Paris Day IX

Playing: Step-Vampire Weekend (Love the 18th century ball sound to it!)
Reading: 1984 by George Orwell

To start off our last day in Paris, my family and I visited the Musée de l'Orangerie to see Monet's lilies before stopping off at the Palais de Tokyo. The Palais de Tokyo is known for its avant garde exhibits and for showcasing up and coming artists. The collection was rather limited, but I enjoyed what they had and how many of their pieces felt like a whimsical childhood gone by.

Right behind the Palais de Tokyo on Saturdays is a farmers market that has everything from fresh produce to flowers to food stands to vintage clothing boutiques. At Gerard&Evelyne, you can order delicious crepes for low prices. The Brocéliande, which I ordered, is stuffed with savory cheese, mushrooms, and ham inside a whole grain crepe. It was surprisingly good and probably the best crepe I've ever gotten off a stand.

After lunch, we wandered aimlessly through Paris before heading back to the Champes-Élysées to visit the Louis Vuitton store. Even though it was huge inside and offered a wide selection, I found it demeaning to have to wait in line just to get in. There were many purses inside that I liked, but I found that the prices in the states are significantly better and couldn't justify buying anything. However, since we were near Ladurée, I was able to grab another box of macarons to bring home.

For our last meal, we just ate at a restaurant near out hotel called Le Bistro Marbeuf. The Escalope de Veau à la Crème de Champignons avec Riz was rather good. The veal was tender and the sauce was very creamy just as I had hoped.

The dessert was the most interesting. Our Île Flottante avec Crème Anglaise was a large puff of meringue topped with caramel, sitting in a pool of custard. It was light and airy, but flavorful and definitely something you should try if a restaurant offers it. Overall, my trip to Paris was one of my favorites. I had been warned several times that the French were rude and standoffish, but everyone was nice towards me and two boys even offered to take me around Paris. The food was good, the city was beautiful, and I got to experience once in a lifetime moments like talking to Karl Lagerfeld, Grace Coddington, and Sylvia Venturini Fendi. I would definitely like to go back there to study one day.