Friday May 28th: A day in the Marais

We decided to spend Friday in the Marais area which encompasses the 3rd and 4th arrondissement.

Based on this recommendation from Frommer's, we started our day across from the Centre Pompidou at Cafe Beaubourg: "Next to the all-pedestrian plaza of the Centre Pompidou, this is a trendy cafe with soaring concrete columns and a minimalist decor."

The Centre Georges Pompidou houses a public library as well as Paris's modern art museum, Musée National d'Art Moderne.  

After breakfast, we spent the next few hours walking around this wonderful neighborhood. There was more eye candy in the streets of the Marais than you can imagine.

Aren't these cakes divine?  (Sorry for the glare!)

And the flower shops on every corner were filled with pink peonies!

And more of my favorite - colorful cafe chairs.

After strolling around all morning gawking at some very beautiful French fashion, there was a pair of shoes that stopped me in my tracks!  I don't have a picture of them yet, so I will leave you in suspense until Trendy Wednesday next week when I will feature their designer, Marcello Toshi.

We could have spent hours in the Marche Des Enfants Rouges, the oldest food market in Paris.  It felt so alive there with its variety of merchants selling everything from olive oil to flowers.

You could order everything from crepes

to Cajun food!  There is an area with a few picnic tables that allows visitors to enjoy their delicious treats right there in the market.

We opted to have lunch at Breizh Cafe instead of the market (looking back, we would have eaten at the market instead) based on several recommendations.  Mark ordered the Compléte au jambon cru de Savoie: a buckwheat galette filled with gruyere cheese and ham.

I had the Savoyoude - a buckwheat galette with Reblochon cheese and grilled bacon and a green salad.

After lunch, we walked to Miss Manon and picked up a chocolate eclair and a caramel eclair...

that we shared here at the Place des Vosges, the oldest planned square in Paris.

Although I had no intention of doing any more shopping, there was something at the Galeries Lafayette that I had to see - know what it is???

The absolutely breathtaking stained glass dome.  I wish this picture could capture how incredibly beautiful it is.

I didn't imagine I would ever think this, but there was no room in my tummy for any more French food!  We had intended to have dinner at a little Italian place near the hotel that the concierge had mentioned, but when we saw Sabraj, a great looking Indian place, across the street, we couldn't resist!

Mark thinking, "Hmmmmm, am I the first person to enter a Parisian Indian restaurant in a plaid blazer?"

From my journal: Eating Indian food with Mark always makes me feel sentimental.  It reminds me of our early dating days when we'd order take out from Nirvana and watch the Sopranos on Sunday nights.  I can't believe how long ago that was.  Who would have known then that we'd one day be sharing an Indian meal together in Paris.