Birthday in Paris

06.06.2009

Rainy morning!

After having nice breakfast at the hotel,

walked to St-Germain-des-Pres

- luckily had taken also warm clothes and a trench-coat
.

Les Halles
.

Notre Dame on the island of Cite
. Houses on the left bank
.

Copper pans!

.

Visited the Taschen book shop on rue de Buci

- design by Philippe Starck in 2000

.

Lunch at Laduree
.

Crab toast with Laduree french fries

- delicious!
.

"Harmonie"

- take a macaroon base rolled out like a tart,

spread it with pistachio-flavoured cream

and decorate it with strawberries & rasberries

.
This branch of the patissier and chocolatier Laduree

was opened in the autumn of 2002

in what was once Madeleine Castaing's legendary interior furnishing shop

and the meeting place of artists as Chagall, Soutine, Modigliani.

Customers queue up to purchase the shop's exquisite chocolates

or choose the best macaroons from

a selection of over 40 different kinds.

.

Laduree

21, rue Bonaparte

75006 Paris

http://www.laduree.fr/

metro: St-Germain-des-Pres
.

Rain had stopped!

Quickly to the hotel to change dry shoes on.

.
Opera Garnier
.
Glass dome of Galeries Lafayette
.
Galeries Lafayette
- beautiful departement store
.

View of the ground floor of Galeries Lafayette
.

Walked through some interesting passages

and found a nice salon de the

at Passage Jouffroy
.

Pistachio macaroon

.

Orange & chocolate mousse cake

- one of the best cakes ever!

And the orange blossom tea here is delicious!
.

Selection of cakes at Le Valentin
. Le Valentin

30/32 Passage Jouffrey

.

Some terminology:

Salon de The

This is the form of French eating place

which most resembles the cafes of other countries.

Tearooms offer a good selection of cakes and gateaux

but generally don't serve alcoholic drinks.

At lunchtime they frequently offer a basic menu,

as well as simple snacks, salads and sandwiches.

The varied, even excellent types of tea

and hot chocolate are weell worth trying.

The best ones also prepare various types of coffee.

Tearooms mainly open just before midday for lunch

and usually shut in the late afternoon.
.