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1st May 2000 Paris
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1st May 2000-MAY DAY
We dressed up for our lunch at Le Jules Verne on the second deck of the Eiffel Tower. We took the above ground metro line to the Seine, and then walked along the river to the Eiffel tower among crowds out for May Day. Cheryl was concerned as to how we would be able to get a lift up the tower among such huge crowds packed around the base of the tower. Guess what, the restaurant has its own lift. We were welcomed at the marque entrance to the lift, our name checked off the booking list, and then ushered to a lift with a capacity of 7, and ascended into something really special.
Coats checked, we were lead to our table- the best table in the restaurant. Up against the window, midway between two external pillars of the tower itself, with an uninterrupted view from the Arc de Triomphe to our left across central Paris, with the River Seine from below us to Montmatre in the middle distance with the Sacre de core on top of the hill, and around to St Germaine to our right. Through the tower we could also see the Dome church. On being seated, the waiter suggested an aperitif, and when I paused with my mind a blank as to what we might have, he suggested "Champagne?". Why not! It appeared later on our bill at 190ff for the two glasses, but well worth it. With our champagne came several bite size savoury canapes. We then ordered. Entree: Cheryl- Terrine of Duck foie gras, truffles and leeks (beautifully presented in rows, with circular sections of the leeks and dark lines of truffles. Gavin: Steamed oysters in their shells with pickled fennel and citrus juice (arranged in a Chinese bamboo steamer sitting on a bed of seaweed). Mains: Cheryl-Dublin Bay Prawns, shredded crab meat with meat juice (A central mound of crab meat, surrounded by the prawns which resembled small lobsters, with their tails in the air meeting over the middle of the crab meat, and balanced on the tails a large circular sheet of very thin deep fried crisp potato slices.) Gavin- Fillet of lamb and Deep Fried Offal (Two small but very thick fillets of lamb sitting on a bed of honey/onion, and two balls of offal and rich gravy encased in breadcrumbs and deep fried. All were stunning, and as the review of le Jules Verne suggested. "this is no tourist trap", the food and the views on their own, would make it worthwhile, but when you get both, SENSATIONAL. Cheryl had selected a desert that had to be ordered at the beginning of the meal (which seems to be the case with at least half the desert menu, at any of the ***+ restaurants). It was a stack of crepes, folded into an envelope, sandwiched with a Grand Marnier flavoured custard cream, and served with marmalade and preserved peel. Gavin had an espresso. Both were accompanied by pistachio cones (kind of like a brandy snap texture-crisp, with pieces of pistachio, in clusters, and set into a cone shape), and a plate of petit fours (bite size fruit tart, mini almond loaf, and chocolate mousse encased brandied cherries in a chocolate cup).
We lingered longer than most, and observed another table-a family celebrating a major occasion, and another table with three women and a man. The women dressed very elegantly, and as Cheryl said, one pulled off wearing a pearl necklace and two huge pearl rings, and cloisonne bracelet and earings. She also mopped up her plate with her bread, proving that at these prices, you can please yourself about etiquette. We eventually joined the plebs on the outside deck (about 20 feet below the restaurant), from which we photographed most of Paris.
After an amazing three hours, we walked home through the gardens and side streets that extend for a kilometre from the base of the tower. Witnessed other greats of Parisian driving-cars parked on every piece of curb, down the middle of side streets, everywhere. Also finally witnessed how they extract themselves from parking spots with no more than six inches back and front. They literally nudge the cars back and front on each lock of the steering wheel, shunting the cars out of their road.
After briefly touching base at the hotel, we rugged up and went to the corner bistro/bar where we played Parisiennes, sitting facing the street having a coffee and watching the passing parade. Almost every corner in Paris has a bistro in this style. Small tables and rows and rows of chairs all facing the street-it's only late in the day or evening that the young people form up into clusters. The rubbish at the end of the day is incredible-cigarette buts knee deep, as well as the receipts for every order. Receipts are delivered with the drinks, and then torn part way through when paid. We don't know what happens overnight, but by next morning, everything is clean and tidy again. We assume they are all hosed into the street drains. Ian Keirnan and his clean up Australia team would be horrified with Paris. We did observe quite a number of street cleaners during the day however. What with the way the cars occupy the curbs, a street cleaner wouldn't have a hope in Paris. The street cleaners are dressed in a bright green, as is the matching colour of their rubbish bag, which is tubular, and on wheels. The most amazing thing is that they also have a broom, in the old fashioned style of a bunch of twigs (the old birch broom) bound together on the end of a handle, but they are made out of synthetic/plastics. After a stroll down the street we stopped at a Chinese takeaway, which served dumplings and ricepaper rolls of various descriptions, and bought a light snack for dinner. We retired early, again!
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