Some Tourism

I know that I’m only in Paris for a limited time and I shouldn’t be repeating myself. But I just had to get some phở again. This Saturday, I needed to spice up, wake up, and get a start on what promised to be a full day. I ended up putting my foot in my mouth when I ordered the special phở instead of just sticking to what I know. The soup was filled with bizarre hard dumplings that I now fear were once attached to and very much the prized possession of some unfortunate (male) animal. There was also skin. Delicacies were placed in a neat pile on my napkin. I have no shame.


Theo and I saw the Eiffel Tower, because it was unbelievable that I hadn’t yet. Took the necessary pictures, dropped the necessary jaws (it really is very big), and star-gazed at the menu for Le Jules Verne. Across the Seine we visited Le Palais de Tokyo, which was having several bizarre exhibits. There was a Baby-Disco, a wooden box filled with dancing children, who didn’t even realize they were being avant-garde. They were just there for the pizza.

An art-anthropology exhibit of British obscure culture grew on me the more I looked at it, but it was a struggle to understand the point of anything. I think it was the mock-anthropological study aspect of it that got me: like, what kind of museum was I in, anyway? That was followed by a survey of 1960s rock in France, complete with a model of a sleazy studio. Authentically grungy. The best exhibit was on the strange electronic music produced in the Soviet Union by a melange of musicians and scientists. Think theremins, but also think electronic pulses that are only finally “mixed” into music inside your brain. Very cool stuff. Unfortunately, they only had videos of these instruments at work in their day. All of the weirdest ones were destroyed.

It was early, but we were determined to get into Chez Robert et Louise, and you’ve got to be there when it opens if you don’t have a reservation. Incidentally, this restaurant was featured on the very first episode of Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations. It's like a home kitchen, emphasis on home. We were placed at a table that already had three people sitting at it, but they were very friendly considering the cramped space. I guess it was understood that we all had come here for the same thing. Indeed, the majority of people in the restaurant ordered the dish that Anthony Bourdain made famous (and we even overheard his name a couple of times), which made me wonder about the rest of the menu… but not for long.

My first experience with blood sausage was, I’m happy to say, orgasmic. It really is good stuff, and this restaurant does it justice. I was licking the plate. We shared the infamous cote du boeuf for two, and remembered to order it rare. Saignant. Bloody. It’s grilled a couple of feet away from you on a huge open fire. It’s served with a simple salad and potatoes. It is an Experience. It is gone before you can say… anything really, your mouth is full.

Perhaps it was the wine. Perhaps it was the excess blood coursing through my veins, but I was in the mood for the nightlife. We headed back to La Fée Verte, but this time, just to sample their absinthe. We tried La Blanchette, La Maîtresse Rouge, Le Mansinthe (my favorite, if only because of the name), and Le Verte de Fougeroles.

Feeling warmer, we headed outside and I called my friend, Elyssa, who lives nearby. She took us through local bar scene, but it was too crowded. "Pop In" is more like Squeeze Out, and at "Zero Zero," an extremely intoxicated man kept trying to dance with us, only we didn’t notice until he was right behind us. Creepy.

The night ended up well though. We found our way to Le Café de l’industrie and sat down over some wine and cheese. Caught up on old times, planned for the future. You know, the usual.