I am unsatisfied with my Field Reports. Years from now, when I look back and want to recall my adventures, they will not do the job… so here I go again using maps, our pictures (including the ones I posted on Facebook), and my memories before they fade!
Today we left town again to go to Saint Denis (north of the city) and visit the Basilique Saint-Denis where the Kings of France were buried for 800 years… until the Revolution when their remains were pilfered! This Basilica has such a rich history I was looking forward to visiting it!
Sadly (predictably) the entire façade was obscured due to renovations.
Still, side was nice!
And so was in the inside…
The town of Saint Denis seemed poor and run down… but you can’t really judge a place based on what you’ve seen in an hour (Basilica, Town Hall, Main Street, Train Station). We got back to Paris around 11:45 and I forget now if we had a specific plan but I am sure it generally included scouting a place to have lunch!
We walked through Place des Victoires, meandered around the neighbourhood near the Palais Brongniart (La Bourse) and we also revisited the Galerie Vivienne that we first saw in 2012. It looked a lot nicer this time; I think I was just in a better mood! I then had a lucky flash memory of where to go for lunch: Restaurant Bouillon Chartier!
2 people have recommended this restaurant to me, and I have to say I left with mixed reviews. I wrote on my Facebook page: Great starter, awful main course (had about 5 bites) great atmosphere, awful table, great prices, awful waiter.
I started with foie gras de canard again and it was too. die. for. !!! Best foie gras of the trip hands down. My main was fish in mushroom sauce… not good. My husband had a grilled dorade royale and it still raving about how delicious it was. Mine was terrible. The cheese for dessert was bland. No garnish, just a slab on a plate.
The restaurant itself was very nice, but we were seated under the stairs in a dark corner behind a pillar. I had to get up from the table to go take a picture of the place! we were so “hidden” from the action that I almost feel like we were not there. I also didn’t like that your order was scrolled down on your paper table liner and to top it all off our waiter was an ass. Overall it lacked class BUT – it was cheap. (relatively)
We were done by about 1:15 and then just wandering around town some more. Strolling aimlessly through the streets, back along the the Jardin des Tuileries again and ending up at Buddha Bar 2 hours later for a drink.
Buddha Bar is (allegedly) one of those seen-and-be-seen places where super models and celebrities can be spotted… but not at 3:30 PM; I’m sure this is why they let us in. I am convinced we would not have passed muster had we attempted to pop in for a cocktail in the evening!
It was SO DARK I had to feel my way down the stairs – I had to search for a menu and no one came along to take our drink order. Eventually I just went looking for someone at the bar.
Nice and rested after this pit stop, we set off on another huge aimless wander of the city (including if you remember from Day 3: proper pictures of the true Palais de l'Élysée!!) We walked along Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, passed the Arc de Triomphe, down to Place d’Alma and across the bridge. Strolled along the Seine passed the beautiful Pont Alexandre III, down the Esplanade des Invalides…
… and eventually settled in for supper at La Source around 6:30 (Lou met up with us there about an hour later)
I managed again to convince my husband to stay out a little later after dinner so we could take some night shots of the Colonne de Juillet and he agreed (because it was close to home!!)
We called it a night just before 10PM.
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