le Tour d'Eiffel, Paris

It was a hot day in Paris, this day before Easter 2011, so why arrive at the Eiffel Tower in a pink limousine?! It keeps the dust off your feet....

We've been to the tower before, just never had the luxury of enough time to wait in line to go up to the second floor lookout and catch the glimpses of the city. So, today, after our lunch here in the park (previous posting), we move towards the tower where these trimmed sycamore trees seems to be swallowed up into the mouth of the tower!

 Well, a refresher seemed in order, since the lines are VERY LONG to get into either the North, South or East leg of the tower.

 We opt for the shortest line which snakes back and forth and proceeds along very slowly! This gives on time to look up into the tower

 or catch framed glimpses of the city across the Senn.

 We're getting close now....excitement building!  Then, as we get near to the front of the line, a security officer sees us and whisks us away to a special entrance for handicapped people (if only we'd known about this sooner, we wouldn't have spent one hour in the line!).  Mark waits at the gate while the officer takes one person from each party (waiting in this line) to the back side of the ticket counter to purchase our tickets (discounted to 8 Euros total for both of us--a deal!).

 Then we slide into the line, through security and into the funiculaire (don't you just love that word?!) that goes up this leg of the tower at a 45 degree angle!

Here's the view as we ascend...

 Once we up to the second floor platform (a two-deck affair), we can see the city. Here's l'Eglise Sacre Coeur (Sacred Heart church) sitting pearly white on the north hill.

 Clouds come and go (it rains later) making a wonderful panel of colors that drift back and forth across the skyline.

 Here's a stitched photograph (3 photos) looking along the Senn towards the Grand Palace, with the huge glass conservatory built for the 1900 Paris World Exhibition.

 From this high up, the tower has such delightful architectural features!

 Below us, the Carousel plays it merry music...a twirl of delight!

 Back across the Senn towards one of the museums; the l'Arc de Triumphe is towards the upper right-hand corner of this picture.

 A stitched landscape of this same view:

 More pics in other directions around the tower:

 Mark is in awe. We ate our picnic repas earlier down below in the shady part of this grand garden (to the left)!

 We spend a couple of hours up here, enjoying the view, sipping de l'eau et vin (water and wine), to build up the courage to take the slide (no, just kidding, it was an elevator!) down to the base:

 Wheeee.....

As we leave, the storm clouds darken and we have a brief rain shower while crossing the river. It soon lets up and we ascend up the long hill to l'Arc de Triumphe for dinner in a cafe somewhere....

Disclaimer: This blog is not an official University of Minnesota or Fulbright Program blog. The views expressed are my own and not those of the Fulbright Program, the U.S. Department of State or any of its partner organizations, or the University of Minnesota.

Lunch, le Petit Dejeuner, by the Eiffel Tower, day before Easter, Paris

We spent the day around the Eiffel Tower, le Tour d'Eiffel, soaking up the sights, basking in the sun, cooling in the shade, and eventually going up into the tower (later posting).

Around 1400 hours, we started to get hungry....our breakfast of coffee and croissants had long since dissipated!

Mark stops to wash his hands and cool off a bit at this handy faucet before we go to a cool spot in the shade underneath the Eiffel Tower.

 Well, we start digging into the many wonderful treats we bought at the Farmer's Market this morning at la Rue Poncelet (previous posting)!
Using Neil's Czech knife, we slice off some fresh goat cheese with a bit of fine ash. This is slathered onto the Baguette:

Mark seems to think this is quite le Piece de Resistance!

 Those delectable cherry tomatoes spill out of our bags and explode in our mouths! Exquisite delights.

 And why not combine the cherries with the cheese and French bread? Pourqoi non?

 Then!  There are the cold beets cooked in their skins that we bought this morning. It's such a fantastic idea to sell pre-cooked fresh beets in their skins for easy eating.  Look at this!

Well, let's see.....after eating a few bites we think about pairing this with the cheese...on some bread! Fantastique!

 Everyone in the Eiffel Tower seems to be looking down on us and drooling!

 Then, out comes the Comice pear...isn't this just gorgeous?

 Mark adds that it is tres bien and oh, so good!

 Then we pear it with the cheese and cooked beets...an unbelievable combination!

These berries cleanse the palette....

 And now for dessert....we ran across a bakery (chez Paul) that was selling delectable fruit French macaroons at the Farmer's Market this morning! We had to buy a large fresh raspberry macaroon...

 Can you believe it?

 Here's to Paris et le Tour d'Eiffel!

  Who says you can't have a delectable gourmet meal without cooking a thing?

Now it's time to sit back in the shade and watch all of the other people delighting in this beautiful day and enjoying their picnics...

A father photographs his daughters holding their hands on top of the Eiffel Tower!

It is a French Impressionist day...with all of the sun umbrellas in gorgeous colors and contrasts...

We're wishing you the absolutely best weekend, from here in Paris!

Disclaimer: This blog is not an official University of Minnesota or Fulbright Program blog. The views expressed are my own and not those of the Fulbright Program, the U.S. Department of State or any of its partner organizations, or the University of Minnesota.

The Farmer's Market, la Rue Poncelet, Paris

 The street where we're staying in Paris, Rue de Poncelet, has a farmer's market each and every day! We walk past this on the way to the l'Arc de Triumphe...heading to the day's excitement!
Each day we plan our French petit repas (lunch) menu as we walk past the stalls. Let's see what's delightful aujourd'hui (today; the day before Easter)
...raspberries (we buy some of these!

or who can resist fresh black berries either?  We can't!

 or fresh blanched asparagus (sadly, we're not cooking today, but one can eat it raw),

Some 'Purple Passion' asparagus is tucked amongst the white asparagus...which makes us think of home; we're wondering how ours is growing in St. Paul, Minnesota??

 fresh strawberries (we buy three boxes and the vendor likes Mark so much, he gets another one for free!),

 fresh mangoes and kumquats, all so delicious looking with lots of anthocyanins and neutraceuticals,

 fresh citrus (we hear Spain calling),

perhaps some Toi / Moi oranges for you and I?

 fresh cantaloupes just arrived (so tasty)! As you can see, the sellers are shouting out their wares so that everyone will come and buy them! It is NOT a quiet market, like the Czech or U.S. farmer's markets! Here everyone is yelling out their delights and enticing you to buy by offering you fresh samples....irresistible marketing!

Neil almost jumps out of his skin when he sees the 'Comice' pears (background below); local d'Anjou pears are in the front.  We have to buy a Comice for lunch!!

 Ah, seafood....lots of fresh shrimp...

 fresh peaches,

Rhubarb anyone?

 more blanched asparagus and berries....

 as well as unblanched asparagus,

 les haricots verts (green beans) are gorgeous and fresh!

 Speaking of fresh, how about some Belgian endive?

 And artichokes...we've been yearning for some! Perhaps we'll have to take some of these back with us to the Czech Republic for dinner this weekend?!

Then there are the tomatoes...

these cherry tomatoes just spilled into our market bag....who could resist? Another treat for today's lunch!

 Everything is about interacting, catching up on the news, the flavors of the day.....join in!

 Oh, and fresh peas...in the longest, most beautiful pods Neil has ever seen (his Dad, Leonard, is the pea King of Vermont!):

 Fresh cherries?

And just look as these gorgeous fresh vegetables!

Oh, and guess what?!

How about fresh Morel mushrooms?! Poor Minnesota....they're not quite ready yet....

 Shops that line the street also set up their wares and you can also venture inside the shop.
Fromage (cheeses) anyone?

 We bought some of the fresh goat cheese, covered with ash (on the left) for lunch today!

 Even the local chocalatier advertises their wares. You can get your name written on a dark chocolate Easter egg, if you're so inclined!

 Then, numerous vendors and shops are selling the classics....duck confit,

 foie gras,

 fresh rotisserie chickens

or other delights from the grill,

paela sure smells good this morning, too...

and then there are these giant prawns from Madagascar, and crab....

more shrimp..

fish soup ready to warm up;

or perhaps this Mediterranean delight with zucchini, summer squash, peppers, and some spicing?  Smells delightful this morning....already we're getting hungry...

l'escargots in the full shell?

We didn't purchase anything from here...yet.

Then there are the fresh flower vendors.....peonies are in full swing now (it is summer today!),

 and everyone is buying fresh bunches of lily of the valley....the fragrance of which waft over the entire market!

 At the end of the street, DaDa Cafe is a common hangout before or after working the market for today's meals!

 One does need some wine to go with your lunch, after all!

 It could be paired with some tasty pastry, too....Mark thinks!

 as well as some fresh bread at the Boulangerie...we have to buy a large fresh loaf of French bread pour le petit Dejeuner aujourd'hui.

 So there you have it, today's potential ingredients for feasting! May yours be filled with freshness and top quality flavors!

Disclaimer: This blog is not an official University of Minnesota or Fulbright Program blog. The views expressed are my own and not those of the Fulbright Program, the U.S. Department of State or any of its partner organizations, or the University of Minnesota.