First Day in Paris

We had again a bistro lunch in Fontainebleau before we left for Paris. The bistro was called Le Bacchus (Bacchus, god of wine). I had duck confit, which was a first for the trip and it was really good. Confit is a method used in the past to preserve meats. With duck, it is normally seasoned with herbs and alot of salt. Before slow roasting it, the salt is removed. The duck is then covered (more like submerged) in its fat (normally goose/duck fat) and slow roasted at 100-120 degrees for 3-4 hrs. Once cooled, the duck can be kept (again submerged in fat) for a long time. Once needed, the duck is pan fried or roasted till crisp. The fat can also be used to roast potatoes.

Meat terrine                                                               Seafood pasta

Duck confit                                                                              Duck breast with pepper sauce

Pineapple and mango charlotte                                                      Chocolate profiteroles

Final destination Paris. As cliche as it may sound, Paris is the city of love. It is grand, beautiful, unique and has so much history. You can't help but feel enthralled by Paris (even despite the hot weather that we had -average of 30 degrees Celcius daily). However, be aware of con artistses that roam the city. We were approached by a man who pretended to pick up a ring. He then tried to "give" the ring to us and in return, he asked that we buy him a meal/drink. We refused, and later, I saw others attempt the ring trick with other tourists.

On our first day in Paris, we decided we would do a leisurely walk in the city and then head to the Musee de Lourve to spend the rest of the day there. We started by walking to the Eiffel tower, which was really a ten minute walk from our hotel (Mercure on Rue de Grenelle). We then walked along the river and went through a few parks before reaching the Lourve. I was thinking "this is great, I get to see Paris on foot and I'm also doing some exercise". That thought (and good effort) was then foiled by a crepes stand just near the Lourve. So what did I do? Caved in to temptation, I guess. :)

My chocolate and banana crepe

Right wing of the Lourve

Musee de Lourve with the "new" addition of the glass pyramid

Under the roof

The sculpture wing

An ornate ceiling. The museum was once a royal palace prior to the Revolution.

Venus Milo

Another armless lady- Bern, which one was this again? By this stage, we had spent about 3 hrs at the Lourve and I already  had a sensory and information overload.

The most famous lady in the house, Mona Lisa.

That was essentially the first day in Paris. I loved the museum, and I feel it is worth spending at least a day there, and despite that, we only managed to see a few wings. Also, Parisians were on strike that day, so they shut the French paintings wing. Even then, we could not get through all the areas that were open. On the way back to the hotel, I was again tempted by  the many beautiful pattiseries along the way. Hhmmm... I wonder what I'm having for dinner tonight.