We are back in one of our very favorite spots – where we were married 7 years ago and have been back to many times. During COVID, we dreamed of this day.
We arranged a private water taxi to whisk us from the airport to the dock closest to our house – the San Samuele vaparetto stop.
The vaparetto stop, on the Grand Canal close to the Accademia Bridge, anchors one end of our street – Salizada San Samuele.
At the other end is a delightful trattoria and alimentari (little grocery store) that has the most amazing pesto fresca (fresh pesto) I’ve ever tasted. They have a bowl of it and you order by showing with your fingers if you want a poco or molto (more).
Our street is a “salizada” which means a main paved thoroughfare –
This is as opposed to a “calle,” which also dead-ends into our building from a different direction.
This is our building – we are on the top floor.
Our house number is 3153.
Each sestiere (district) in Venice numbers its doors in order. We are in San Marco sestiere. So the house numbers are not by street, but district. The address includes the street so you have a place to start. Our address is Salizada San Samuele, Sestiere San Marco 3153, Venezia.
On the next blog, I’ll take you inside. But here’s a view from the top!
Today we had the BEST dessert. It is our last day in Paris, and the grand finale was dessert at Angelina, Paris’ most famous tea room, dating back to 1903 – a favorite of Coco Chanel’s.
It is known the world over for its hot chocolate, which is like a velvety hot pudding. Also its many dazzling pastries.
But we were here for their signature pastry – the Mont Blanc.
The menu describes it as:
Mont-Blanc is Angelina’s signature pastry.
The recipe was created at the beginning of the 20th century by Angelina pastry chefs and has remained unchanged since.
Crispy and dry French meringue under a smooth creamy dome of light whipped cream, covered by chestnut vermicelli.
Its shape was apparently inspired by the trending women’s hairstyle at the time: the sleek short square bob.
***
This dessert reportedly was Coco Chanel’s favorite – and now ours, too!
Au revoir Paris. We have had an amazing month. A bientot.
Today I am just posting pictures of boats. We are amazed at how many boats go by each day.
The Seine really is a working river.
We see the usual dinner cruises.
But also lots and lots of barges, some with cars on top – we aren’t sure how they get them down. We also see the Paris version of the Coast Guard now and then – called sapeur pompier seine maritime (Seine Fire Brigade).
And of course our favorite Batobus – the water taxi that we take everywhere (we bought the annual pass).
And my favorite – the Alain Ducasse dinner cruise (he’s’ a very famous chef). We didn’t even know about this one until they went by – will be on our list for next time!
I love sitting at the dining room table working and watching the world go by on the water.
Tonight we had dinner at the oldest café in Paris – Le Procope in St. Germain. It opened in 1686 and has even served Marie Antoinette!
Also Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin.
Apparently Napoleon ran up such a large bill that he couldn’t pay, so he left his hat as collateral. He never did pay his bill, so they still have his hat! It is on display.
The rooms are beautiful.
They are most known for their beef bourguignon, which they make from the original recipe, which includes foie gras and truffles.
They serve it in your own personal copper pot, and you spoon it out into a separate bowl. The meat is so tender you can cut it with a fork. Heavenly!
But of course, by all accounts, Marie Antoinette did have good taste.
We have a beautiful entry way into our apartment. There are two sets of codes to get into the building itself.
And an ornate wooden lift to whisk us to the 4th floor.
Along with a wide winding carpeted staircase.
There is a hushed air throughout – all the way to our massive front door and elegant foyer.
But we noticed this plain door in the kitchen.
Our greeter had not mentioned it, and it was bolted no less than 5 times!
So I figured it was off limits – many rental units have a closet for the owner’s belongings.
I thought no more about it . . . until I heard footsteps behind it.
I quietly crept to the door for a better listen and noticed a peephole. To my surprise, a man was on the other side opening a door across a little hallway! There must be apartments in the back of this building, too, maybe not as nice since it looked very plain out there. I was suddenly thankful for the 5 deadbolts.
But then, we had the conundrum of where to take the trash. I texted the greeter. Oh – he said – forgot to tell you – there are special keys for the door in the kitchen. What? You go out that door and bring the trash to RC. (RC is the bottom floor – we aren’t sure what it stands for. Also, in Europe, the bottom floor is 0 – the next floor up is 1.)
Frank and I finally found the keys and figured out how to unlock all those deadbolts. It is another world on the other side. A narrow steep staircase with no carpet, grey doors, and a little functional elevator disguised as a closet.
Our apartment came with a cleaning mid-visit. And wouldn’t you know, our housekeeper magically appeared through this entrance – and disappeared without a word, too! We think there must be a rule that service people must use the back stairs, like Downton Abbey.
Between the back staircase and the courtyard windows (see prior blog), it is a tiny bit spooky. Probably because I am still reading the murder mystery, which is really good – called “The Paris Apartment.” So every time we take the trash, one of us stays in the apartment to keep a look-out and make sure the other one gets back in – and we both have our phones on. We don’t know exactly where these back stairs lead! Our Paris adventure.
It is Monday morning – the start of the work week for me. Yes, I am working remotely while here. I’ll show you around.
Here is my favorite place to start the day –
We are 6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, so it is quiet and I can get a lot done. And I love watching the boats go by on the Seine.
Eventually, the East Coast wakes up, so I move to the study for my Zooms.
And since we are 6 hours ahead, I sometimes have to work after dinner on last-minute projects due by COB East Coast time. By then, we have turned the study back into the TV room (we are hooked on Sky News and BBC right now), so I move to the kitchen for a little quiet and better light.
But – notice there are no curtains! This window looks out onto a courtyard where we can see all the other apartments, most who don’t have curtains either.
I am reading a book about a murder in a Paris apartment where the other residents could see comings-and-goings through the courtyard windows like this. (I probably should have waited until we got home to start this book!)
Oh – and notice that door in the kitchen? I’ll tell you what’s behind that in my next blog. It took us a week to figure it out!
We spent a lovely, sunny afternoon on the hill overlooking the center of Paris – in the bohemian neighborhood of Montmartre near Moulin Rouge.
We took the Metro to get there – an adventure of its own! We are very proud of ourselves.
Once we arrived, we could choose either to climb a LOT of steps or take the handy funiculaire (we took the finiculaire).
At the top is the beautiful Sacre Couer church – and a breathtaking view.
We went into the church and lit a candle for the people of Ukraine and sat there for awhile reflecting and praying.
Then we wandered the streets, filled with cafes, shops, and dozens of painters.
I even found the scene of one of the puzzles I worked during COVID – I stopped when I saw it, recognizing the café, and had to take a picture.
Our destination was Le Moulin de la Galette, a restaurant that sits underneath one of the two surviving windmills in Paris. This scene has been painted by all the stars – Renoir, Vah Gogh, Picasso, Lutrec . . . .
Here is Van Gogh’s version – see the resemblance?
Renoir memorialized the festive ambience of the restaurant in his famous painting “Bal du Moulin de la Galette.”
A copy of Renoir’s painting is on the wall of the current restaurant.
I loved that they bring you the whole chalkboard for your menu.
In Montmartre, everyone eventually gathers on the steps leading up to Sacre Couer, gazing out at Paris. We joined them, feeling oh so romantic in this magical place.
Two Fools In Love 