Sunday May 23rd - Our first day in Paris

We arrived in Paris on Sunday at about 11:30 a.m.  With adrenaline serving as our only means of energy, we hopped on the RER headed to our Luxembourg stop ready to see Paris.  The hotel was ready for us when we arrived and even had a little box of cookies waiting for us.  It is a very charming hotel and our room had the cutest little balcony!  

And excerpt from my journal: "Walking to lunch Mark, was the first one to spot the Eiffel Tour.  What a sight!!  We're really here!!!  I can't wait to see the Iron Lady light up at night."

 Just two blocks from our hotel, we stumbled upon so many cute cafes it was hard to choose one, but went with Creperie Cafe where I had this amazing salad filled with apples and walnuts and accompanied by two slices of toasty bread and warm goat cheese with honey.  Mmmm!!  And of course all paired with a glass of wine.  

I had read all about how the Parisiens' favorite pasttime is enjoying a cup of cafe (coffee) and people watching.  They take this hobby so seriously that all of the chairs outside of the cafes face the street!  I loved it!

After lunch, we walked a few more blocks to the Jardin du Luxembourg.  It was beautiful!  It was a hot sunny day, so there were families and tourists and students soaking in the sunshine.

In the pond at the center of the gardens, you could rent little motorized boats.  Both little kids and kids at heart were enjoying sailing their boats through the water!

After walking through the park, our exhaustion caught up with us, so we took a long nap.  And we were ready to head out again.  We decided to walk to our dinner at Hidden Kitchen, and I was so glad that we did.  This was the first time we saw the Seine.  It was as beautiful as I imagined!

It felt surreal to be standing here in front of the Lourve.  We had been planning this trip for so long, and here we were!

We arrived at Hidden Kitchen full of excitement about what this meal would be like.  At the door to the home of the chef and his wife, we met two other couples - one from Atlanta and one from Tennessee.  Soon the other five couples had arrived and our feast began!  We sat across from the sweetest couple from Atlanta who had gotten engaged that morning!  How sweet!!  Meredith, we came to find out, writes a food blog called An Atlantan Eats.  Check it out!

Here was the Amuse - Watercress soup with cream and white pepper and a green apple and watercress slaw on a pepper cracker.  Delish!

The rest of the menu was as follows:

Spring vegetables, poached quail egg, and green goddess dressing

House made linguini with radish leaf pesto, asparagus, and ricotta salata

Salmon with hibiscus bay leaf sauce and fingerling potatoes

Palate cleanser - bourbon gelee, lime and mint sorbet (a great take on a Mint Julep)

Braised artichokes with chicken liver ravioli, fennel, and preserved lemon

Cumin encrusted flank steak with skillet polenta and smoked eggplant

White bean, dill, and beet salad

Strawberry shiso sorbet with puff pastry and rhubarb

Coffee and Donuts

Each dish was paired with wine, but our favorite drink was the appertif we started the night with - vodka, champagne, and lychee: it was the best drink I've ever had!

This was truly the best dining experience I have ever had.  It felt like an intimate dinner party among friends.  I loved meeting people from all over and hearing how they were spending their time in Paris.    

What a wonderful first night in Paris!