Favorite Spots in Paris - Part Four

  Île Saint-Louis and The Café St. Regis

Well, I'm going to squeeze three different things into my Part Four of favorite spots in Paris.

❤  ❤  ❤

You can't visit Paris and not spend time in cafés, bistros, and brasseries.

You can't read a book, or see a movie about Paris, without spending time in cafés, bistros, and brasseries.

And there's a very good reason for all that.

Several excellent reasons.   The food, the ambience, the history, the architecture, etc.

However.

Not all cafés, bistros, and brasseries have great food, or great coffee, or even serve cocktails.  Not all of them are beautiful.  

But.

Speaking only for myself, there is a bit of magic in each and every one.

And yes, there ARE differences between a bistro and a café.

 And Annie André is here to explain those differences -

https://www.annieandre.com/cafe-vs-bistro-vs-brasserie-french-restaurants/

I have had only one bad experience in any of these.  It was in Montmartre.   I have also had lovely experiences in Montmartre, so that was certainly not meant as a blanket criticism.

One of my very most favorite bistros is The Café St. Regis.  The fact that it is located in my most very favorite area in Paris only adds to its charm. 

❤   Île Saint-Louis ❤

My first visit to Café St. Regis was during my first trip to Paris in 2017 with Lesa Holstine, Vickie Smith, and Lisa Butler.

To say I fell in love with Paris almost immediately upon landing at Charles de Gaulle airport is no exaggeration.  You'd be a happy woman too if a handsome gentleman asked very politely if he could carry your suitcase down a steep flight of stairs.

It just kept getting better and better from there.  

Of all of Paris, I fell completely and totally head over heels in love with  Île Saint-Louis. 

I stopped in a gallery, Carré d’artistes, on Île Saint-Louis and bought a piece by a mixed media collage artist I had discovered on-line, Karine Romanelli.

This particular piece completely encapsulates Paris and I love it.

Within days of returning home I knew I was far from finished with Paris.

It didn't take long before I had convinced Donald to go to Paris with me, and plans were in the works within the week.

Including finding a very small studio apartment to rent on the Île Saint-Louis.

We arrived back in Paris almost a year to the day after my first trip.

The apartment was tiny and adorable and shared a courtyard with a boulangerie where we woke up in the mornings to the fragrance of baking croissants.

Café St. Regis was a couple blocks away.

We would stop there in the mornings for our coffee before wandering the city.  (It just so happens they have excellent Eggs Benedict).

And we would usually stop there again in the evenings.

So.

There you have it (them).

Three favorite things from Paris.

Île Saint-Louis

Café St. Regis

And another favorite piece capturing those two favorite things painted by a favorite artist, Karine Romanelli

This hangs in our bedroom. 

 I can look at it and almost feel like Donald and I are right back there on the Île Saint-Louis, sitting at a small table in front of the Café St. Regis enjoying a Café Crème, or an evening cocktail, while we gaze at Notre Dame and do a little people watching while a young musician entertains us playing some sultry slow jazz on his saxaphone.

Almost.

j'espère que vous reviendrez

Paris Trip - Part Eight. Saying Goodbye to The City of Lights and Love

Saying goodbye to Paris.

And it was hard.

I have fallen completely in love with Paris, and with every Parisian I've met.

There is no one more fun than a Parisian waiter.  Believe me.  They come in all sizes, shapes and ages, and from the first one we met right up to the last, they were kind, patient, charming and funny.  

Besides seeing important art works by masters we've heard of all our lives, we saw beautiful clothes and jewelry and artwork by people we've never heard of - exquisite creativity thrives in Paris.

And that creativity seemed to pull me close.

I'll go back.

There are still places in Paris I have yet to see.  There are places I need to re-visit.  There are shops to shop in, museums and galleries to browse in.  Streets to wander.  Restaurants and cafes to sample.  People watching to be done.  Old bridges to be crossed.  Atmosphere and creativity to revel in.  Photographs to take.  Adventures to be had.

So, yes.  I'll go back.

And if I'm lucky enough to be able to stay in the very same apartment we stayed in this trip, or one as comfortable and homey, I will be a happy girl.

Which was, by the way, kind of a catch phrase started by Lisa while we were there.  "I'm happy."  Just strolling along enjoying streets and scenes and whatever happened to be in our sight line and the words "I'm happy" were just enough.

I was, I admit, getting a wee bit homesick, so I knew it was time, and I had no urges to tear up my return ticket and head off into unknown regions of France, but still - it was hard to say goodbye.

Howsomever, as my dad used to say . . . 

I have great memories which include three great friends.  I will always have those.

And I have a couple thousand photographs to look through.  And look through again.  And again . . . 

There are many ways to say goodbye in French, which I did not know . . . 

This from FluentU (https://www.fluentu.com/blog/french/say-goodbye-french/)

"Tired of saying “au revoir” (“goodbye”)?

Know your French greetings but not your French “goodbyes”?

If you’re looking for new and interesting ways to say goodbye in French, you’ve come to the right place.

10 Useful Ways to Say Goodbye in French

Here are 10 ways to take your leave, starting with the most formal to the most casual:

1. Adieu (Farewell)
Adieu is not a goodbye to be taken lightly or used often. It is highly formal, and it has a sense of finality. Steer clear of this one unless you never plan on seeing the person again or one of you is on your death bed.

2. Bonne journée / Bonne soirée (Have a nice day / Have a nice evening)
Both of these expressions are relatively formal, and the formality can be increased by adding Monsieur, Madame or Mademoiselle to the end of it. You’ll most likely also follow this up by saying “au revoir.” This is not considered to be overkill, and indeed is a requirement for polite interactions!

3. À plus tard (Until later)
In its full form, à plus tard is somewhat more formal. Note that the final “s” of plus is not pronounced, unless you are going with the shortened, and more colloquial, à plus.

4. À bientôt / À tout à l’heure (See you soon)
These expressions are very similar. À tout à l’heure, however, does suggest that you are going to see the person at some point today, whereas à bientôt could mean later in the week, for example.

5. À demain (See you tomorrow)
This one is great for those you see regularly at work or school.

6. À la prochaine (Until next time)
In the same vein as the literal translation of au revoir (until we see each other again), à la prochaine indicates that you plan on seeing them again in the future. Don’t use this one for people you would like to avoid.

7. Salut! (Bye!)
Whether you use it as a greeting or a way to jump ship, salut is a malleable expression that can be used to express your salutations in a somewhat casual manner. (And if you’re looking for casual French vocabulary, don’t miss this post on everyday French phrases and expressions.

8. Ciao! (Bye!)
I know what you’re thinking: Ciao isn’t French, it’s Italian. Those clever French aren’t above borrowing phrases from other languages, though, which is why French has many borrowed words from English. Ciao is a great way to say goodbye to friends of any language.

9. Je m’en vais (I’m outta here)
If it’s been a long night at a party with friends, and you’re heading off in your own direction, this one is a great way to make an exit.

10. Je me casse / Je me tire (I’m off )
Both of these mean the relatively the same thing, but they are more colloquial than number nine, and they may be somewhat offensive in polite company. So, user beware!

***

I was intrigued by this stairwell in our apartment building our entire stay.  I kept saying I was going to walk up and see what was up there, but never did.  If there was one thing I did too much of while in Paris, it was climb stairs!  But I do wish I'd made the effort to climb these, no matter how tired I was in the evenings when we got home.  Oh well.  Next time.

Saying good-bye to Lisa and Vickie outside No. 37 Rue de la Tombe-Issoire early in the morning on departure day was so hurried we didn't even have time for pictures!  Just a quick hug as Lesa and I took off for the airport, and Lisa and Vickie headed off to continue their adventure in Amsterdam.  I think we're all going to miss walking through our distinctively recognizable green doors while coming and going.

and walking through our courtyards, not knowing which kitty, or puppy, might be there to welcome us.

I will miss this place we called home for a week.

I even enjoyed my time at the Charles de Gaulle Airport while waiting for my flight home.

Lesa and I did a little shopping at the Duty Free store.

And a little window shopping at the rest of the stores.

Seeing this red piano in one of the eating areas made me wish I could play

Au revoir. À la prochaine, Paris.



After a very, very long flight home, it was so great to see this sweet face.





I was happy.

Annabelle, however, made it abundantly clear that she was not speaking to me.

So, I had an Arby's Jamocha Shake to ease my hurt feelings.

Once we got home, she still kept her distance until the next day.  

It's taken a few days, but we're friends again.

The toy I brought her from Paris helped a little.

And here's a few of the treasures I brought home -


A wonderfully thoughtful gift from Lisa, which I will love forever.  It perfectly captures Paris for me.






A painting by Bernard Valt.  Detail of Monet's home in Giverny

A mixed media collage by Karine Romanelli

Macarons!  Thank you, Lesa!!

A Paris souvenir scarf, but of course!





A gorgeous book that I will look through often, and remember my dream trip come true.

And this grumpy little guy.  Don't you love him?

And now that Annabelle is over being mad at me, I'll snuggle her to pieces.

Stay Tuned - More to Come.  Lesa, Lisa and Vickie will be sharing their own thoughts about Paris.


Check out Lesa's blog about Monday in Paris at her place - https://lesasbookcritiques.blogspot.com/2017/10/monday-in-paris-sept-25.html

Click Here for "Paris Trip - Part Seven "


Click Here for "Paris Trip - Part Six"

Click Here for "Paris Trip - Part Five"

Click Here for "Paris Trip - Part Four"

Click Here for "Paris Trip - Part Three"

Click Here for "Paris Trip - Part Two"

Click Here for "Paris Trip - Part One"