You’re 16, You’re Beautiful and You’re in Paris
Bonjour Paris.
Wait, Stop, Rewind! Like the false starts that can occur in Olympic races we too have just experienced our own.
What do you do when you open an email one hour before you leave for the airport saying “ we’re extremely sorry your flight has been cancelled on short notice” ? Curse? Yes. Panic? Yes. Cry? Ish. ( Our Olympic tickets, our dinner reservation for Sophie’s 16th birthday the day we arrive in Paris.) It’s the middle of summer, the Olympics are on how are we going to get there?
Calm down and regroup. Crisis averted. Took the time to read through the rest of the email to find hot we had been rebooked on a flight on Air Canada leaving justtwo hours later than our original flight. Truth be told, the extra two hours did not go to waste.
There is something magical about stepping through the airplane door. There is nothing left that can be done and the expectations and enchantment of the whole trip awaits.
Paris never disappoints. Like any great city it oozes with life, with beauty with food, with that je ne sais quoi. To be away from home yet to feel at home, that’s Paris for me. The croissants and baquetttes ( never more than 100 metres or so from where you’re standing), the architecture- with almost a complete absence of high rises, the yoghurt in glass jars and the two syllable sirens on emergency vehicles are just some of the many things I love.
But this time is different. The. Olympics will be our sole focus, except for one very important order of business: the day we arrive in Paris is Sophie’s 16th birthday, ( and lucky her, her third time in Paris). How to celebrate the momentous occasion.
We looked at many restaurants but decided on Le Train Bleu, easily what I think is the most beautiful restaurant you will ever set foot in, and the food’s not bad either. Located inside a train station, the Gare de Lyon, and originally created in 1900 for the World’s Fair ( and designated Monument Historique in 1972) it is truly like stepping inside a time machine of the Belle Époque. Decorated with gilt and chandeliers and 41 paintings on the walls and ceilings depicting the destinations on the French Riviera one could travel to from the station, all painted by the most popular artists of the day. A bit like being in the Sistine Chapel but there’s champagne! We feasted on lagoustines, pâté, lobster, sea bass, lamb, beef tartare, pork chops, crêpes Suzette’s, sorbet, chocolate soufflé, champagne, red wine and ridiculously expensive mocktails for the kids. We really came to Paris for the Food Olympics and I think we deserve a gold medal!
Bon Anniversaire ma petite-fille chérie!
P.S. Now I know that you all may not be Mr. Bean fans ( and I can’t say that I am either) but for an excellent depiction of Le Train Bleu - and it’s also very funny - I would recommend Mr. Bean’s Holiday. You can watch the complete movie or if you go to you tube you can watch just the scenes filmed at the restaurant.
