The best part is...Trevor is finally in Paris! I met him at the airport on Tuesday morning, and I knew that I would need to keep him busy all day so that he could try to beat the jet lag right off the bat. We walked down to the Eiffel Tower to have a picnic (complete with ham and cheese sandwiches) and then went to Montmartre where we got gelato and beers at a cute little bar. We also checked out the Salvador Dali exhibit, which was amazing. I never knew that he did so many different drawings, and I really loved a series of small paintings that depict the story of Romeo and Juliet.
That night, since Jacques and Sylvie-Anne knew that Trevor was coming and that he liked cheese, they put together a little Dîner aux Fromages for us. There were at least seven different types of cheese (most of which were on Trevor's "To Try" list) including an artisinal Comté, Valençay, Saint Félician, and Crottin de Chavignol. For dessert, Sylvie-Anne had made a delicious fruit salad, but she bought some special chocolate mousse just for me. I had a wonderful time dipping the strawberries in the mousse.
On Wednesday, we actually got to meet up with our friends Jimmy and Lauren who were vacationing in London and had decided to come visit us in Paris. They met up with us around noon and then after a quick crêpe lunch, the four of us went to my art class which was at the Musée d'Orsay. I felt like a tour guide because I had studied a lot of the paintings for class. When we were done looking around, we bought some cheese and wine at a Monoprix and then walked over to the Louvre. Even though we didn't go in, I was glad that Jimmy and Lauren got to see the big pyramid, and we had a lovely picnic in the Tuileries. It was so great to see them and it made me feel better about having to leave because it made me realize that I really miss my friends and family.We had dinner reservations at a restaurant called Bar à Huitres (Oyster Bar in English) which, according to my friend Anna's host mom, has the best seafood in Paris. We were there for almost three and a half hours and the seafood definitely lived up to expectations. I had smoked salmon, oysters, and grilled cod with a garlic aioli and steamed vegetables. One of the best things about seafood is you can keep eating it and not feel full!
The next morning, we met Jimmy and Lauren down by the Trocadéro and then walked to the Eiffel Tower so that we could take some pictures. We had fun goofing around, and every time Jimmy took a picture he would say, "Save the date!" It was hilarious. We wound up taking a cab down to Place de la Bastille, where we bought some gelato and then walked over to Notre Dame. The cab ride was crazy - we got to drive around the roundabout that goes around the Arc de Triomphe (which is the largest roundabout in the world!) and then down the Champs Élysées.
I loved seeing their reactions to Notre Dame; it was the same as with my parents - they really couldn't believe how beautiful it is! We spent some time walking around inside and then went over to the flower market. I've been there so many times but I just think it's something that everyone should see because we don't have anything like it in the United States.
After we said goodbye to Jimmy and Lauren (they could only stay for the one night), we went home to get ready for dinner. That night, we had made reservations at a restaurant in the 6th called Le Timbre. This was by far my favorite restaurant, and not only because the food was outstanding. There are only room for about 20 people, and there is only one waitress and one cook, who is also the owner. The menu was written out on a chalk board because they change the specials from day to day. I ordered the fried calamari with chorizo, duck confit with steamed vegetables, and a chocolate mousse. The coolest part was that since the restaurant was so small, the chef was able to see when we were ready for our next dish. By the time we were done with dinner, the metro was closed, so we decided to walk home. It was a beautiful walk, and we had an amazing view of the Eiffel Tower at night.
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