An Extraordinary Treat In Every Way

                                          April in Paris!

Photo by Taylor Lupica

To be exact: three days, the 14-18 of April in Paris and they were terrific. Invited to join my oldest son and my daughter—my youngest son’s work schedule wouldn’t permit—I went to Paris for three days. My oldest son, Lock, is fluent in French and goes to Paris annually, making him a more than capable guide. Daughter Taylor, just wanted to go and I, having not been to Paris since the 1970s, the three–day, jet-lag crash, notwithstanding, could certainly not say no to such an invitation. What mother in her right mind would say no?

We stayed in a modest, but well appointed and very old hotel on the Rue Jacob on the left bank. Perfect location. Interesting shops everywhere. We went to Marly at the Louvre for lunch one day. Chic and delicious. Great setting. We visited St Chapelle and were struck dumb by it’s majesty and beauty. 

We also went to the Picasso exhibition, which, for me, was more interesting than moving. I much preferred the Impressionist paintings at the Musee D’Orsay.

But most fun and completely new to me, was a food tour Lock had booked with a organization called Paris By Mouth http://parisbymouth.com/ 

 We were a small group and our deeply knowledgeable guide, Catherine Down, led us through French gastronomic heaven. At an ancient wine shop, La Derniere Goutte, we were given a sketch of the intricacies of wine making. This was followed by a visit to the Poilane bakery where we tasted and were introduced to the baking of bread and apple tarts. We were led further to Pierre Herme to experience the making of flakey, buttery croissants and delicate, melt-in–your-mouth macarons. At the Marche Couvert we selected cheeses and confit de canard. (duck pate) 

Further along, we gasped over the chocolates created by Patrick Roger, the recently voted number one chocolatier in Paris. In addition, we tasted the rich, sensuously smooth, lightly flavored, cream puffs made by the number one cream puff baker in Paris at La Maison de Chou.

At each stop Catherine purchased some of the wine, cheeses, cream puffs, chocolates, etc. and we ended the tour in the back room of a tiny wine shop, gathered around a rectangular wooden table eating each delicious bit as Catherine opened the perfect wine--fully explaining why this wine—with this cheese, chocolate, etc.

 Needless to say, Lock and Tay and I each had a salad for dinner.

Paris By Mouth has been written up in the New York Times in the past and if you check the Travel section--36 Hours, Left Bank, Paris--in the April 19, Sunday Times, you will find this remarkable tour acknowledged  again. 

And, by the way, never miss an opportunity to travel with your adult children somewhere, anywhere.  Never mind that you can’t quite keep up with them!