Paris and Provence, Day 11: Back to Paris and a Fantastic Dinner
We woke up early for our last morning in Provence, ate everything left in the fridge, and headed to the train station. We picked up a croissant and quiche Lorraine for the ride. In Paris, we dropped our bags at the hotel and went down the street to Au Rendez-vous des Amis for a quick late lunch: foie gras for Ksenia and escargot for me.
We spent the afternoon wandering. At Mariage Frères we bought tea for gifts and ourselves. The stained glass at Sainte-Chapelle was magnificent. I had somehow forgotten all that stained glass. We walked around Notre-Dame but couldn’t get near it after the fire earlier that year. At Shakespeare and Company I found a Stephen Fry book called Heroes. Ksenia looked for a favorite Parisian boutique, but it seems to be gone.
Dinner at Auberge Nicolas Flamel was fantastic. The waiter had personality, and we both had the tasting menu; I added wine pairings. The amuse-bouches were a tiny chicken burger, gazpacho with melon foam, and a crisp rice flake with cheese. Then came duck liver foie gras with passion-fruit aspic, salmon tartare with mango and avocado, half a lobster over quinoa, and beef with mushrooms and pureed carrot. Dessert was a hollow chocolate ball filled with strawberries, whipped cream, and basil shaved ice. Hot chocolate poured over the shell melted it open to reveal the surprise inside.
Part of our August–September 2019 trip through Provence and Paris. Trip summary.
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