I'm sure this will slow down when I stop waking up so early... Day 3

Day 3

1. I keep waking up too early, even though this apartment is dark until close to 10:00 a.m.
2. We take Bus 80 to the American Library of Paris. A lady sits next to us holding a shivering yorkshire terrier. I see Champs Elysees and L'Arc de Triomphe for the first time. I can't get that damn NOFX song out of my head.
3. We check out Saving Private Ryan and The Year of Living Dangerously from the library to watch during our down time.
4. We eat omelettes and a tarte tartin with creme fraiche on top at a cafe near the library. The room has a fireplace. I smell like wood smoke the rest of the day.
5. We walk under the Eiffel Tower, past two carousels, and up the Seine to the gaudy bridge Napoleon commissioned called Pont D'Alexander. The gold horses and women seem rather self indulgent. One of the chubby angels has a stretchy white (non-statue) headband and is holding a fish.
6. A little boy in a winter hat with those fuzzy ear flaps rides a little blue bike with training wheels just past the Grand Palais, through a large puddle, and then peddles in a circle around a giant statue of Charles De Gaulle. Charles De Gaulle seems preoccupied.
7. There is a tiny produce stand underground, between two metro lines. This momentarily confuses me and a number of French people have to say, "Excusez-moi" when they bump into me.
8. A guy near the front of Monoprix, near the Moulin Rouge, stands with his mouth open as he checks out two fashiony French women in black leather boots.
9. We walk up Rue le Pic, past markets carrying tons of fruit, vegetables, meat, and fancy cheeses. I convince Charlie to buy lychees because he has never tried them before. He is happy about the sweet white fruit when I peel the bumpy shell away and give him one when we get home.
10. We go to dinner at Au Clare de la Lune. See below.
11. I realize that it is easy to drink 5-6 glasses of wine in one day, without getting drunk.
12. During dinner, Charlie says "I wish I could time travel." Later, we wait for the Eiffel Tower to sparkle as it is supposed to on the half hour. When it fails to sparkle, my mom reminds us that we shouldn't be disappointed about a tower that does not sparkle, as we are already looking at a pretty amazing nightime view of Paris. Charlie says "Stupid Eiffel Tower."
13. On the walk down the hill, we pass a couple. The girl mumbles something into her scarf and has her arms crossed. She is facing away from the boy. The boy looks confused and asks "what?" They continue standing there in silence for quite awhile. Relationships seem to be the same all around the world.



Restaurant Interlude (a.k.a. Nell's poor attempt at describing a restaurant)
Au Clare de la Lune

Just down from the Place du Tertre, tucked underneath a giant Sacre Coeur, is Au Clare de la Lune. The dining room is warm and cozy. The walls are covered with murals of old Montmarte painted by Poulbot and the chandeliers above us are green with multicolored flowers sprouting light-bulbs. A sweet man seats us next to the window, and during dinner I watch as the artists working in the Place du Tertre head home at the end of their day, carrying their umbrellas and art supplies down from the square.

For the first course, my mom and Charlie order a bottle of 2003 Bourg Beaujolais (Chateau de Barbe). I have a cured salmon salad on frisee lettuce with a lemon olive oil dressing. It is very simple and a nice contrast to some of the heavy and rich food I've been eating the last couple days. Charlie gets a rich fish soup, which comes with very intense garlic butter, little toasts, and shredded gruyere. My mom gets the hit of the first course: a scallop terrine covered in fresh hollandaise (I heard them whipping the hollandaise through the door to the kitchen). The scallop dish is the definition of creamy goodness.

For the main course, Charlie and I order "Confit de Canard" and my mom gets little slices of duck steaks in a raspberry sauce. The flavors are strong and very rich and although I'm unsure how my belly will handle it, all seems to go well. The duck dishes are served with Clare de la Lune's version of Potatoes Anna. I've tried to make Potatoes Anna at home, but failed to properly flip the potatoes out of the cast iron pan. These potatoes are the perfect combination of crispy and flavorful.

For dessert, Charlie gets iced nougat with raspberry coulis, my mom gets a crazy intense charlotte au chocolat, and I get creme brulee (because I am somewhat predictable). I like mine the best, but I think it was mostly a personal preference thing. I can imagine if you love rich, dark chocolate, that the charlotte would be amazing. I left the restaurant feeling warm and very full, and happy to be walking down brick cobbled streets in Montmarte. Thank you duck, thank you sweet little French man, and thank you mom and Charlie.