Today was what must have been a 5 mile walk, at least, working in lunch at Tour d'Argent and a tour of the Louvre Museum. The Radisson Vendome is located just about the location of the arrow pointing to Les Jardin des Tuileries.
On the way to our first stop, at one point in the garden, we were almost surrounded by half a dozen young men from probably the Middle East,, but we made so much fuss and in the distance were two policemen on horses, that we got out of this incident. Then, ten minutes later, six or so Muslim-type women did the same, but we escaped from that too, except that they followed us for a short while. At least we were aware of what to do. Here is something from the warning literature:
- People may also campaign for relief for third world countries asking for small donations. Once you stop to learn more, a group of people surrounds you and attempts to lure more money or simply take what they want. This and the previous signature scam can occur all over the city, including The Louvre, Garden of Tuileries and on the Champs-Elysées.
- Most travelers expect thieves to be gangs of men. However, there are also small groups of women who eagerly await the daily arrival of new visitors. A woman or group of women may approach you with a sign or even text on a piece of paper. The text may be in French or even English. While you take a look at what is on the paper, one of the other women will take a look at what valuables you are carrying and grab what they can. This is the classic distraction technique.
And Paris is only #5 in the above list.
On the contrary, lunch at Tour d'Argent was heavenly. We got what we felt was the best table in the house.
The view of the Seine (which is a river, 483 miles long, flowing into the English Channel at Le Havre) and Notre-Dame:
We started with Kir Royale to accompany appetizers:
What a wine list. Settled on half a bottle each of a Loire and a Bordeaux:
The Pike Dumpling was spectacular, and the scallops were okay:
The roasted duckling filet with duck skin chips, licorice foam stock, fennel comfit and beetroot enhancements was maybe the star of the day:
I wonder if this is wise, but the restaurant gave each customer a postcard with a number. Mine was 1,166,592, which is the number of the duck on the plate:
The final entre was something called Quince from Les Jardines de Briere, with a lot of crumblies and a quince/apple sherbet:
By this point we were filled, so took the petit fours (pistachio white chocolate macaroons, raspberry stuffed meringue, roast pineapple Napoleon and apple dipped in gold topping with apple chips) back to our room:
The owner (right), Andre Terrail, came by for a chat, and took a photo with the Maitre' 'd:
The current chef is Phillip Labbe:
A truly memorable meal of the finest in cuisine, service and view.
On the way to The Louvre, a few interesting photos, beginning with a condom dispenser, where you get two of them for one Euro:
Of course, my Blue-Bar Pigeon kept making an appearance. Finally, the Louvre:
Note the Moon and French flag. Inside:
I could show you 380,000 objects and 35,000 works of art, but let me provide just one, the Mona Lisa:
The people in the painting are a reflection of the bullet-proof glass. Of course, she was painted by Leonardo da Vinci, but how many of you know that Mona's name is Lisa Gherardini and is an oil painting on white Lombardy poplar. When? Anywhere between 1503 to 1517. It's valued at around a $1 billion, but will never be sold. It has been on permanent display at the Louvre since 1797, except that in 1911 it was stolen, and one of those suspicioned was Pablo Picasso, but Vincenzo Peruggia was the thief. Mona was returned two years later. Her history is what makes her so popular, but the painting is only 21"x30". My photo is a bit hazy, so here is another version:
Last year the Louvre received more than 10 million visitors, making it the world's most visited museum.
I finally caught a view of the Eiffel Tower, where we'll have lunch tomorrow. What a day. Those are the only three clouds I saw all day, and the temperature was around 50 F, perfect for strolling around.
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