Spring is in the air

Well, at least it was yesterday morning, before a cold front came through and suddenly (well, in typical Paris fashion), it was overcast and chilly. But first, some pictures from the Arènes de Lutèce (never been), one of the last vestiges of ancient Rome in Paris. Neat place, so quiet and peaceful, even with children playing soccer and several couples lunching.



Then we went to Les Jardins des Plantes. It's a much prettier place in spring and summer, but it sure is something else anytime - such a vast expanse of green space in the middle of the city.


Then it was off to our splurge lunch at La Truffière. This was our fourth time, and it remains a favorite and certainly a good value with a 30 Euro 3-course lunch and 5 Euro glasses of wine.
Our entrees of fresh mozzarella ravioli (so light and fresh) and pork terrine:


And plats of haddock and foie de veau (veal liver; those odd-looking things are gnocchi!), both very good.
Apparently, we then lapsed into a gastronomic coma because there are no pictures of our desserts (cheese cheese cheese) nor our after-dinner bon bons.

Oh! For the first time EVER, we sat in the upstairs room, not in the dungeon with the other English-speakers. Did this mean we had finally arrived? Non! I booked on a French web site, similar to Open Table. In the phone number fields, I put our apartment phone number (why not?) and I'm pretty sure they thought we were locals, based merely on the reservation info. he he he.

While it was a wonderful meal, we both decided it will not be on the must-do list for the next trip. Time to move on and find a new favorite...

Last night was my turn to cook dinner chez nous. Here's the menu:


And here are the veal chops with rosemary, roasted potatoes, and lentils and green beans (leftovers from the other night), washed down with a nice, little, fruity 5-Euro Burgundy.

Lastly, for those who don't know, the French have led the way in aerospace technology, high-speed rail, and the chemicals industry. Laundry, on the other hand.... ;-)