savory crawfish tail and truffle gnocchi, in a luxurious seafood sauce.....'nuff said, right?

The John Dory ("Saint Pierre") in a mushroom foame with, "surprise" Percebes was solid if not outstanding.

The fish was very tender, mild in flavor, an interesting foil for the strong earthy and briny flavors presented.

The Perdreau Rouge; young red-legged partridge was quite tender.

I thought the idea of a date and clementine sauce and sumac seemed a strange combination; but the fairly tart sumac combined with the sweetness of the fruits did fairly well with this wonderfully cooked and mild flavored partridge. A solid dish.

The Missus loved the cheese course:

I actually really enjoyed this "pre-dessert" item.

A wonderful Citrus Mousse, so amazingly light, filled with wonderful lemony - nutty flavors.

And of course the Missus enjoyed the Chocolate Tart; we requested only one, since I was stuffed.

And, as is the norm with many of these places; a nice parting gift for later.

We loved Takao Takano; easily one of the best meals we've ever had. From the perfect, professional, efficient, genial, well paced service. To a couple of amazing dishes....what a dinner!

I have a feeling we'll return one day. I guess that little flurry of snow was a good sign!

Takao Takano
33 rue Malesherbes
69006 Lyon, France

We walked back to the apartment' quite satisfied.

Perhaps Lyon is the center of the gastronomic world. Well, at least it was for us on this evening!

Thanks for stopping by!

Lyon - The Silk in Lyon Festival, Dinner at Le Bouchon des Filles and Exploring Vieux Lyon

Our train from Colmar to Mulhouse, then onward to Lyon was uneventful. We got to Lyon Part-Dieu Station and then to our apartment, a wonderful, large unit, with high ceilings, on Rue Confort, in the high rent district, fairly quickly. The Missus was already looking forward to getting back to Paris, but to say I was quite excited is an understatement. After all, Lyon has been dubbed the "capital of gastronomy", not only for France, but of the world. I think that might be a rather tall order, but I'd been reading about Bouchon's, not of the Thomas Keller type, but true Lyonnaise Bouchons, the one's (of which there are 22 as I type this) that are certified. And then there's the late, legendary, Paul Bocuse, who according to many changed French Gastronomy, and brought chefs to the forefront, and was a pioneer of the Nouvelle Cuisine movement in France. Who was based in France and whose name I first heard when I saw a show on the Bocuse d'Or many years ago. Excited? Me? You bet.....

Of course, there are just so many meals one can have in a day, or so the Missus tells me. So, what else to do in Lyon? Well, Lyon is listed by UNESCO, as a World Heritage Site. The city itself has a long, interesting history, established back in 43 BC by the Gauls, and was named Lugdunum. Due to the city's strategic location; between the navigable Saône and Rhône rivers and being between Northern Europe and the Mediterranean, the city soon became the capital of the Gauls. Ok, I see your eyes glazing over, enough of that for now....but hopefully, I made my point, right? In other words, there's heck of a lot of history here......

Our apartment was located in the Presqu'île, the "Peninsula", basically the center of everything. So once we dropped our bags off, the Missus wanted to do some walking. Less than a half block away was picturesque Place des Jacobins and it's distinctive fountain.

We walked North to Place des Terreaux and Hôtel de Ville (City Hall) de Lyon.

Things were much more lively here. With people milling about.

There's a famous fountain created by Bartholdi, you know, the guy who built this thing called the Statue of Liberty. The fountain features Marianne, France's symbol of the Republic, riding on the chariot drawn by four horses representing the four rivers of France. The horses snort, steam as it guides the rivers to the sea! Such high drama!

Heading back to the apartment after stretching our legs, we passed the Palais de la Bourse, where there seemed to be an event going on. It was the Annual Silk Festival. We decided to attend.

First off, the interior of the Palais de la Bourse is quite fetching. Along with gastronomy, Lyon is considered the capital of the European Silk Industry. In 1466 Louis XI decided to set-up silk manufacturing in Lyon.

We really enjoyed the various booths and the Missus got to pick up some gifts for Frankie's Aunties who were watching him while we travelled.

Here's a nice timeline of Lyon's silk history.

We found it quite interesting that Japan had an entire room with various silk displays. The women saw us, bowed and started speaking to us in Japanese!

It was a wonderful time. If you'd like more info on this annual festival, here's the website.

We walked back to the apartment to drop off our purchases and then headed out to dinner.

I had really wanted to eat at a Bouchon on our first night in Lyon; I thought it would set the right mood for our short visit. It was however, Sunday, and most of the Bouchon's were closed. There was one place open on this evening that I had high on my list; Le Bouchon des Filles. While not certified, I'd read many good things about the place. The owners, "des Filles" are two women who paid their dues at the very traditional, highly regarded, Café des Fédérations. I had heard the portions weren't super humongous and since women, specifically Mothers are part of the rich history of the Bouchon, the Les Mères Lyonnaises; I thought it would be a good start. Also, there the common thread (pun intended) of silk that runs through the history of the Bouchon as well, as these inns and taverns were originally created to feed the silk workers.

One problem though; I couldn't for the life of me figure out how to get a reservation online. So, we walked on over, and I dutifully waited outside....being the first in line when the place opened. And viola! We got a table

Which was a darned good thing too as the place filled up fast. Within a few minutes, folks without reservations were being turned away.

Like most Bouchons, it's a prix fixe menu....not a fancy schmancy chef's menu; but you get to choose your main course out of Bouchon Classics and then all the entrees (side dishes) come out. The Missus was enjoying Her wine when things started arriving.

The Missus loves lentils, so the green lentil with chorizo really hit the spot with Her. Savory chorizo, smokiness from the sausage, the lentils cooked perfectly.

The rustic pork terrine was wonderful; so porky and rich. The cabbage salad was fairly ordinary and bland.

Before our mains we were presented with an amuse; a veloute, that tasted of cauliflower if I'm not mistaken. Regardless, the Missus loved it.

The Missus went all out with Her main, ordering the Andouillette. Which was a good choice.

This tripe and offal stuffed sausage was served with a nice, punchy mustard sauce, which nicely complimented the offal. As you can see; it was literally exploding with flavor!

The gratin de pommes were delicious; the potatoes nicely flavored and seasoned, thinly sliced and stacked, quite tender.....

The Missus had Her doubts about my ordering the Quenelle, worried about fishy or a muddy tasting "dumpling".

She could not have been more wrong; this was delicious. The fish used was red mullet, not the traditional pike, so the flavor was mild, which let through the wonderful savory-slightly briny sweetness of the crayfish. The sauce was a luxuriously seafood-y delight as well. The quenelle was so tender.

The cheese course was a creamy brie and an interesting, very soft cheese called Cervelle de canut ("silk worker's brain"), which was slightly garlick and herbaceous, with a slight pungent (from shallots) flavor.

And of course, the Missus picked some stuff from the dessert menu; which She seemed to enjoy.

Friendly service, good prices, good food, and a nice first meal in Lyon!

Le Bouchon Des Filles
20 rue Sergent Blandan
69001 Lyon, France

We headed back to the apartment and had a great night of sleep!

The next morning we awoke and just kinda hung around for a while. Before finally heading out for our "walk". It was fairly quiet when we headed out.

This was to be our "busy" day in the city, checking out Vieux Lyon and the Fourvière.

We crossed on over the Saône River on  Passerelle du Palais de Justice to "Old Lyon" (Vieux Lyon).

It's called "Old Lyon" for a reason; it is the city's oldest district. Banking and the silk industry made Lyon quite prosperous from the 16th to the 18th century and much of it was displayed in this area, which has a large number of Renaissance structures still in view.

Crossing over the river towards Saint Jean Cathedral, we came upon an example of how long people have been living in the area. While walking to the cathedral we came upon this site.

These are ruins of churches dating back to the first century.

There are many grand looking structures in the area. This is the very gothic looking Palais Saint Jean, the former headquarters of the Archdiocese in the city.

And right around the corner is the Place Saint Jean. Looking up toward the Fourvière, you can see the Basilique Notre Dame looming above.

It's a very nice square, with the Saint Jean Cathedral crowning it.

The Cathedral took over 200 years to build, starting in the 12th century. Because it took so long to build, the structure displays a combination of the Romanesque and Gothic styles.

Lyon is called the "Primate of the Gauls", considered to be the oldest Christian city in France. Much has happened here; the coronation of Pope John XXII in 1316, the marriage of Henry IV to Marie de Medici in 1600.

As impressive a pedigree was of the Cathedral, there was one thing I wanted to see......

Folks who read this blog know that I'm fascinated by Plague Columns and Astronomical clocks. And there's one in Saint Jean's Cathedral.

This one dates back to the 14th century, which I understand was destroyed in the 16th century.

I'm not sure what it is about these clocks that fascinate me......I'm neither an engineer, nor mechanically inclined....but there something about tracking the passage of time along with the heavens that gets my attention.

Anyway, we also enjoyed the stained glass and the basic layout of the Cathedral.

One block over is what is considered a great example of a Lyonnaise Renaissance building, Place de Basoche.

For some reason, it's totally not what I had envisioned for the Renaissance.

And a few steps away was a charming street, that featured a Traboule. What is a traboule you may ask....well, the sixth grader in me will latch on to the term "secret passage". Traboules were passages that cut through various buildings, a series of shortcuts if you will, that linked the streets of Lyon. Much of the traboules are said to be linked to....well, the silk trade of course, used to transport the silk from the river, protected from the mist and rain, to shops and storage areas. There is said to be hundreds of these in Lyon. About forty or so are open to the public.....when the doors that lead to them are open. We found one, behind this door....which was unlocked.....

Which lead us through a couple buildings from Rue Saint Jean to Rue de Boeuf.

It was quite fascinating.....though we now had a hill to climb.....and of course, knowing the Missus, the funicular was not included in that plan....

I realize that this has been a pretty loooong post. If you've hung in there for the 1750 words or so, thanks so much!