We arrived in Paris yesterday in sparkling sunlight. The pale afternoon sun
gleamed on the wrought iron railings of the old buildings in the city center. It was
fascinating to see the pink and purple jeweled saris displayed in the windows of
the Indian quarter, and we giggled at quaint bistro names like “Hippopotamus”
as we sped towards our hotel. And there, as is so often the case in Paris, the charm
of our afternoon ended, the delightful ambiance of our hotel being only equaled
by its inefficiency. The art deco foyer of the hotel was filled with dirty piles of
nylon bags, and a large out of order sign eclipsed the elevator. “Please forgive us,
this elevator will be broken for the next three weeks,” the sign read. “If you do not
wish to carry all your luggage up personally, telephone us.” Note: a phone was
not apparent. It is two flights up just to reach the reception desk, and it is a
seven-story hotel. For someone like me, recovering from a foot tendon
injury, this little sign spelled doom. We are now established across the
street in a much smaller and less quaint hotel that does have a working elevator.
Sure, the bed is hard and the room is tiny, and we are facing the elevator shaft.
But there is a nest of doves outside our window that coo incessantly. In Paris, you
take the rough with the smooth and somehow it all works out.
Take our dinner last night, for instance. My father, who also happens to be
visiting Paris, took us out for a lovely dinner at La Fermette Marbeuf,
a Belle Epoque masterpiece. The dining room is a fantasy of stained glass work,
designed by the architect Hurtre and executed by the artist Wielhorski.
The room was walled off for years, and was only rediscovered when a storeroom
for the restaurant next door was renovated . This is how the exquisite beauty of
the glasswork was preserved. It was declared a historic monument and now
houses a wonderful, classic French restaurant, La Fermette Marbeuf. We
ordered the tasting menu, which was fabulous:
Appetizer: Fois Gras with fig jelly on toast
Lobster bisque
Salmon on a bed of leeks with veal reduction sauce
Duck breast
Grand Marnier soufflé