champagne

Parisian Adventure: Part 3

Catacombs of Paris

On the third day we slept in a bit and then headed to our local bakery to pick out some pastries. Secco is located at 54 Rue de Sévres and had pretty tarts and yummy pain au chocolat. We had such a hard time choosing what we wanted!

Ivy's breakfast espresso and berry tart...yummy!

Ivy's breakfast espresso and berry tart...yummy!

After breakfast, we got dressed and headed to the Catacombs for a day of spook! We had visited the Catacombs on our first ever trip to Paris but P-man had never visited so we decided to have another go. Since we did not plan ahead, we ended up sitting in line for 3+ hours!!!! We highly recommend BOOKING AHEAD. On our first visit with our family, we booked ahead and had NO wait time which left us more time to enjoy other places in Paris. Waiting in line that long was a real  bummer, but we think it was worth it. There is a small park that the line forms around and the line is great for people watching so all in all, it wasn't so bad.

Once we got into the Catacombs we were so glad we had waited in line. The tunnels below the city were originally made by the Romans quarrying stone for roads and buildings. In the 1700's The Cemetery of the Innocents in Les Halles became too full and was a source of disease for the surrounding neighborhood. In 1786, the city decided to transfer the bones from the cemetery to the abandoned tunnels. Nightly, the priests would cart bones from the city's cemeteries covered with a heavy black cloth and place them in these tunnels. The city continued to place bones in the Catacombs until 1814. When the bones were placed in the tunnels, they were piled up on either side of the tunnel, leaving a path in the center to walk. You can find designs made in the piles such as hearts made of skulls, crosses, and other interesting and certainly spooky patterns. 

After the Catacombs, we were caught in a torrential downpour and decided to head back to the 6th Arrondissement to have some lunch and change our now soaking clothes. We had noticed a small wine and tapas bar near our house so we decided to check it out for lunch. Osaba specializes in Spanish cheeses, meats, and wines. The restaurant itself is very small with a few tables upstairs and a few outside on the street. Since the rain seemed to have stopped for a while, we took a chance and sat outside because when in Paris, live as the Parisians! Between the three of us we split a bottle of rosé and the large cheese and meat board with a never ending basket of sliced baguette. The rosé was wonderful, fruity, and dry (we liked it so much we we bought a bottle to go!) and the sliced meats were delicious. There were 6 different types served and each were unique and tasty! Our favorite part of the lunch was probably the spiced honey served with the cheese. We ended up fighting over who got the last bit of honey! We love this little place so much that we went back here again!

After lunch, we decided to take a bit of a break from running around and we relaxed at home. We think it is really important to take time to relax during vacation. When you visit such an exciting place like Paris it is easy to spend your whole time racing from place to place and its easy to get run down. We took this afternoon to read a bit, nap, and look at maps to plan the days ahead!

For dinner, P-man was feeling a little under the weather so he decided to take advantage of the enormous tub at our house and read. We decided to venture into the Saint Germain des Prés. We were in the mood for something off the beaten path and found just that at Au Pied de Fouet. Au Pied de Fouet is located two blocks north of Boulevard Saint Germain, where the wonderful yet touristy Café de Flore and Les Deux Magots are located. Au Pied de Fouet is a tiny restaurant which serves up classic country style French cooking. Ivy had fish in a basil cream sauce while Eve had the classic duck confit. We washed down our wonderful meal with a carafe of the house white wine which was really yummy, light, minerally, and dry. We had a chocolate cake with creme anglaise and the chestnut mouse for dessert. Both were so tasty that we forgot to photograph them! Both dishes were delicious and the atmosphere made the meal even more enjoyable! We both can't wait to come back here with our parents who would have loved this tiny gem. 

Versailles Palace & Gardens

The next day, we rose bright and early and headed to Versailles! We had never been to Versailles because we thought it would be a long trip and hard to get to. Wow were we wrong! From Paris, the easiest way to get to Versialles is by the RER C train. We took the Metro from our house and transferred to the RER C at Saint Michel- Notre Dame Metro stop. Then you board the next RER C train to Versailles Rive Gauche. The train took about 30 minutes and then the walk to the palace was another 5-10 minutes. 

Already at 9am the palace had a long winding line to get inside the doors. Since P-man has an EU passport and is under 26 years old, he could get into the palace for FREE! We still had to buy tickets so we had P-man stand in line while we went inside to buy tickets. Inside there was a long line for tickets. DO NOT stand in that line! On the far back of the building there is a small room with ticket machines, there was absolutely no lines. Maybe in the afternoon it would get busy but for some odd reason no one was in line at the machines. We bought "Passport" tickets for 25 euros which gained us access to the palace, the grounds, and Marie-Antoinette Estate. P-man being from England only needed his passport to get into the palace, however he did have to pay for the grounds ticket which was around 7 euros. 

The palace was very beautiful and extravagant. The detail from the stone floors to the tapestries was perfection. The only downside was all the people! It was almost impossible to stand in one room more then a minute without being pushed out by the people trying to get inside. We agreed that we would be willing to pay more to be able to enjoy it with less people. The experience was not like most museums, where people are quiet, view things respectfully and take turns viewing the art.  It was more like the Mona Lisa, where you have to literally fight your way to the front. Many people were completely oblivious to the other visitors and many people walked right in front of us with their cameras above their heads trying to take a photo. Despite this, it was still a great experience and the palace was worth the wait and crowds. Maybe in the winter it is less busy?

Not surprisingly, the grounds were Ivy's favorite part. They were HUGE! There is over 800 hectors of land surrounding the palace, all of which was designed and planted perfectly. We expected it to be big - but not THAT big. We walked for 20 minutes and were not even halfway through. The grounds are made up of manicured lawns, parterres of flowers, fountains, sculptures, wooded areas, and ponds.  The areas by the ponds are perfect for summer picnics. And most of the grounds are free to visitors (if you use the garden entrances which are separate from the palace). 

After we strolled the grounds and visited a few of the Estates, we headed back to the train station. On our way back to the train station, we stopped at the Grand Écurie (Royal Stables) since Eve couldn't bear to not see the pretty horses.

Once we were back in Paris we headed to Angelina, famous for their thick and creamy hot chocolate and pretty pastries. Eve picked out a tasty éclair while Ivy picked some macarons to nibble on. We then strolled around the local shops before heading home for a little rest. We sat in the garden having lattes and our sweet treats.

They sell their hot chocolate in powder and liquid form so you can bring it home.

They sell their hot chocolate in powder and liquid form so you can bring it home.

Eve having a hard time choosing!

Eve having a hard time choosing!

Ivy in our garden enjoying the pastries. 

Ivy in our garden enjoying the pastries. 

Ivy's Earl grey, chocolate, pistachio, and espresso macarons and Eve's caramel éclair!

Ivy's Earl grey, chocolate, pistachio, and espresso macarons and Eve's caramel éclair!

Once our legs recovered some from all the walking, we headed out for a evening drink at Les Deux Magots. This café is world famous and one of the oldest in Paris! It also has had numerous famed visitors over the years such as Ernest Hemingway, Elsa Triolet, Luis Aragon, and many others over the years. We each had a glass of rosé and it was accompanied by some olives and an assorted snack mix. We were delighted by the view of the Église Saint-Germain des Prés (one of the oldest churches in Paris) and by the Parisian man and his old dog enjoying an evening brew beside us. 

Cheers!

Cheers!

After drinks we walked over to Le Marais for dinner. We picked to go to Restaurant L'Alivi because this was the restaurant we had stumbled upon with our Mom and Dad two years ago during Christmas. The restaurant is in a charming old building which looks like the rest of the neighborhood was built up around. We LOVE this place for its atmosphere and its food! Eve started with a lovely Corsican eggplant salad (hidden under a pretty sheet of pastry) and P-man had stuffed sardines and salad. Ivy ordered some steak she had been craving and it was seasoned and cooked perfectly. Eve had a pasta dish with slow roasted veal for the main course and P-man pork and grilled eggplant. For desert we ordered the Corsican cheesecake served with a shot of limoncello, the chocolate lava cake, and the strawberry tart with cream. Everything was delicious and exactly as we remembered. 

 After dinner, we strolled along the Seine enjoying the Paris evening and headed home for a good nights rest.

xxx Ivy & Eve

Parisian Adventure: Part 2

A Day in Reims

On our second day in France we visited Reims (pronounced like France but with a R…Rance) which is in the Alsace-Champagne-Ardenne-Lorraine region of France. This region is home to many of the world famous champagne houses, known as les grandes marques...some you may know of such as Veuve Clicquot, Domaine Pommery, Taittinger, and Champagne G.H. Mumm. 

Traveling to Reims from Paris is super simple, we don't know why we hadn't taken advantage of its closeness before. The train to Reims is only 45 minutes from Gare de l'Est station and the views of the countryside are lovely. 

When we first arrived in Reims we strolled the streets getting familiarized with the town, which is relatively small. We then visited the Notre-Dame de Reims in the center of town. This cathedral is where the kings of France were crowned! Over the years it has served as a place of worship, a hospital in the First World War, and now as a tourist destination with over 1 million visitors each year. The facade is beautifully carved with the faces of a thousand saints, gargoyles, and architectural elements. It may be one of our new favorite cathedrals! Afterwards we visited the tourist information center to get a map and ask for any suggestions they could give us. We had already booked a tour of Lanson champagne house for the afternoon but Eve had heard that a few champagne houses offered tours without reservations. They suggested heading to Tattinger for one of their tours. They had a tour in about 40 minutes time so we hopped on one of the super convenient busses and zipped over to Taittinger for our first tour of the day!

Pretty arches!

Pretty arches!

The cathedral was having restoration done to the stain glass windows.

The cathedral was having restoration done to the stain glass windows.

When we arrived at Tattinger, we were immediately struck by the grandness of the buildings. We entered the large white buildings to book our tour and then stepped outside for a few minutes of sunshine before our tour began. Taittinger uses chalk caves, called crayeres, to store their wine. These caves were originally made by the Romans in the 4th century for harvesting chalk for building materials for houses and buildings in the town. Chalk, being porous can exchange air and humidity which keep the caves cool and at a constant temperature of 45 degrees all year round. Once the caves were dug out and there was no more need for the chalk the Roman monks started using them for wine storage. Taittinger is the third oldest champagne house and its caves are on the site of the Abbey of Saint Nicaise which was destroyed during the Revolution. Taittinger also owns 712 acres of vineyards outside the city where they harvest only the best crops to make their champagnes. Once they have made their wine, they let them age up to 10 years before selling them. The tour costs 16 euros (more if you want to taste more champagne) and it includes a glass of their champagne at the end.

Yummy champagne & Ivys THEIT Camera Bag!

Yummy champagne & Ivys THEIT Camera Bag!

The chalk caves storing the champagne.

The chalk caves storing the champagne.

After our tour of Taittinger we grabbed a few sandwiches from a bakery nearby and ate as we walked across town to Lanson, one of our absolute favorite champagnes! The Lanson winery is different to Taittinger's since it does not use chalk caves to store the wine but old cellars built into the hillside (much like the wine cellars back home in California). The temperature however still stays cool and constant. Lanson also is the first champagne house to have their own estate vineyard right next to their cellars and facilities. We were told that they play music in the vineyard twice a day: once in the morning to help protect the vines and roots from natural damages, and once in the evening to help aid the growth of the plant. Cool! Lanson is also distinguished between the other champagne houses because they do not use malolactic fermentation in their wine making process. This step was added to most champagne houses when it was discovered around 1837. Now it is used in many wines, still and sparkling. The process makes wine less acidic and more of a smooth mouth feel. The other champagne houses in Reims use malolactic fermentation which speeds up the aging process and therefore the wine is ready sooner. However, not using the malolactic fermentation helps Lanson wines keep longer. There are a few levels for the tour and tasting you can choose from 15 euros to 30 euros, we decided to do the most expensive option which includes 3 glasses of champagne after the tour. We got to taste their classic Black Label non-vintage brut, Rose Label rosé (one of the first rosé champagnes ever made), and the Gold Label 2008 brut. Our favorite glass was the 2008 brut which had an added complexity to the fresh citrusy taste of Lanson.

Walking in Lansons Caves...they use special light bulbs that do not create heat and gives an orange glow to photos. 

Walking in Lansons Caves...they use special light bulbs that do not create heat and gives an orange glow to photos. 

If only we had hallways full of Lanson champagne... 

If only we had hallways full of Lanson champagne... 

Black Label non-vintage brut

Black Label non-vintage brut

Rose Label rosé

Rose Label rosé

Gold Label 2008 brut

Gold Label 2008 brut

After our tour of Lanson we headed back to the train station to head back to Paris. On our way we stopped at Maison Fossier, which is a famous bakery in Reims for its pink biscuits. These biscuits were invented in the 1690’s. Bakers in Reims wanted to make something that could be made to use the heat of their ovens after baking bread. These cute pink cookies are traditionally dipped into champagne or can also be eaten with coffee or tea. We bought a few for ourselves and for gifts. They really do go so well with champagne! Once we were at the station, we had time for one last glass of bubbly before zipping back to Paris. 

Walking around Reims

Walking around Reims