After a relaxing long weekend out in the Le Perche countryside, Forest, Thibault, and I returned back to Paris by train. My friends do this weekly in order to spend weekends in the country. It's easy and relatively quick, just long enough of a ride to listen to an hour podcast.
This was going to be a fairly short stopover in Paris, but I had a lot planned, as always! And after relaxing and repacking in the apartment, Forest and I headed out for cocktails at the Hotel Lutetia.
The stunning Art Nouveau building, taking up an entire city block of the Saint Germain area, was built in 1910, by the owners of the Bon Marche department store, for wealthy clients and designers. The name Lutetia is the name of the 1st century BC settlement that was located where modern day Paris is now built. It's well worth your time to visit the nearby Musee Moyen Age just under a mile away for an indepth look at this period of the city. There's also a lot of history around the hotel from World War II and the Nazi invasion of Paris. It's an interesting and gorgeous place for sure!
We were there to enjoy a cocktail at the stunning Le Bar Josephine, named after singer/dancer Josephine Baker who reportedly stayed there. We sat up at the bar and had a great view of the entire room. It's swanky and comfortable, historic and modern. All things, all at once! And our drinks were wonderful too.
There's a speakeasy in the hotel too; we didn't have time on this night but I've got it on my list for my next visit. Highly recommend a stop in at the Lutetia!
Just across the street was our dinner destination, 2 Michelin star, Marsan by Helen Darroze.
From the minute you enter, you know you are in for something slightly different, slightly better. Checking in on the ground floor we were escorted past the communal table room, up the stairs, and smack into the kitchen! We were immediately greeted and introduced to the chefs. It was quiet, but not in a tense way, and immaculate! There's a chef's table you can reserve right there also.
Then we were led into the dining room, which felt a bit modern Danish design. Also a very comfortable room with round marble dining tables and cushy leather chairs. As soon as we sat down the waiter rolled the champagne trolly over, truly the signal of a great night to come!
After choosing our champagne, and being served a few lovely amuse bouche, we decided on the 6-course tasting menu (the other choice is 9-courses). There were options throughout to upgrade with supplements, and for my first course I chose to upgrade to the "iconic oyster with Kristal caviar". An entire tin of caviar was brought out in an ornate pewter crab dish, and then generous scoops of caviar were added to the oyster nestled in a cold bean velouté. It was very decadent and delicious!
There was a lovely foie gras dish with French Charentais melon and also red mullet, in a light tempura batter, from the French Basque region with zucchini flower and a traditional Basque sauce called ttoro which was excellent!
My main was "a chicken from les Landes and the corn used to feed him". Brilliant!
The chicken breast had a stuffing under the skin and was painted with a corn miso. There was also a "row" of grilled corn and zucchini with a corn and cocoa bean cream. A chicken wing was served on the side as "finger food". It was so good (and I also thought it looked a bit like an American BBQ). Forest supplemented the Grade 5 Japanese Wagyu beef which was an incredible cut!
To start the finishing courses we had an unpasteurized 6-month aged hard sheep's cheese grated over house-made crackers with a jam made of black cherries from the Basque region. It was so unique and absolutely delicious. A cheese trolly followed, that also had a lovely selection of Basque cheeses.
The next trolly to arrive was carrying a selection of Darroze Armagnac. Helen Darroze's family has been producing Armagnac in the town of Roquefort for 50 years. I had chosen their signature dessert, the baba, and was invited to choose one of the armagnacs to have poured onto the split open cake. Our waiter kindly left the rest of the armagnac on the table for us to enjoy. The dessert was excellent, served with fresh and cooked peach and chantilly cream.
One of the chefs then arrived at our table with a final dessert, an ice cream made with the leftover house baked bread from the day. I'd never had anything like it, and really loved that they were creating a dish out of something that otherwise would just be tossed out.
We were handed little pastry boxes on our way out and after 3 ½ hours of really exceptional food and service we headed home. It's been a long time since Forest and I chose to do a Michelin star dinner since the cost can be very high, the dishes aren't always better than what we can have during lunch, and often they just go on too long and we've left exhausted. But I'm so happy we did this dinner at Marsan as it was so enjoyable and delicious! It's now no surprise to me that Darroze has 6 Michelin stars and 3 restaurants!!
The next morning I visited the Bourdelle Museum which is just a short walk from my friend's apartment. Sculpture Antoine Bourdelle was a student of Auguste Rodin. After he left he opened his own studio, working in wood, bronze, marble, etc., and exhibited at a number of shows. He then went on to teach other artists such as Giacometti and Henri Matisse.
The museum is filled with Bourdelle's work and his studies. Photos, sketches, and of course sculpture fill interior spaces as well as gardens. Some of the pieces are huge! It's really a beautiful setting and I saw quite a few locals just enjoying the gardens with their books, surrounded by these amazing sculptures.
For lunch, I met up with my friend Albert, who was also just transitioning through Paris. He and his friend were on their way home from Morocco, which is where I was heading to next! It was a very fun coincidence!
Albert wanted to try Le Recamier which is known for their soufflés (and their terrace). The 3 of us ordered both savory soufflés and dessert soufflés and everything was delicious- as you can clearly see by how happy Albert was!
I will say the prices were quite high compared to if you had a very similar dish in a classic bistro. The restaurant is in the 7th, which is pretty affluent and also has a lot of tourists. But if you are looking for a fun splashy lunch I'd recommend it!
One of the things I was very interested in seeing was the Yayoi Kusama temporary exhibit, which was suppose to be up until the end of September. A HUGE statue of Kusama, seemingly painting polka dots on the Louis Vuitton HQ! Albert and his friend were both up for seeing it so we crossed Pont Neuf and headed to the space between LV and La Samaritaine department store.
Foiled! Even though it was only the 13th of the month, the installation was gone. Well none of us had been into La Samaritaine since it reopened so we went in for a look. It's such a stunning space!
They were heading back out to the airport and I needed to get back to Forest's to get ready for drinks and dinner that night, so we said goodbye. I took a quick metro to the Opera Garnier to check out the art of JR which was covering the scaffolding of the building.
Wow!! So cool!!
As I mentioned, Paris was a stop on my way to Morocco, and that trip would be spent with friends Caitlin from London and Gail from Seattle. They both decided to meet me on my last night in town so we could all fly into Tangier together! Together with Forest, we've been in a book club together for the last 4 years or so, but we've never been all together in real life!
Paris is always the answer, right? We all had a great evening of drinks at the Novotel in the 15th (pro tip- this bar has fantastic views of the Eiffel Tower) before meeting some more of the Paris friends for dinner.
Dinner was at Procope, which Forest and I had both been very interested in checking out as it is the oldest restaurant in Paris, founded in 1686! Unfortunately the service was awful, it was unbearably hot in the dining room and the food was just ok. I'd say give this place a pass, there are many many many better choices out there.
And with that, my 3rd stop on my month long vacation came to an end. I think this was my 21st visit to Paris and it's still my fave city 💖.
The 2nd stop on my month long vacation was to France to see the BFF. And since her and I have spent a lot of time in Paris together I requested to spend a long weekend out in Le Perche, where her and her husband have a country home and spend ½ their time. This is a wonderful area, where the very southern border of Normandy meets the very northern border of the Pays de la Loire.
I flew from WA DC, using points to fly United Polaris Business Class, and arrived at Dulles airport at about 8pm for my 11pm flight. It was so hot in DC that I was very happy to check into the Polaris Lounge and take a shower! It was a really nice, big private room and it felt great to change the clothes I had been in all day!
I had a light dinner and a martini in the lounge before boarding the Boeing 767-400. I was very happy to see that I'd gotten a plane with the new retrofit which included better seats and a 1-1-1 config. My pod felt very private even though it didn't have a privacy doors like on some other airlines.
I hadn't flown Polaris before and I was really looking forward to it! Besides the common layflat seats, they are known to have custom Saks Fifth Avenue bedding and mini Away suitcase amenity kits. Well the Saks bedding was very nice, but there was no Away bag or pj's which I thought was odd for an overnight flight (turns out pj's are only on United flights over 11 ½ hours).
Drinks, dinner, a movie, some sleep... and in 7 ½ hours I landed at CDG. I took a taxi to my friend's apartment in the 15th and since I was packed for a month, I did a quick repack for the long weekend and left the rest at the apartment. Then we were out the door to the train station; we were wasting no time getting out to the country!
Unfortunately, the machine at the station I was trying to go through with my ticket was malfunctioning and we were close to missing our train. My friend's husband told me just to go through, which I would have done anyway, but I was caught by a station agent. My BFF was ahead of us and hadn't noticed we weren't with her until she was on the train. As my friend's husband and the agent had a heated conversation about the situation, the train left. I ended up paying the fine and we caught the next train while my friend got off hers at a stop and waited for ours to arrive so we would all be together again! Geez! Not the smoothest transition, especially considering I was just off an international flight!
But as soon as we arrived at the country house it was just all relaxation! Forest put together some tasty aperos and cocktails, while Thibault grilled up some steak and veggies for dinner. It was hot so we sat outside all evening and caught up.
The next day Forest and I went to lunch in the tiny town of Digny; approximate population 1000.
Afterwards we stopped at one of the local farms to pick up some things for dinner. The farm has a small building that houses a few vending machines so that you can still shop even when they are closed. And besides just offering the farm's produce and meat the machines are filled with literally everything you would need for a full dinner including fresh produce, fresh oysters, wine, cheese, and even desserts like macarons! It wasn't cheap but it was handy (and fun!).
We went into the farm's store and picked up some ribs for dinner that night. And on the way out we stopped at another machine, this one from the bakery in Digny, and bought some bread. You can choose your loaf from their selection, all with varying degrees of brownness!
The next day, we made a quick stop at the town's brocante. In French a brocant can mean anything from a yard sale to a flea market and can be a regular event or a one-off. This was mostly yard sale items from the locals in the commune. I love how a lot of Americans get a bit dreamy of the thought of the French, so stylish and sophisticated, and then you see they are selling the same junk as the rest of us! CDs, kids clothes, old magazines, etc.
I've done some day trips around Le Perche with Forest in the past, but this time we were going to spend a few nights away, so after she said hello to the neighbors we were on the road. This area is absolutely littered with adorable barely-there towns and I was very excited to explore more!
We stopped at the Brasserie du Perche, which sits on a little lake and offers visitors the chance to rent pedal boats, fish, hike the property, visit the goats and of course grab a bite. A lot of folks come here and buy a BBQ kit, basically a cook-it-yourself experience. But being this is France the contents could be something like a terrine, two fillets of meat, potatoes, 1/2 camembert and apple tartlets. We just had a glass of wine by the lake and enjoyed the view as it was only about 11:30am.
Forest had picked a great spot for lunch; Chez Nous in Tourouvre au Perche is a farmhouse restaurant, permanent brocant, and boutique. We ate outside in their big garden, browsed the antique farm items, and shopped their cute modern housewares. Super nice!
Further down the road we stopped in Belforêt-en-Perche for a walk around the adorably tiny town and then sat for a glass of champagne at what may have been the only bar in town.
We were having dinner that evening at Après l’École Restaurant in Saint-Cyr-la-Rosière but we were a bit early so we spent a little time driving around the area. We saw a sign for a dolmen and, although we have been thwarted by these signs in the past, we gave it a shot and went in search. Again we drove down a road following the direction of the sign, only to come to another sign pointing back where we had just come from. The neolithic Dolmen de la Pierre Procureuse was not to be found (by us anyway) but we did spot an incredible Chateau!
The Angenardière manor, a 15th-century manor house, was most likely British owned until 1449. The grand chateau was built as a residence, even though it looks quite fort-like, and is still privately owned. Denis Gouyon's parents bought the manor and its farm in 1964 and he still lives there from what I could find. Forest and I had gotten out of the car for a better look and as we were walking back she heard someone call. She spoke to them briefly and learned that sometimes they will open the manor during the Les Journées Du Patrimoine or French heritage days. It's really a stunning property!
We got back to the restaurant Après l’École right when they opened and had some lovely wine while enjoying the view on their terrace. Then we shared some fantastic clams, local veggies, an amazing steak, and some local cheese. It was early when we ate, and as we left the restaurant was just getting going with lots of locals who knew each other and the owner. A great spot for sure!
We had about a 30 minute drive to our home for the next 2 nights in Rémalard en Perche. D'une Ile is a 10-room bed and breakfast on an old country farm. We arrived after dark so we only had time to check into our room and then grab a Calvados night cap outside on their lovely patio.
D'une Île means "an island" and the next morning we could see that the property was indeed like an island in a sea of forest, orchards, and gardens. There is a smattering of buildings, most likely used for farm workers back in the day, now remodeled into rooms, social spaces, laundry, kitchen, etc. Our room was on the end of the room block and looked out onto the gardens.
When we checked in the night before and I asked for the key I was told there weren't any as it was very safe out in the country. That may well be but the property wasn't fenced in, there was no security, and anyone could have come and helped themselves to our stuff. The room was both sparse and stylish and I think Forest summed it up best by saying "similar to natural wines, they get a lot of press for being unique, but they could always be better!" So there were a few precious moments!
Breakfast offerings were simple; fresh baked bread and brioche, butter, jam, yogurt, coffee, tea and juice. You could also order eggs but they weren't included- which I thought was a bit cheap. The small kitchen and bar has a daytime snack menu, available after breakfast, and then offers seasonal dinners- reservations are mandatory.
As we wandered around the grounds we saw that there was both a sauna (with a window to enjoy the views) and also a large pool. Unfortunately we hadn't packed our swimsuits so we weren't able to use either. There's also a large common room with wi-fi (none in the rooms and I wasn't getting any mobile service), games, and a library. It's all very quiet and relaxing and literally pastoral.
But the whole countryside is gorgeous, so we headed off to explore and see more of it! In Mortagne-au-Perche, which has absolutely lovely gardens, we did some shopping and had lunch in a very typical bistro. I'm pretty sure we were the only ones in the restaurant that didn't live in the town, it was quite hopping by the time we left!
Just outside of town sits Notre Dame de Mortagne, a very impressive church that was destroyed during the Hundred Years War and then rebuilt on the same site, completed in 1535.
I took a quick stroll through the church and the surrounding grounds as I never pass up an opportunity to look around churches! I was the only one there too which was very cool.
Driving around the country here is just absolutely gorgeous. It's green and lush and dotted with beautiful stone houses. There's really no traffic, so it's all very quiet and relaxing.
Back at D'une Île we relaxed for a bit and enjoyed some wine on their patio before getting cleaned up for dinner, which was served there too. The menu was very simple and served to be shared; beef tartare with XO sauce & mushrooms, salad with fresh baked bread & butter, and chocolate madeleines were included in the set price of €42. We chose to add the optional fried zucchini blossoms, pork terrine, and cheese.
It was all very good and the sunset was a stunning backdrop!
The next morning was drizzly as we checked out and stopped at a bakery in the nearby town to pick up some sandwiches for the train. Then we swung by Le Mesnil-Thomas, picked up Thibault, and headed to the train station for our ride back to Paris. What a lovely and relaxing long weekend!
