Twelve Nights (actually more really...)

With our first night back from Paris being Australia Day, it was time to head out once again. This time meeting Row, Marty n Karyn, Zara n Jarrett and Mike Waringa to celebrate the day. Whilst the actual day in Australia was over, it was still the 26th of Jan in London, so at pub in Fulham we kicked on with those things Australian - music, Tooheys (unfortunately not Coopers) and Tim Tams! Not having seen Mike since the skydiving days at Murray Bridge, it turned into a good catch up as well as a top night with everyone.

Friday night saw Sheryl and myself out with the Royal Shakespeare Company to see their current production of Twelfth Night. Sheryl is a bit of a Shakespeare fan, and you may recall my last Shakespearean experience several years back at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre. This time was no different.
A slightly modernised version of Twelfth Night, but none-the-less an excellently done production. Like “Much Ado About Nothing” last time, I had no idea of the story so, again, the whole production was new to me. Whilst the ending gained in predictability (like most Shakespeare), it was still very enjoyable and the characters were brought alive by the excellent cast. I still find it hard to believe that what was once a bad experience in English classes back at school is now something quite enjoyable!
After the show, we headed down to Gordon’s Wine Bar near Embankment for a few evening wines, and then snuck in a very late dinner in Leicester Square before just missing the last tube home. There’s always the night buses...

Lamb shanks - something that you’d think would be easy to find in such a large place as London. Just not this particular Saturday as we were soon to discover after several hours of traipsing around North London’s supermarkets and butchers. In the end, we settled for a simple leg of lamb for dinner, as Marty n Karyn came over for the evening in what turned into a very enjoyable night.

Sunday afternoon saw us at the National Portrait Gallery for a few hours before venturing to the restaurant on the roof of this gallery. The view across Westminster and London in general were amazing as we dined while the sun set across west London, as you can see...
Later, after a stroll through Leicester square and the surrounding area, we ended up having dinner and a nightcap in Brown’s bar and restaurant.

During the following week, we spent an evening at the house of Sheryl’s friends, Bec and Sanj. A relaxed and fun evening meeting them and their mutual friend from Sydney, Christian. The following evening was spent with Row and Mark for dinner at a Mexican restaurant in Covent Garden. The next evening was spent at Ping Pong restaurant with Marty n Karyn just near Oxford Circus.
This brought us to Friday night were I met Sheryl after work before we met Zara n Jarret in a small pub under London Bridge itself. After several drinks there, we moved further along South Bank to the Anchor to round out the evening there.

Sunday afternoon had us in Notting Hill for an afternoon in the Prince Albert pub with Shar and Rachel for a cruisey afternoon and evening. The pub was warm, the food excellent and the time well spent in the relaxed atmosphere of this excellent pub.

Early in the week, I met Sheryl at Piccadilly Circus. She had booked us into the Criterion restaurant for dinner. As you can see it turned out to be quite a prestigious and old restaurant (left). It has been here since the 1800's and has featured in the original Sherlock Holmes stories, as well as having a very long and interesting history. The pianist at the top of this post is another fixture of this restaurant. The food was excellent, and the atmosphere a lot more relaxed that it would appear to have been. A lovely night out together.

Another night during the week saw us at Karyn n Marty’s for dinner that finished up with a bit of craziness on both Guitar Hero and Resort Games on their Wii. Oh, and as such, we missed the last tube that night by a couple of minutes - as mentioned before, there are always the night buses...

Most of the other week nights have been spent traipsing all over west London viewing houses, apartments and flats for a new place to live. Finally, we can now relax a bit as we’ve now found one, which we will hopefully be moving into in a few weeks time.

Ah, Paris... (pt.2)

After strolling home from the previous night’s amazing experience (see pt.1), Saturday began as a Saturday should - slowly and relaxed.
Around mid morning, and after a successful experiment with the espresso machine in the apartment, we headed out through the Marais in search of somewhere for breakfast...erm... brunch.
Louis had suggested that the restaurant, Georges, atop the Pompidou Centre, would be superb for its views (rather than its food), so we headed in that general direction with an eye to either lunching there or booking for dinner.
While looking around the base of the Pompidou (for its entrance) amongst the crowds, our hunger took over and we decided to look for a place to eat first. This lead us through the nearby region of Les Halles and around the many shop-filled streets to eventually find somewhere to eat.
We continued upon our way to end up at the nearby Hôtel De Ville, where we discovered the large ice rink that now fills the square in front of this famous building. It’s not actually a hotel, but (effectively) a massive council chamber/public office. Anyway, after watching the double-storey carousel that was in one corner of this famous square, we moseyed over to the edge of the ice rink to watch. Did we go skating? No. While it would have been fun, both of us agreed that we’d go over on the ice at least more than once and considering the day was about 2C, it would have been rather uncomfortable in wet jeans. This was confirmed for us shortly afterwards as we watched a few mishaps out on the ice (or should I say “ice-capades”... sorry) and how wet several people had become!
Instead we decided to attempt to recreate Richard Doisneau’s famous photograph, “The Kiss”. Unable to locate the original cafe that he took it from (with the Hotel De Ville in the background), we made do... With the temperature and daylight in decline, we headed underground into the (slightly) warmer Metro system to make our way north.

Once we were through with the ticket machine, our train rides through the Metro had us coming back to the streets of Paris in Montmartre. From here, we made our way through the amazing little lanes of this area to the steps that led to the Place du Tertre, which you’ll recognise from my previous trip to Paris. Winter here meant that those cafés that were in the middle of this square were gone, as were many of the artists that encircled them. Still, the trees were filled with lights making for quite a different picture now that the sun had just set.
We passed through here and headed round to the front of the Basilica of the Sacré Cœur (left). Last time I was here I spent time on the steps with the buskers. This time there were no buskers or crowds upon the steps, despite there being many tourists about. We headed into the basilica where many were keeping warm. During our wander through this rather large and impressive ‘church’, the choir of nuns struck up a hymn as part of the service that was taking place. The acoustics were very good, as were the nuns with their harmonies, to give our little tour of the basilica quite a nice touch.
Once back outside, we made our way through the nearby lanes and poked through the various shops as we headed in the general direction of Place du Tertre. On the way we stopped in a small cafe for a drink, which turned into dinner. With two folks down the other end of the cafe playing live music, it was a great setting for a warm evening meal. I can recommend the escargot - especially as I have now got the hang of how to use the little tongs.
Eventually, we left and made our way back out into the cold, down the steps and onto boulevard de Clichy. This is where the train station was (and still is), but we decided to take a stroll along this lively boulevard with a peek at the Moulin Rouge all lit up.
It was then back on the Metro for the not-so-direct trip back to our apartment...

Sunday, and after yet another successful go with the espresso machine, we headed south through the Marais to another recommendation from our apartment’s visitors book - L’Apartment. Near to the Museé Picasso, this cafe had the added bonus of board games, and a rather unique breakfast menu/ordering method. Three columns on your menu and with your pencil, you tick the boxes of what you wish to fill your plate with as well as other items like bread/croissant/juices/etc... The food, like everywhere else we’d been, was excellent.
So, with our hunger pangs dowsed, we began the walk along the Rue de Rivoli towards the Louvre. A spot of rain - no bother, as we hopped a cab for the €6 trip to the Louvre’s surrounding gardens. It did not take us long before we were through the queue (and bag check) to be strolling along the hallways and rooms of the Louvre. No DaVinci Code pilgrimage here - we’ve both been before and took delight in perusing the arts on display and showing each other our favourites as well as discovering new things. A brief coffee stop on the second floor and we continued our way through the wings of this amazing “gallery” until we were hustled out at closing time. Truly a great way to spend the afternoon while it is raining outside.
Along the damp pavements we strolled, to make our way back to the Marais and our apartment, for a quick change before heading out to another venue recommended by one of our new friends from the Au Vieux Paris restaurant.
This time, we were on the edge of the Place des Vosges, and we nearly made what could have been a mistake. We were told that the restaurant was on the corner of the square, and as we entered the short lane that led to the square, we came across a small diner styled restaurant with the classic French quartet playing live music - complete with double bass and clarinet. It looked quite inviting from the outside. Before heading in, we strolled just a little further along the lane to discover what Louis had been talking about, Ma Bourgogne (right). He was right about the place and its food. We did have a short wait for a table, but this was taken up under the heaters on a table outside under the archways with a drink and a chat with some other locals waiting to be seated.
Inside was cosy, and almost “homely” as well. We were literally dining with an elderly couple, our tables were so close. It made for a good night as well as some fun with the owner when we attempted to have our picture taken.
To round out the evening, we strolled down towards the Rue Vielle du Temple to a tiny bar called Au Petit fer a Cheval, or The Little Horseshoe Bar. A very unique little place that even rates a mention in the Rough Guide and is even pictured! Once settled here, we tried a few cognacs before eventually heading back to our apartment.

Monday morning was a cruisey start with the espresso machine in action once again as I made a couple of omelettes for breakfast, before we made our way back to Gare du Nord train station. We left our bags in the storage facility and then made our way down to St Germain and the Odeon.
The remainder of the morning was spent poking about the streets of this area, and after a brief return to Ladureé, we stopped in the Café d’Paris for a bit of a decadent lunch.
The remainder of the afternoon was then spent strolling across St Germain and into the Jardin du Luxembourg, which while cold, was still quite beautiful. It may sound a bit nerdy, but we did check out what appeared to be a chess competition of some sort in the park. Classically European, although we didn’t see anyone playing boulés... Still, there are some amazing statues and monuments in this massive garden.
With the sun setting, we headed back to Gare du Nord station to collect our bags and hop the train back to London...

Ah, Paris... (pt.1)

Wednesday evening, and after (eventually) meeting Sheryl at Heathrow, with her flight having been delayed for almost 2 hours, we headed home for some hasty re-packing as well as much catching up to do over a few fine whiskies. One of her duty free bottles had survived the journey, despite a fellow passenger’s best attempts at destroying both of them.

An early start for Thursday saw us leaving for Kings Cross International in the wee (and frosty) hours. A quick and fairly empty tube ride (thanks to it being before “rush hour”) saw us arrive with enough time for a leisurely breakfast before boarding the Eurostar for Paris. Forget flying and the 2-3hour check-ins, as we were through customs and baggage check in around 15mins. A quick bag x-ray, walk through the metal detectors followed by a quick fondle, and you’re through to the platform for boarding. In a little over two hours we had been whisked through both English and French countryside, as well as the Channel Tunnel to be pulling into Gare du Nord station in Paris. All too easy.
It was from here that the fun started as we navigated the Paris Metro train system (read: hotch-potch and far cleaner London Tube system). Once we’d sorted ourselves out with tickets and directions and trainlines, it was rather easy, and soon we were meeting our landlord and settling into our apartment. A much better option than a hotel too!
After a bit of a refresh it was time to head out and explore the Marais to gain our bearings and just see what we could find in the way of stores/cafés/restaurants/etc... A very pleasant way to spend the afternoon and evening as the sun had set before we knew it! And by that stage, we’d also picked up items from a few of those stores, including a cheese shop that contained no cat, nor a bouzouki player (for those of you inclined towards Monty Python). A relaxed evening in with wines and cheeses rounded out the day. Especially nice that one of our neighbours turned out to be quite an accomplished pianist too!

Friday saw us head out to a nearby café (recommended by the visitor’s book) for breakfast. Such a classic little place, that probably hasn’t changed since the 30’s (or thereabouts). From here, we headed into the south of the Marais to stroll, look about and locate a few other places mentioned by both the visitor’s book and my Rough Guide. Such a lovely and classic part of Paris.
We eventually found ourselves at the Seine, and proceeded across onto the islands. I was a little disappointed to discover that the Mémorial des Martyrs de la Déportation was closed as I’d hoped to show this amazing little place to Sheryl. Anyway, we continued to stroll alongside Notré Dame, before crossing into St Germain and discovering Shakespeare & Company. The name caught our attention as Sheryl is a bit of a Shakespeare fan, which I must admit to being as well after my experience at The Globe Theatre a few years back. This turned out to be an amazing little bookshop, that not only just having that quirky and somewhat historical feel, didn’t appear to have much to do with Shakespeare at all. Think of some hokey home from the 1700’s where the owner collected books of all sorts and you’ve pretty much got it - complete with old typewriter in a letter writing booth for you to use (right), or the piano, the couch... well, you get the idea.
With a book each we left here to continue to see what else we could find in the lanes of St Germain. Poking about in all manner of shops to end up in a certain patisserie/tearoom that you may recall me mentioning during my last trip here: Ladurée. For those who don’t recall, Ladurée is a patisserie that dates back to the mid 1800’s. The tea rooms are exquisite (typical French elegance - left), as are their products, with their macaroons being their most renowned. On our arrival, the queue in the patisserie was almost out the door, and we had about a ten minute wait at the tea room for a table. A grand setting for coffee and pastries, but they were more than worthy of their setting.
Once done, we moved on through St Germain with the sun setting, deciding that perhaps a drink in one of the many “hokey” bars in the area would be worthwhile. (We had spent quite a while in Ladurée, and it was far too early for dinner.) After a drink in one small bar, along with some tomfoolery with the ever-lively staff, we continued on to another more upmarket bar. This one had a great atmosphere and setting, which meant that before we realised it, we had settled in for a couple of drinks.
With our hunger awakening for dinner, we strolled around St Germain looking for somewhere that caught our eye as a place to dine. None of which caught our fancy that evening (thankfully), so we decided to look for a restaurant near Notre Dame that PB & Judy had recommended... but alas, we didn’t find it. What we did find turned out to be something that we’ll probably never forget as far as memorable evenings go.
It was getting late, and just past Notre Dame itself, we found what looked to be a small, tacky little place that had one thing going for it - it was open. On the outside were painted dead trees with rather tatty toy finches scattered in them, but when we looked through the window, we saw people inside what looked to be a rather homely little room. We entered by the bar, which had no seats, but a direct view into the kitchen, to be met by a friendly fellow who invited us to come in and stay.
Sure, and he then led us upstairs to the dining area instead of the little pub-like room we’d seen through the window. What we saw, was this...
Certainly not what we’d expected! Naturally, they worked out that our French wasn’t so good and that we were from Adelaide. One of the staff had friends who had moved there, so instantly there was a connection and the two waiters were like old friends. Wine list? er... no. You selected your bottle by going back downstairs, past the bar and into the wine cellar to take your pick. Thankfully, they had each rack labelled with the prices (ranging from €29 - €179 and even some up to €300!). Upon emerging with your bottle, they then did the rest while you returned to your table.
The food? Well, we were later to find out that their head chef was an elderly lady, that was also the owner (with her husband), making this a bit of a “ma n pa” style restaurant - Odette and Georges. What she made was excellent. Coupled with the wine (which was more a fluke on my part - having no real idea about French wines), it made for some excellent dining.
To top it off, as we were nearing finishing, we heard some exquisite piano playing wafting through the room from somewhere. Apparently, one of Paris’ favourite concert pianists was dining tonight as a friend of Odette’s, and had decided (maybe co-erced) to play [the piano by the bar]. It did not take long for one of the two waiters to appear, tell us about this, and then invite us to join them all down stairs in the small “pub” section behind the bar.
Shortly after their handing us two glasses of red, they discovered that it was Sheryl’s birthday. The chef left the room briefly to return with a scoop of a chocolate mousse and a half an orange with a candle (read: “Roman” styled candle, which you can see on the table on the left). As she carried this to our new table, all of our fellow occupants struck up ‘Happy Birthday’.
By the end of the evening, it was just us, the staff and what appeared to be their friends. The restaurant had closed long ago, but the wine still flowed and we experienced what felt like the sort of homely hospitality one would associate with a small local village.
At some time after 2.30am, we all bid each other farewell and headed off to our respective abodes. Quite an unexpected, yet wonderful find and evening - a birthday that I’m sure Sheryl will long remember.

Oh, and the restaurant’s name is Au Vieux Paris and has been a family owned restaurant since 1750!