Paris - Day Four -Saint Honore and Hotel Costes

Monday was a crisp, but sunny day and our first destination of the day, after a repeat of yesterday's satisfying breakfast, was 211 Rue Saint Honore...and more specifically The Chantal Thomass Boutique  and the trendy and uber cool Colette, next door.

http://www.google.com/search?q=colette+paris&hl=en&client=safari&rls=en&prmd=imvns&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=2CHGTurHEIapiAK3ubH6Dw&ved=0CE4QsAQ&biw=1302&bih=576

There is a new man in D's life and some fine French lingerie is never a bad idea.  She also wanted to buy him some unique little thing at Colette.  I told her that the proper modeling of the lingerie after cooking him a nice dinner was the best gift she could give him, but, well, I'm just her mother. What do I know?

Chantal Thomass Boutique on Rue St. Honore

We took a taxi to the shop and after browsing around a while and seeing some things she liked,  she decided she wanted to check some other places out before making a final purchase.  We headed over to Colette next door and the place was very crowded but interesting.  I loved browsing some of the expensive dresses on the mannequins and the different designer shoes.  It was also fun looking through the great book section. The store is such a melange of different things, none of them cheap and after spending another hour browsing and people watching, we ended up buying nothing.

We walked further on Rue Saint Honore stopping at a few boutiques and another lingerie store before walking to our other destination for the day, The Hotel Costes for champagne and a late afternoon snack.  Seems one is always eating, drinking wine or coffee when in France and why not, they are some of life's
finest pleasures.

THE HOTEL COSTES

Patio Restaurant- View from Above

Hotel Costes Patio - Day

Hotel Costes Patio - Night

Under the Canopy

In addition to a very nice sparkling Rose' we had truffle risotto, a very colorful salad and some crusty bread with butter.

Avocado and Tomato Salad

Black Truffle Risotto

The Flower Shop at the Hotel Costes was tres chic and very beautiful.   D couldn't take enough   photographs.

Hotel Costes Perfume Shop (above and below)

After several glasses of the lovely Rose', we followed up our "late afternoon snack" with profiteroles and  tea over some good conversation and some interesting people watching.  We were in some very pretty company, including a designer I knew by looks but I couldn't put a name to him and some very well dressed model types, as well as several business people.  A newly svelte Kirstie Alley was also having drinks with friends.

The servers were quite pretty too and I couldn't help thinking that a certain Scottish actor would definitely have asked one of them out.  She was a very tall,  leggy girl of mixed race with very beautiful face and lithe figure.

The patio of the Hotel Costes was a very inviting  place to spend a large part of day and our bill reflected it (over $200.euros).  It WAS a very nice bubbly, after all!

After leaving the hotel, we walked around a little more and since it was getting dark, we took the Metro to the Champs Elysee and Laduree to pick up some gifts to take home.

After spending another small fortune on candies and chocolates for my sisters and  a few others, we decided it would be a good night to visit  La Maison Angelina (Tea Room) for the "to die for" Hot Chocolate l'Africain, served with Whipped Cream.  It has a wonderful history which can be viewed here:

http://www.angelina-paris.fr/en/#/history/

Unfortunately for us, after hopping a taxi to the Rue de Rivoli and being dropped off, we discovered that it was closed on Mondays.

After pondering what to do and still in the mood for hot chocolate, we decided to walk back to Cafe d' Flore, which entailed going back across the Seine and past the Tuilerie Gardens and around I'l St. Louis.

We arrived back in Saint Germain and were lucky enough to find a seat outside where D had another glass of wine and I ordered the very thick hot chocolate with a side of Grand Marnier to ward of the now very cool evening.   Hot chocolate is heavenly with Grand Marnier added.   It looked so pretty, she photographed it.

Thick Hot Chocolate  topped off with Grand Marnier

After some more people watching and making plans for the next day, which was supposed to be a rainy one, we walked the few blocks back to our apartment, where I washed my hair, wrapped it in a towel, and again soaked my bones in the lovely big tub (where I almost fell asleep) and, after going through my bedtime beauty ritual, I hit the bed with a book, tired but happy, and promptly fell asleep.


Songs out of tune, the words always a little wrong...Canzoni Stonate

Paris - Days Two and Three

Our Corner Boulangerie-Patisserie

We awoke very late and had an afternoon breakfast at the nearby Cafe Metro, then did some more exploring of our neighborhood, visiting a few pharmacies to check out some products that had been recommended by friends.  After visiting several more places and picking up some extra groceries, including some espresso and milk, we returned to the apartment and sat down to  decide which  restaurants we wanted to make reservations for and plan out a  loose schedule for the week.  By the time we finished, we decided to stay in the neighborhood and seek out one of the nearby restaurants.

We walked the few blocks to San Germain des Pres and tried to find somewhere healthy to eat, finally deciding on Thai food and a place called Sam Woo's, where we shared a very nice bottle of a light  Rose' to go with our leisurely and surprisingly good dinner of chicken coconut curry and several lovely seafood salads.

After walking around a little, we returned to the apt, where I retired to my room, scrubbed my face, put on a layer of Cellex C and moisturizer and filled the lovely 6ft. Villeroy and Boch tub in my bathroom for a very warm,  sybaritic soak after which I applied one of the lovely new cooling leg and feet creams I had bought at the pharmacy and crawled between the cool, smooth sheets with a silk sleep mask over my eyes, to get the first good night's sleep I'd had in quite a few days.

Sunday morning we awoke and had oatmeal with almonds, walnuts and fresh strawberries, followed by fresh O.J., flakey croissants with lots of butter and made espresso with the great Alessi stovetop pot and heated up whole milk for typical French Cafe au lait.

D wanted to revisit and photograph nearby Luxembourg Gardens.  Stores are closed and Sunday is family time for the French.  

Here are some of her photos of the French in one of their natural habitats (the other being the sidewalk cafes).

Loved seeing so many older couples holding hands as they walked in the street.

Sun Worshiping?

Neighborly Greetings?

Returning to the apt, we freshened up and headed out to do more exploring with our eventual destination being the Marais and our dinner plans at Le 404 Moroccan Restaurant.

Sun on the Buildings

The plants against the color of the bldg. looked attractive.

Someone with a sense of humor added a hat to the statue.

An old classic.

A little Cuba in Saint Germain above and below.

Our walk took us over the Pont De Arts where D was enchanted with the many locks which attest to Paris as the city of love and the many couples who go there to leave their names and perhaps a little of  their memories of the trip with their loved one  on the bridge.                                                            

Je t'aime!

The Love Boats on the Seine

View from the Bridge

And finally, our destination in the Marais, Le 404 Moroccan Restaurant, where after eating a wonderful pigeon pie, laced with cinnamon and powdered sugar, we ordered a Moroccan stew (tajine), spiced sausages, a vegetable couscous, topped off by a bottle of a nice red and some sweet, fragrant tea.

We took a taxi home, sated, very merry and very tired.    Good article about No. African dining in Paris.

http://travel.nytimes.com/2005/12/18/travel/18paris.html?pagewanted=all

Songs out of tune, the words always a little wrong...Canzoni Stonate

Trip to Paris in Pictures - The First Day

500 Passenger Airbus 380-800

The Flight:  Air France's New Jumbo Airbus

We were on the upper deck business class and the flight was smooth and restful, the plane very luxurious and the service, excellent.

We seemed to be on the runway forever, as the huge monster needs lots of space for take off.  We took a late flight and should have slept on the plane, since we were arriving in the early morn, Paris time, but we were both too wired.

Next stop:  Paris!


Our Apartment on Rue de Rennes:


Our apartment was a delight!  From the

Living/Dinning Area

moment we walked in we
were enchanted and at the end of our
trip were loathe to leave it.

It was a two bedroom, two bath, top floor, light, airy, and spacious beauty.

On the Left Bank, it was minutes from San Germain de Pres and all the restaurants, shopping and other attractions.

The place had a view from every window and balconies from both bedrooms and the kitchen.  With double paned windows,  radiant heat and all the niceties one could want, we were in heaven.

Of course, from the dining room table we had a fabulous view of the Eiffel Tower and the light show every night.  We also had some spectacular shots of sunrises and sunsets.                    

Our Great Kitchen

Our host provided some champagne and fruit as a welcome to Paris.  We had some cheese left over from dinner on our flight and we made a very nice snack, French Style, before we unpacked, bathed and lay down for a very much needed nap.

More kitchen:

My bedroom and bathroom below.

D's. bedroom and bathroom below:

Yes, those are towel warmers!

D's & Guest W/C

Views and other miscellaneous from our apartment in Paris  below:

Eiffel Tower Light Show

From our D/R Window

Tower Closer than Viewed.

View from Kitchen Balcony

Our Bedroom Wing at Right so we had this view also.

D's bedroom had two balconies and mine had one.

Looking Across from our bedroom wing.

                                        

From L/R 

Typical Sm. French Apt. Elevator

Looking Down from our top floor nest.

We still had one flight to go up after the 6th floor elevator stop and we had to hoof it!

After resting up, we dressed and went for groceries, bought a cell phone that worked on GSM, and traveled to several places to find adapters for our computers, which killed what was left of the day. By the time we got around to dinner, it was already 10:45 p.m. so we ended up going to the restaurant below for the ever popular Steak, French Fries, Salad, Dessert and Wine (which is all the restaurant serves).  The lines were tremendous, but we opted to sit outside under the heaters and got seated right away.  It was a very fitting first night's dining and the people watching, fun.

A little overpriced/touristy but so handy when you're starving!

Relais de l'Entrecote

After splitting a bottle of wine and some profiteroles for dessert, we walked off our dinner and headed home the few blocks to our beautiful Paris abode.

To be continued:  

Songs out of tune, the words always a little wrong...Canzoni Stonate