Paris Diary: Day Four

Barbara: Well, today we hit a few itinerary hiccups. First we went to the Hotel de Ville museum to see the much-hyped new “Paris through Hollywood” exhibit. But the lineup was at least an hour long. Since the Centre Pompidou was so close (and really top of my list this time to see), we shrugged that hiccup off and headed over. Check your schedules, people! Centre Pompidou: closed on Tuesdays! Disappointed, we regrouped quickly and realized there was one more exhibit that was also on the top of our list: the Van Gogh at the Pinacoteque.

The fountain outside Centre George Pompidou. I forgot to "do my lips".

It's closed!

Hotel de Ville

We took our time getting there as we ambled around the Opera district, admiring the gorgeous Opera House, wide bustling streets, and the impressive Eglise de la Madeleine.

And then food, of course! Stefanie led us away from the pricey restaurants that line these streets and into a square off the beaten track: Place St. Honoré. This quiet square was filled with nice shops and restaurants and we loved the look and menu of the adorable Le Pain Quotidien. Mostly organic, not too expensive (by Paris standards), and cute outdoor, heated patio. We enjoyed huge plates of clean, lighter food, me digging into an enormous veggie platter.

Shops in Place St. Honoré. Why all the American in Paris? Well, Stefanie needed a new pair of hose and this was the first source we found; and there might be a prezzie for another daughter in here somewhere....

Stefanie noted that one of the nicest things about living in Paris is the sense of “ease” she feels the people here embody. One doesn’t rush through things here. “Ou est le feu?” (Where’s the fire?”) is a favourite retort if you’re flustered and fumbling and rushing. It’s a genial reminder that you don’t have to do everything at once or at high speed. Take your time; relax! She really noticed the difference between this slower, more relaxed pace and (her sense of) the North American (or specifically, Torontonian) attitude to get there and do it faster, faster, FASTER. It reminds me of the famous quote: “Americans live to work; the French work to live.” No wonder so many people linger on patios and over meals. Where is the fire, after all?

Phil kept begging Stefanie and I to "Slow down!"-- we are very fast walkers. Stefanie, frustrated with the slow pace, finally resorted to dragging her dad (pictured here). Now he has the perfect response for her: "Ou est le feu?!"

After our delicious lunch, we headed over to the Pinacoteque gallery. They were featuring an exhibit that juxtaposed Van Gogh’s later work with the works of Japanese artist Hiroshige. Not having studied art, I was fascinated to learn that Van Gogh was greatly influenced by the ukiyo-e (or “floating world”) approach, the lines and perspectives of these illustrations, the singular eye. I knew that I loved Van Gogh’s art, but it’s always exciting to learn something new about a favourite artist, opening up my view into their inspirations and process.

After the gallery, it was time for another outdoor chocolat and people-watching (your feet do get very tired from all the walking—breaks are a must!).

Then we made our way to the Latin Quarters for the piano recital in the church. But first aperos: a glass of champagne (for the girls) and beer (for Phil) and a platter of charcuterie to tide us over. Stefanie led us to La Palette, another off-the-beaten-track-but-known-to-Parisians treasure. 

The church that hosts the nightly concerts (piano, opera, etc) is the Eglise St. Julien-le-Pauvre (St. Julien the poor) and it was first built on this very site in the 6^th century! Since then it has been rebuilt a few times, but the deep sense of history is profoundly there still. Inside is dark and quiet, somber and peaceful. The rhythms of the piano concerto as it takes place, flickering lights of candles in the outside aisles, intent raptness of the (mostly French) audience, makes this experience utterly moving. Definitely worth discovering.

This photo is from the night we went but decided to wait till tonight and the Chopin recital.

Before the seats filled and the lights were dimmed.

The concert finished at 9:30pm, giving us a half hour to make our 10pm reservation at Chez Paul, the classic French bistro back in Stefanie’s ‘hood. Like most of the places we’ve been to on this trip, the building and its décor date back generations, instantly immersing you in an authentic time-capsule of the evolving life of this city.

People say we "laugh the same". I think this photo is irrefutable evidence that
Stefanie's laugh is waaaaaaay more elegant!

At midnight—after escargots, steak au poivre, and profiteroles—we said a sad (and long—I didn’t want to leave her!) farewell to Stefanie and made our way back to the hotel. 

I said we were here for five days, but the truth is tomorrow is our trip home and not a day for traipsing and eating and café-sitting. Domage. So tomorrow I’m going to share with you a few of the Paris tricks and insights I managed to cull during out wonderful trip!

A bientot!