Paris Diary part 17

Day 20
22°, sunny.

This was another long work day, but at lunch, Lily & I walked around the 14th arrondissement near Tour Montparnasse and got kicked out of the Société des gens de lettres.

We had lunch at Harmony Café on Boulevard de Port-Royal, where the owner, an older man, spent a lot of time talking to us. I could say it was because we were young women, but he lives in a city full of young women. It was most likely because he was a friendly restaurateur.

We went to a weird little restaurant called Chez nos ancêtres les gaulois on Île Saint-Louis for dinner. Rather than the refined elegance of most Paris restaurants, this place was designed to look like a roadside tavern in medieval Gaul, hence the name. The walls were exposed wood beams and stone with mounted animal heads, and long wooden block tables provided group seating.

Every table had a large basket of raw fruits and vegetables and a nice assortment of cheeses. This is essentially an all you can eat buffet restaurant, wine included, but it is nothing like Las Vegas.

The spécialité de la maison, aside from the ambience, was grilled chunks of meat and sausages, but there was more than enough cheese, vegetables and bread. Cheese and bread with a nice glass of wine can be a great meal all on its own, if you get the right cheese and bread.