Daily grind

As we leave to go to the bakery across the lake the sun has finally begun to break through the fog and the frost to melt. Cosy in our car, seat heaters on (yes you read correctly - seat heaters) the dog and I make our way around and across Lake Burley Griffin. The fog closes in again, the sun disappears and the car beeps at me telling me the temp has dropped to 4 degrees celsius, and continues to drop. As we arrive at Silo Bakery the thermometer is hovering at around 1.5 degrees celsius. No worries of my barking dog disturbing patrons enjoying coffee and cake whilst he is tied up to an outside bench - not a person to be seen. Bread bought, oops, in slipped a large luscious pain au raisin and home again to begin the sewing of some school musical dresses in luminous pink stretch fabric.

Oh, the people you meet and the food that you eat

One of the reasons travelling is fun - the people you meet. 2 fun conversations over a cafe breakfast yesterday. Firstly with 2 Canadian women researching chocolate, secondly with a madly eccentric German woman from Mexico with a very posh private school accent. She was wearing an oversized floppy straw hat and enormous ring. Bumped into her again in the Musee D'Orsay. The day before we chatted with 2 American women travelling to eat, sounds familiar. They caught cabs everywhere, no sore feet for them then.

Musee D'Orsay was great, got caught in a huge down pour after lunch whilst shopping (!) in the posh area - took shelter under the verandah of Chanel. Glad of the respite in the Musee Arts Decoratif, a wing in the Louvre with a fantastic display of furnishing from the mediaeval times to now. Afterwards enjoyed a slow sunny walk towards the hotel via a very large dept store - much more upmarket than any in Australia - lovely things - just looking.

 Out to dinner with Mark in another very nice restaurant - could have been in Sydney. Hobbled back to the hotel in lingering twilight at 10pm. People out on the streets everywhere, in cafes, just walking. Such a lovely atmosphere. Poor feet.

And then a couple of days later thinking about our wonderful meal I wrote to a friend with whom I have shared many a gorgeous restaurant meal in the past........... I want to tell you what we had for dinner two nights ago - you would have just loved it. It was 5 courses chosen by the chef - everyone in the restaurant had the same. We began with a trio of inidvidually plated spring veg - artichoke, asparagus and broad beans to dip in a little sauce flavoured with anchovies. Next was 2 perfectly cooked, room temp chunks, small, of turbot topped with spanner crab and then either jamon or a crisp biscuit of buckwheat bread and accompanied by a delicate jelly of cucumber. The level of quality and flavour continued to rise with the next course of 2 delicate ravioli filled with pigeon and foie gras over which was poured a pigeon broth. A very tasty side dish was given consisting of chopped cherries, apricots and chanterelles. it complemented the ravioli and broth so well. Main course - veal. A small veal steak/chunk cooked sous vide (?) and wrapped in chard and a pan fried veal sweetbread with a beautiful sauce. The flavours were rich, but delicate, the textures so soft, but supple. Moist too. Dessert was 4 little dishes - very delicate and light honey flavoured icecream topped with pitachios, a tiny lemon curd filled cream puff and a little bowl of perfect macerated strawbs. There was another dessert but my mind has blanked as we have had 3 meals of perfect desserts. Tina, this meal was so perfect. It had perfect presentation, perfection in cooking style and so seasonal. It was just lovely and we commented we thought you would love it too, but all I can share of it is with words.

http://www.springparis.fr/p/reservations_09.html

Arrivee - Paris

Two weeks on and here are some of my recollections of a wonderful few days as a flaneur in Paris.........

And zonk - slept another 9 hours straight after walking way too much yesterday afternoon upon arriving in Paris. Long haul flights - 24 hours - definitely not a joy. But so keen to orient myself, so out we head.

Fantastic meal in St Germain area on Tuesday night after we arrive - very seasonal, modern, light and inexpensive - lucky to get in. Breakfast in a lovely cafe next door to well known Poilane yesterday - best croissant had in a long long time. The cafe au lait - enormous. Then I walk and walk and walk. Stick my nose very close to some Cezanne paintings in the Orangerie, enjoy a fantastic lunch in the Marais with Mark - Septime (he has done so well sourcing restaurants) again a break from the traditional heavy bistro meals we experienced two years ago. Literally bump into a Chanel handbag toting Melissa George (The Slap) at the crossing by BHV. Icecream on Isle St Louis - chocolate nougat and carmel with salt - mm. Finally climbing the narrow windy streets to our hotel at 5.30 - aagh blisters. Picnic dinner in the Luxembourg Gardens scrounged from local shops - ooo yum. Sleep. Good? Yep.

http://www.poilane.com/pages/en/company_boutiques.php

PS. Good tip for travelling to Paris and wanting hot gossip on the latest foodie things - go to this website - it has been spot on - http://parisbymouth.com/