Places We Go : Bonne Nuit, Paris!

Turns out, France has 11 official annual public holidays including Whit Monday (this year on May 20th). What better way to celebrate a French holiday than spend the afternoon in a crowded bouillon? Children playing under tables, the din of laughter and waiters barely tolerating the crowds. I felt like this must be what it's like to live in Paris.

With a name that literally means "broth," these traditional French restaurants serve quality cuisine quickly and at affordable prices. Opened in 1896, the Bouillon Chartier Grands Boulevards was added to France's registry of cultural heritage in the 1990's. The food wasn't great but oh, that Profiterole Chartier. Good choice, John!

Before we had our Whit Monday lunch, we saw children get ready to ride ponies in Luxembourg Garden.

Smaller children rode the nearby crank operated carousel which is the oldest working carousel in Paris.

Our trip overlapped that of my nephew's who was working at the US Embassy (pictured in back). He suggested we go to the embassy gift shop. The next day, we walked up to a French policewoman (seen above) who curtly said, "Move along." I told her that we'd like to go to the gift shop. That sparked a spirited French conversation between her and another officer. Finally, she told us there was no gift shop and to move along and do not take pictures. But I did sneak in a photo because she was rocking her uniform in full makeup.

My nephew figured out that the gift shop is only available to dignitaries and their teams, not us tax payers. He bought wine from the Ambassador's Cellar. A fun souvenir.

Another day, we ate at Le Souffle. Sue had suggested as she ate there years ago on J&J's recommendation. We shared two dessert souffles - Chocolat and Citron - €14 each (US $15.20). Très bon!

My Le Souffle, " Le Tomate" (€20 =US$21.83). We told our waiter about our U.S. Embassy experience and he told us the ambassador comes in regulary for lunch and she is very nice. Turns out Ambassador Denise Campbell Bauer is both the ambassador to the French Republic and the Principality of Monaco. Sounds like a dreamy job to me.

One day we were walking through an area filled with interior decor shops and art galleries which reminded me of Jackson Square in San Francisco, only the buildings are two centuries older. As we turned a corner, both J&J gasped. It turned out they had discovered a charming square close to their hearts.

J&J bought this sweet painting of the same square in 2003 in one of the galleries nearby.

Honestly, there's a mesmerizing scene on every street. J&J have eaten at this restaurant.

And on a small street on the Ile de Cite, John and Jim in front of the apartment building they stayed in many times over the years.

We ate our main meal at lunch. About 8 pm, we went out for a lighter meal. One night, it was onion soup and an omelette at Au Bouquet Saint-Paul i n Le Marais.

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One day, we ended up on Rue du Faubourg Saint-Denis, which is a fun neighborhood filled with restaurants and a bit of a shady reputation. We had a lively brief conversation in English with four older "ladies of the night" (not pictured) just spilling out of an apartment building.

Toward the end of Rue du Faubourg Saint-Denis, we spied this breath-taking gate.

Standing on the Boulevard Saint-Denis, the Porte Saint-Denis is a monumental arch built in 1672. Constructed on the site of an old gate, the 82 feet high monument is dedicated to the king's victories in Holland and is inspired by the Arch of Titus in Rome.

The Porte Saint-Denis was originally a gateway through the Wall of Charles V, built 1356 - 1383 to protect the Right Bank of Paris. The medieval fortification had two gates and was surmounted with four towers, a drawbridge and rock-cut ditch to deter the enemy. With the advent of gunpowder and the development of cannons and bombards, the walls were eventually torn down to make way for the larger and more fortified Louis XIII Wall when Paris spread beyond the confines of its medieval boundaries.

One of my favorite meals was at La Fontaine de Mars. At John & Jim's suggestion, my mom and I ate here in May, 1998. In the shadow of the Eifell Tower, the Obamas ate here in 2009 on his first presidential visit outside the US. The bistro - one of Paris' oldest - dates back to 1908. Oh là là

Jim had steak tartare and fries (backgound) and I had chicken and morels. It looks simple but it was delish.

My last Floating Island, the specialty of La Fontaine de Mars. It was my most expensive dessert - €11 (US$12). Most of my meals were in the €20-25 range. At €44 (US$48) this my most expensive meal - so fun to eat in an iconic restaurant.

As I flew on a United flight from Paris to SFO (11-1/2 hours), it was fun to track everything on the screen. When not sipping on champagne the business class attendant snuck us, I thought about the French style I saw everywhere -

• classic striped tops

• sweaters draped over shoulders on both men and women

• the lack of false eyelashes

• short fingenails and only painted clear or red

• an intense interest - as noted by the crowded eyewear shops - of fun glass frames in matte finish, in bright colors and mostly oversized

• no leisurewear on the streets as Parisians are definitely more "dressed" than their US cousins

and in a non-fashion observation, no paper toilet seat covers anywhere.

J&J talked me into flying United's Premium Plus. As I've never flown anything other than coach, this was a treat. But the best part was that I sat next to a wonderful San Franciscan and made a new friend. That's it for my trip - I never expected to write so much about it so thanks for indulging me. Have a wonderful Sunday! I'll be back on August 25th as I'm having my other-foot-bunion surgery this week.

PS. If you're like me, I'm looking forward to the August 15th drop of Netflix's "Emily in Paris," season 4. A lighted- hearted comedy, you'll see magical Paris in a fun way.