Quiet days in Paris

Yesterday we did all those things that one does when living in a city.  In the afternoon Virginia went to school and I worked.  Having been diligent we rewarded ourselves today, going into the heart of Paris for a long stroll on the rue de Rivoli.

Every time we are here (or any place in Europe for that matter) I like to buy myself a tie for a souvenir.  This is really quite practical since it is a pleasant reminder of our trip and something that is easy to carry unlike the glass chandelier that a friend of ours threatened to purchase in Venice last year!  Anyway, we wandered into the Louvre and surprise, surprise I walked out with a lovely tie.

View of the Pyramid inside the Louvre

Then we strolled down to W. H. Smith's stopping on route for a coffee in a rather up-itself cafe where the coffee was mediocre (rare in Paris) and the prices outrageous.  An ordinary coffee cost seven and a half euros or the equivalent - even with the excellent exchange rate currently prevailing - of ten dollars!  But as they say, "position, position, position."  Oddly enough we had gone to this cafe twelve years ago and had a similar experience.  Who would have believed that in all that time there had been no change for the better.  Well, we won't be going there again, at least not for another twelve years.

Looking back across the rue de Rivoli toward the Louvre

At W. H. Smith's, Virginia added another book on la langue Francais to her already bulging collection.  I dare not be critical or she reminds me of all the books I buy on Victorian England.  Our mutual cries of "but that's different" seem to fall on deaf ears.

For lunch we went to one of my favourite places,Léon de Bruxelles.

Léon de Bruxelles at place de Clichy

Here they have the best moules frits ever.  I enjoyed mussels in Belgium on several occasions as well as in Marseilles, but Léon's are far and away the best.  The thing about mussels is how easy they are to prepare.  All you need is a big pot, some diced onion, a bit of butter, white wine and possibly some thyme as well as the bearded mussels.  Steam for about five minutes or until the shells are open and enjoy.  The sauce can be dunked up with pieces of good baguette or even eaten as a soup.  This is heaven in a bowl.

Inside Léon de Bruxelles