Having the Paris Pass for six days gives us lots of flexibility, so when Roger asked me what I wanted to do/see for my birthday, I chose the Louvre, Sainte Chappelle, and Notre Dame - not sure we could fit it all in, but we did! We also strolled the Seine, at a couple of different times, and I got an ice-cream cone from a street vendor (pistachio, one of my favorites!) Now, that might not be a big deal to most, but, in USA, I have a problem with dairy products inducing asthma symptoms, so indulging in ice cream is a BIG deal to me. And - it affected me very little, if at all, that wonderful pistachio "boule de glace" (scoop of ice cream). Sainte Chappelle is often overlooked - it's fairly near Notre Dame, and much smaller - but it is awesome! The second floor has stained-glass windows that reach to the ceiling, and depict books of the Bible. Then - Notre Dame! No line, and such splendor! We happend to be there just in time for evening vespers, and heard the priests and the organ before going outside to look at the architecture and gargoyles. We did not do the 387 steps to the tower - just didn't have the energy or real desire, since we'd already overlooked Paris from the Arc de Triomphe. We may later regret skipping this, but we felt very fulfilled with what we did see.
It was getting late (we'd had breakfast, skipped lunch, and were close to "normal-at-home-in-Ohio dinner time"), so after we left Notre Dame, we ducked into what we thought was the better of two brasseries which were right next to each other, but the smell of the outdoor smokers was wafting in from the open door and windows, so we moved to the other one - and it was a serendipitous move.
I decided to go with the "plat" - a combo with either an appetizer and main course, or main course and dessert. Want to guess which I chose? haha!! We had a very nice, young man for a server (he was very attentive, checking on us several times - ok, I admit it, the place wasn't really busy until we were leaving - and he was also cute) -so we left him an extra tip.
About the tips here in restaurants - they're always included, and if you like the service, you leave a little bit more. After Versailles, we stopped in a casual place (those are our favorite kind!), and the waiter not only talked us into appetizers that weren't even on the menu (luckily, they were good) so we'd know the price, he told us that the tip wasn't included. Hmmmm....I pointed out to him that it was stated on the menu that it was included, and he said, "No, no - whatever you wish, Madame." After the Versailles experiences, we were pretty tired, and thought, ok, so left him MUCH more than I should have to be the "pourboire" - a small tip of about 3-5%, since most include 15% in the pricing of the food. We tipped as if we were in the US. After we left, we talked about it and decided that he just plain lied to us - guess he needed the money more than we did at that time. Not extravagant, but also not very nice treatment by the server.
So - back to my birthday dinner...I chose a salmon filet with a light cream basil sauce, which came with French green beans and a small, peeled, baked potato. Dessert - another highlight for me, since I haven't dared have it for a very long time - crème brûlée!! I could have not enjoyed it more! Serendipity, to be sure!
So many photos from today from which to choose - here are a few:
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