Laduree and Cartier Foundation Exhibit of Merde jk
Trip Start
Jul 23, 2008
1
17
27
Trip End
Aug 14, 2008
Paris,
France
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Then we went to the Republique station where we got Mobilis passes. We made our way on the Metro to Champs Elysees, and then to Laduree. We got a table in the Salon de The, which I would just call the bar. It wasn't a great table, but we were dressed for the catacombs, so I felt more comfortable there (we were asked where we wanted to sit, and I had said it didn't matter). There were people dressed in all forms of fashion though from casual like us to very chic.
The place is just beautiful
Laduree Salon du The
. DS and I shared a club sandwich, and DH and DD shared a salad with big, gorgorgeous prawns. That sandwich was one of the best I've ever had. We also had some Oolong a La Violette tea which was outstanding. Dessert was fantastic too. They have the best sorbet I've ever tasted: intense, decadent, fresh. Many people make Laduree a tradition when they are in Paris, and I can see why. It is now going to be a tradition for us as well. It is well worth the splurge.From there we took the Metro to the Catacombs, which were right across from the Metro exit. However, the line was an hour long, and it closed in an hour. Crap! It was the perfect day to go--at least 33 degrees C (91 F). We had really been looking forward to it. We had not expected the long line though.
There wasn't much else in the district, but we were close to the Montparnasse Cemetary, so we headed that way. Somehow we missed the entrance though.
However, we saw a line at what looked like a museum or something, and we were so hot we didn't care what was being displayed. In fact, I told DH as we were crossing the street to get to it, "I don't care if it's an exhibition of merde as long as they have air conditioning." Well, I had no idea how close I'd be in that remark
Laduree Dining Room
!We found out that it was the Cartier Foundation. DH was thinking "watches." I'm thinking "jewels." But while the kids and DH stood in the fairly short line, I went to the front to see what I could find out. Despite my limited French I saw that the time we were going in happened to be a free public showing of an exhibition of an artist called Cesar. OK, cool with us.
So we go in. Air conditioning. YAY! Then we start looking at the art as a secondary objective. Big thumbs, boobs, and blobs that happen to look like giant, sometimes colorful piles of merde. How prophetic I was. LOL Then downstairs were squished cars in, I have to say, beautiful paint colors. Outside, more "merde" and HUGE bales of shreds of paper, and more thumbs. I can't say I really liked his art, but I certainly appreciated the a/c.
From there we went into the Metro station to take the train home. My ticket wasn't working for some reason though it WAS valid. So, like many people do, I just went under the turnstile. Right into a group of mean looking police officials, one with a muzzled cujo dog. OOops. They looked at my ticket and let me go though.
Our Desserts
We got home and tried to cool off. DH laid down and fell asleep; I did the same. While I was drooling, DH and the kids went to the park and fed the flying rats, I mean pigeons, some stale bread.
For dinner we were going to go into the Latin Quarter, but instead, DH went down the block and got us some Turc takeaway: shaved meat, pita bread, salad, frites, tzatiki sauce. Oh it was so good.
After dinner, DH and I took a walk around Republique and stopped at a bistro called Indiana and had a drink. We had a front table, so it was very nice, although I was sitting there sweating. It was still so hot. But such a nice relaxing way to end the day.
