Our Weekend in Paris and Champagne
If you could choose an ideal weekend away where would you choose?
The plane has landed with a bump and jolt we are home. The Cairo skylight is hazy, the clouds hang low and heavy with the load of a big busy city. There is a welcome feel but a regret that it’s over; the weekend is finished.
We chose Paris and Eperney in the Champagne region. Paris, a city of love, art and destinations of fine food and fine wine. We partook of all the delights, in equal measure.
An espresso on the Ave des Champs-Elysees, peeking through the Arc de Triomphe watching a Gendarme orchestrating the traffic with all the skill of a maestro. Travellers and Parisians drifting and converging in transit a delight to watch and share from the ordered seats of a sidewalk café.
The Louvre’s hushed galleries were a contrast after the hustle and bustle of street life. The Mona Lisa’s smile follows you around the room and holds your attention “look at Me”, she says. What a visual feast, room after room of treasures.
A quite private prayer at the Notre Dame soothes the soul while outside the world is busy. What a gothic masterpiece, constructed between 1163 and 1345 and renovated in the 19th century.
The Eiffel Tower commands the horizon, its tall, its steel, its romantic, its Paris. Its food and wine for us. As an end to birthday celebrations, we chose to lunch there, a Parisian icon. It was perfect for our weekend away. The 1 star Michelin rating of the “Jules Verne” restaurant hinted at culinary excellence; the wine list seduces; we choose the Louis Roederer and the signature dish, amongst other courses and treats.
Would you like to hear what we had?
∑ Heavenly pastry filled with crab and prawns surrounded by a frothy sauce of flavours and delights, accompanied by a silky mix of salmon, cool and smooth complete with caviar, the tastes and textures meet our expectations; luxurious comes to mind.
∑ The signature dish was sea scallops with pork, an unexpected union. I aspire to cook like this.
∑ A hushed movement signals the arrival of the cheese cart. To choose is difficult! Is it the smell, the texture or taste that you want? We sought expert advice and the choices were made: creamy, strong and gentle, cow or goat. Where to start, the French are very good at this.
It was cheese on toast for dinner that night. I didn’t try to emulate our lunch, but it was French cheese. Oh and did I forget a little 1/2 bottle of French bubbles, and chocolates for desert.
Next door to our hotel was the oldest chocolate shop in Paris founded in 1800, which supplied the King of France. When you walked into the shop, the smell was enticing; you could almost taste the chocolate on your tongue. Price is on weight at EUR100,000 per tonne (approx AUD160,000).
Enough about food? What about a bit of culture? The works of Monet, Degas, Renoir, Van Gogh to name a few of the Impressionists and Post-Impressionists represented at the Musee D’Orsay, beautiful and rich in colour and style, superlatives cannot describe such wonderful works. The Musee is housed in a restored railway station; it was a work of art in itself. The combination of art and history were in sync. Peter enjoyed the building as much as I enjoyed the art, what fun.
We followed Louis X1V ‘s example and escaped to Versailles for a little afternoon meander through the glorious gardens complete with marble statues ,even row boats on the lake. After our busy busy days, the serenity of the gardens provided a welcome relaxation.
Parts of Paris offer a living history. We dined at the Tour D’Argent, which began life in 1582 and is the oldest restaurant in Paris. Duels were fought there to obtain a table, dinner is still impossible unless you book months in advance, but Peter did not have to have a duel for a lunch reservation. During the Third Republic (before 1914), the ritual of the Canard au Sang was created, it was decreed that each duck would bear a number, which continues to this day. We had duck number 1,035,438. The owner Claude Terrail is quoted: “Nothing is more serious than pleasure”. I think we are devotees, or at least foodies. We were in heaven with more bubbles to pave the way.
Being of the firm belief that French Champagne is one of Life’s pleasure, we sought more pleasure and headed to Eperney for our last night in France to offer our services for quality control in the Champagne region of France.
Maintaining the weekend’s theme of leisure and pleasure we stayed in an old coach house with views down the valley above Eperney. The vista was of grape vines and rusty village dwellings, the light seemed to shimmer above the vines, giving them life and flavour, we missed the harvest by two weeks.
In the village of Epernay the various Champagne houses have carved their cellars from the limestone where they turn nature into art. The 17 miles of caves at Moet and Chandon are 250years old. A mysterious dark maze filled with bubbles at various stages of effervescences and aromas. Would Madam care to taste the final product? With a suitable pause, “Yes Please!!” Not sure, we may need a second; oh but “that is your third”; oh dear!!
Romance mixed with Good Food, Good Wine, Culture, Art and History. France was a dazzling choice for a weekend away.
The plane has landed with a bump and jolt we are home. The Cairo skylight is hazy, the clouds hang low and heavy with the load of a big busy city. There is a welcome feel but a regret that it’s over; the weekend is finished.
We chose Paris and Eperney in the Champagne region. Paris, a city of love, art and destinations of fine food and fine wine. We partook of all the delights, in equal measure.
An espresso on the Ave des Champs-Elysees, peeking through the Arc de Triomphe watching a Gendarme orchestrating the traffic with all the skill of a maestro. Travellers and Parisians drifting and converging in transit a delight to watch and share from the ordered seats of a sidewalk café.
The Louvre’s hushed galleries were a contrast after the hustle and bustle of street life. The Mona Lisa’s smile follows you around the room and holds your attention “look at Me”, she says. What a visual feast, room after room of treasures.
A quite private prayer at the Notre Dame soothes the soul while outside the world is busy. What a gothic masterpiece, constructed between 1163 and 1345 and renovated in the 19th century.
The Eiffel Tower commands the horizon, its tall, its steel, its romantic, its Paris. Its food and wine for us. As an end to birthday celebrations, we chose to lunch there, a Parisian icon. It was perfect for our weekend away. The 1 star Michelin rating of the “Jules Verne” restaurant hinted at culinary excellence; the wine list seduces; we choose the Louis Roederer and the signature dish, amongst other courses and treats.
Would you like to hear what we had?
∑ Heavenly pastry filled with crab and prawns surrounded by a frothy sauce of flavours and delights, accompanied by a silky mix of salmon, cool and smooth complete with caviar, the tastes and textures meet our expectations; luxurious comes to mind.
∑ The signature dish was sea scallops with pork, an unexpected union. I aspire to cook like this.
∑ A hushed movement signals the arrival of the cheese cart. To choose is difficult! Is it the smell, the texture or taste that you want? We sought expert advice and the choices were made: creamy, strong and gentle, cow or goat. Where to start, the French are very good at this.
It was cheese on toast for dinner that night. I didn’t try to emulate our lunch, but it was French cheese. Oh and did I forget a little 1/2 bottle of French bubbles, and chocolates for desert.
Next door to our hotel was the oldest chocolate shop in Paris founded in 1800, which supplied the King of France. When you walked into the shop, the smell was enticing; you could almost taste the chocolate on your tongue. Price is on weight at EUR100,000 per tonne (approx AUD160,000).
Enough about food? What about a bit of culture? The works of Monet, Degas, Renoir, Van Gogh to name a few of the Impressionists and Post-Impressionists represented at the Musee D’Orsay, beautiful and rich in colour and style, superlatives cannot describe such wonderful works. The Musee is housed in a restored railway station; it was a work of art in itself. The combination of art and history were in sync. Peter enjoyed the building as much as I enjoyed the art, what fun.
We followed Louis X1V ‘s example and escaped to Versailles for a little afternoon meander through the glorious gardens complete with marble statues ,even row boats on the lake. After our busy busy days, the serenity of the gardens provided a welcome relaxation.
Parts of Paris offer a living history. We dined at the Tour D’Argent, which began life in 1582 and is the oldest restaurant in Paris. Duels were fought there to obtain a table, dinner is still impossible unless you book months in advance, but Peter did not have to have a duel for a lunch reservation. During the Third Republic (before 1914), the ritual of the Canard au Sang was created, it was decreed that each duck would bear a number, which continues to this day. We had duck number 1,035,438. The owner Claude Terrail is quoted: “Nothing is more serious than pleasure”. I think we are devotees, or at least foodies. We were in heaven with more bubbles to pave the way.
Being of the firm belief that French Champagne is one of Life’s pleasure, we sought more pleasure and headed to Eperney for our last night in France to offer our services for quality control in the Champagne region of France.
Maintaining the weekend’s theme of leisure and pleasure we stayed in an old coach house with views down the valley above Eperney. The vista was of grape vines and rusty village dwellings, the light seemed to shimmer above the vines, giving them life and flavour, we missed the harvest by two weeks.
In the village of Epernay the various Champagne houses have carved their cellars from the limestone where they turn nature into art. The 17 miles of caves at Moet and Chandon are 250years old. A mysterious dark maze filled with bubbles at various stages of effervescences and aromas. Would Madam care to taste the final product? With a suitable pause, “Yes Please!!” Not sure, we may need a second; oh but “that is your third”; oh dear!!
Romance mixed with Good Food, Good Wine, Culture, Art and History. France was a dazzling choice for a weekend away.
posted by PC and JT at 12:54 am
