I was seeing a TV serial, and they were talking about Paris. Their affair is about to bloom, but not yet! Just loads of chemistry flying around!

She is about to go to Paris with a very rich man! And He tells her that, she should get lost in magical Paris. One should wake up in the morning, and go out and walk and get lost. And when one is tired and hungry, stop at one of the many cafes and eat the amazing Parisian food, and then get up and walk some more and get lost again.

And repeat it the next day.

We did just that. Except we were so forewarned and feverishly and fervently told “ we must eat and so and so restaurant” – that we booked our lunches and dinners way in advance.

Of course once we reached Paris, and once we spoke with the concierge + receptionist + porter + accountant, we changed our mind and went with some of her suggestions.

Stay

We stayed at the Signature St. Germaine Des Pres. It’s a small cute and quaint hotel, in the St. Germaine Area, off Boulevard Raspail. Very close to a lot of good café, shopping and charming chocolate shops.

The breakfast was very average, so after the first day we went to Le Pain Quotidien, which was close by.

Ask for their biggest room, but stay there. It was a great experience.

Food

Yes, yes!! Lets come to the most important part!! (I’m rubbing my hands in glee!)

We ate and ate and ate. And every meal was a delight to the palate, the heart and the soul! (Especially after the terrible food at Epernay!)

Le Grande Da Venise. Was suggested by my very close friend. Her, normally quiet husband was also ready to start dancing, when she started singing praises about this restaurant. And good lord of mine!! Was it praise worthy!!

Recommend – The anti pasti. Do not over do the bread before that, even though the salted butter and fabulous olive oil will over power your will. The anti pasti is huge. And I really do mean gigantic. The portions as well as the number of dishes. And if you are non vegetarian, you can expect a few more dishes added to the mix.

The ever – on – the – move lady will come and take your main course order. Trust me I thought we could not eat much of the main course, but we ended up making good use of our forks and knives.

YOU MUST HAVE THEIR CARAMEL ICECREAM.

 

 

 

 

 

Trust me – every table I looked, people were busy eating. No one seemed bothered about calories, or conversation.

Aperge. Words cannot describe the experience. It belongs to one of the best chefs ever. A three Michelin Star restaurant. And retains it’s status, year after delicious year.

Chef Allain Pasard, grows his own greens, and the reds and blues and every color of vegetable that adorned our table. He went rogue and took all red meat out of the menu 2 years ago. Very recently has he reintroduced it again. A vegetariains dream come true – This restaurant.

We had a 14 course meal, — (Yes! Its not a misprint and you do not have schizophrenia!)

The wine list – Muah! Muah!!

WARNING – Please confirm reservations way in advance. You will be charged if you do not show up / cancel before 48 hours. ‘

Do confirm the prices per head – it was expensive. But a life times experience.

Café Marley. Over looks the Louvre. Its set in the galleries which over look the glass pyramid. Great place for people watching.

And food which sets your senses on fire. We had the Gazpacho Soup. If its still on the menu – go for it! And the thin Apple Tart too!

Book in advance and sit outside if it’s a nice day. Inside is nice – but very warm!

Laduree An institution in Paris. And OH MY – WHY NOT !! We sat on the outside café, and had amazing food. Try the cheese cake salad, their desserts and macaroons.

Les Souffles. Fluffy, well risen, great taste, phenomenal flavours. One thinks of stomach feeling like a pot of stones, after a three cheese soufflé – not so! Do not miss, what I have rated as the best soufflés I have ever eaten!

Buddha Bar – frankly food was very so so! But the music post 11 pm was brilliant!

Other restaurants:- These were suggested by the same friends who suggested the above restaurants, so they are definitely worth checking out!

Precope.

Bistrot Paul Bert.

Motor Village.

Ralph Lauren restaurant.

La Cinq.

Frenchie.

Septime.

 

Places to see

Frankly, we are not Museum nuts! There are all the obvious museums one must see, but if you want to escape the madness of Louvre, and Notre Dam, there are lesser known museums worth going to.

(Many of Paris’s smaller museums contain equally important and beautiful art—and are often more pleasant, since you won’t be elbowed out of the way by a photo-snapping swarm. You’ll find Monet’s famous Nymphéas (water lily) murals in the Musée de l’Orangerie, at the far end of the Tuileries Gardens. The Musée Marmottan is home to the world’s largest collection of Monets. And the Musée Rodin, housed in a luminous villa with a lovely garden, is one of the most romantic places in all of Paris.)

Luxembourg Gardens – for the sheer beauty, expanse and people watching.

Champs Elysees for all the fabulous stores and the experience

Hermes : the store. Even if you don’t want to buy anything! Its one of the best stores I have ever seen.

Latin Quarters Go straight to Rue St. Michael. And then turn into the busy lanes. Full of cafes, restaurants and a few shops. Have a meal or a glass of wine.

Chocolate Crawl at St Germain. The entire area is filled with small and petit chocolate shops. Truffles, macaroons, fudges, bars, rocks, barks — you name it. Even if chocolate is not your thing – you cannot leave Paris without entering atleast two shops, and savouring a few of those yummy things!

Gourmet food shopping  If not in Paris then where? The two most famous shops are in Galleries Lafayette and Bon Marche. I went to Bon Marche and then I went to heaven. I was like a kid who was allowed to roll in the mud and then eat without washing them hands! Like a dog with unlimited forbidden treats! Like a geek with three new- latest gadgets! You get the picture ??

SHOPPING

Alas! I did not do much of shopping. Bought my self some boots! And some basic stuff – This trip was all about eating!

Next one  -(for there are many more restaurants we need to try!)  I’ll shop – I Promise!

 (the below excerpts are taken from the internet)

Window Shopping, on RUE SAINT-HONORÉ.

(FROM THE NET)   If designer shopping and elite French brand names set your heart all aflutter, get thee to the rue Saint-Honoré. The favorite haunt of fashionistas the world over, here you’ll rub elbows with everyone from Japanese DJs to Saudi Princesses. Whether it’s the ultra-hip (Colette, Damir Doma, Comme des Garçons), French status labels (Goyard, Hermès, Chanel), or something a bit less pricy but every bit as stylish as the big boys (Zara, & Other Stories) you’re sure to find it here. Beginning at the Palais Royal and ending at the Elysée Palace, it’s an afternoon prowl to satisfy the most indefatigable shopper.

AFTERNOON IN THE MARAIS

(FROM THE NET) Hands down the best shopping neighborhood in Paris, the Marais is all that and so much more. Located in the historic 3rd and 4tharrondissements, the Marais’s ancient hôtel particuliers (private mansions), superb museums (Musée Carnavalet, Cognacq-Jay Museum, and the soon-to-reopen Musée Picasso), great restaurants, cafés, Paris’s famous old Jewish quarter, and the lovely Place des Vosges make it an absolute must-see. Wander up the rues Vieille du Temple and Franc Bourgeois, two of the neighborhood’s central spines, and discover the charming side streets and the quartier‘s many hidden delights.

Walk, Walk, and Walk in Paris! You might find yourself somewhere! VOILA!

 

Many years ago, I was suffering from severe vertigo. There were days when I was fearful of even moving out on a crowded street. Driving was out of question. After a year or so of trying various remedies, homeopathy and acupressure did the job.

Ecstatic, I started kickboxing. Everybody around me lost it. Kickboxing is one of the most strenuous, limb stretching, accident-prone workouts, one can pursue. I started with a group workout, which was a disaster. My legs could barely lift themselves. Reaching a target at head level was an impossibility. My punches had no zest. My body ached and pained and hurt. But something about martial arts has always held me enthralled. So even when the group broke up, I started private lessons with my Sensei.

Now, when I kick way above my head and my punches push him back, I think back and am so glad that I did not listen to the naysayers. Of course I have bruises everyday, and sometimes bleeding or sore knuckles, but for me it’s a character trait, and not debasement of beauty.

I have no clue, who told my friend’s husband I kick box? But, we got talking and he sent me a book. And it has consumed me. Till then I thought, ZEN was another three letter, celebrity concept.

I primarily learnt kickboxing as a defense technique. A goon has slapped me in college, and I have never forgotten it. I wanted to learn how to fight back, or at least cause some sort of damage.

As I would gear up to start my workouts with Sir, I would gather up all the anger I felt towards random people in my life and I would punch and kick at them. Their faces and actions would show up on the boxing bag and I would have a good go at it. It left me extremely satisfied and worked out. But sometimes at night I would have dreams, that my punches have absolutely no effect. They would bounce off the target like I was hitting a huge mountain of a man, with a non – effective small, plastic toy. These dreams are my nightmare.

As I grew stronger and my hands could hit harder, Sir would keep warning me to not hit anyone too hard. He felt I could do great damage if I connected properly. “And that’s the point, right? “ I would tell myself. I have learnt kickboxing to do damage and to beat up assholes. I was waiting for an opportunity.

It arrived when I was wearing a salwar kameez and going for a condolence meeting. To cut the pre drama short, I was confronted by 2 people, one man and one woman, in the middle of a very busy road. They were both extremely aggressive and angry, and trying to rile me up. At one point I was holding off the woman with one hand and the man with another. My feet firmly rooted to the ground, both my hands busy controlling them, my eyes were digging into the man’s. He tried to shake me off, but failed. Finally I let go and he threatened to hit me. I moved closer to him and crossed my hands, and asked him to go right ahead. He was so shocked, that after a few seconds, (which felt like a few hours), he backed off. I got back into the car. At that time I did not know that I was practicing ZEN.

Anger without action and action without anger. Anger, blocks sensible action. It’s a haze in front of our eyes and we keep missing the target. Action without anger is very effective.  The body remains relaxed, and just before the moment of contact, all energy is collected and pushed into that punch or kick. My all time hero, Bruce Lee could punch within an inch of space between himself and his opponent, and have his opponent moving a few feet backwards.

A quick temper will make a fool of you soon enough – Bruce Lee

With my thoughts running all over, ZEN is something I really need to learn. A few days back, I just could not sleep. I actually held my skull and pleaded with my brains to calm down.

Empty your mind, be formless. Shapeless, like water. If you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle and it becomes the bottle. You put it in a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Now, water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend.” Bruce Lee.

For a wonderful all consuming, rivetting read – “Zen in the Martial Arts” by Joe Hyams.

Stay Calm and ……..ZEN!!