Léon de Bruxelles

At the beginning of my last trip to Paris with my mother I spent the first day there all alone. Hopefully, I speak French quite fluently and thanks to Jack and despite my awful bearings, I can move well in the French Capital.

The plane had been late, so I didn't feel like moving further away from the Hotel. Then I remembered a place where I had been with Mr. Longanice two years ago at Saint Germain. Nothing special, but Jack seemed very pleased at that time.

Léon's speciality are mussels and french fries. For an illiterate Spanish girls as I am, the first time I went to Britanny (seven years ago; I'm afraid I'm becoming old and I don't really notice it) eating mussels with fries was a nice exotic combination. Until then, I had only eaten mussels as an appetizer or in a paella. But in fact, it is quite a typical meal at the Atlantic coast of France and Belgium.

It's cheap (14 € p/p), the mussels are very fresh and plentiful (take into account I was in Paris, not in a restaurant at Guilvinec port), the fries were also fine, and I was as pleased as Mr. Longanice was two years ago. The meal also helped me to recall the lovely days we spent in Paris.

There are many Léon restaurants all over France and Belgium, but I have always gone to the one in Saint Germain, in a corner right in front of the rue Dauphine.

It is very important to drink a beer with the mussels, otherwise you'll miss one of the most typical meals in Belgium...

Brasseries de Paris

Once again, about Paris.

The best way to eat something really good, not at all expensive at any time of the day in Paris is going to a brasserie. Brasseries are usually more elegant and expensive than bistros, where waiters are not professional and the choice is not so wide.

At a brasserie you might be able to choose between eating "coté restaurant", more expensive and elegant, or "coté brasserie", cheaper. I always choose the last one, because I love the sandwiches and salads they offer.

In my last trip to Paris I found a new Brasserie that I specially liked. We found it the day we went to the Marmottan Museum (Monet museum), at the 16eme arrondisement: La Rotonde de la Muette (m: La Muette; 12 Chaussée de la Muette). Great Caesar Salad, lovely french hamburger and chicken breast with tomatoe sauce which really seemed home-made. It was about 12 euros p/p.

Café de L'homme

Before going to Calafell, I spent some days, also with my mother in Paris, to get our anual dose of macaroons from La Durée (it's a pity it's almost run out... but Jack has chosen as his favourite the rose flavour). I have some new places to show you, such as the "Café de l'homme".

It's a fancy café (and a mediocre restaurant) placed in the Musée de l'homme, at Trocadero Square, right in front of the Tour Eiffel. The view of the tower is the best thing you'll find in the Café, so try to get a table at the terrace; there you might find some Parisian friends enjoying their chat with a club and a coffee. The inside is beautiful, although you won't find anything you couldn't find in any other restaurant or café in Paris. Waiters are not very professional, but I must admit they're all lovely.

The restaurant has a poor choice; it's rather a brasserie than a restaurant. However, the prices are over 12 €. A tiny piece of cake costs over 10 €. A coffee costs about 5 euros, more or less like the soft drink. Cocktails are on its 12 €. Not cheap, but some people think the view is worth it.

Paris et ses tea rooms: La Durée...

I must admit I had never heard about this place before, and what my sister suggested us to go to "LA DURÉE", I found it was a nice idea, but didn't expect such an splendid place.

La Durée is a wonderful tea room which first opened in 1862 as a bakery. A lucky fire in the bakery during the refurbish carried out by Baron Haussman al over Paris, made it become a pastry shop, opening later one of the first tea rooms in Paris. Nowadays you may find one of these at the Champs Elysées, Rue Royale, at Galeries Printemps and at the Rue Bonaparte; there's also one in London, at Harrods. We went to the one at the Rue Royale, close to the Madeleine (the strangest church I've ever seen). The macaroons are the typical article of this tea room, and you'll may find them in different flavours; this one is tastes anis...

However, I must tell Ms de Winter La Durée has been chosen by Sofia Coppola exclusive pastry consultant for the film "Marie Antoinette", and at the pastry shop you can find different articles related to the film, as this cameo or different cakes, as the one shown.

I just adore any of them...

Paris, again: Caveau de la Huchette

And, here I go again, wandering in Paris and discovering some great places to go in, drink, eat and, this time, dance!

The Caveau de la Huchette (5, rue de la Huchette, Paris; Mº St Michel or Cité) is a Cave du jazz located at the quartier latin; however, avoid any restaurant you may find there, as they are quite expensive and disgusting. This cave (a cellar where people used to play jazz in the 50's) was the first club in Paris where jazz was played, after the Second World War, and has kept without interruption the jazzmen tradition.

The building dates from the XVI century and was the templars meeting point, becoming during the Revolution the Caveau de la Terreur.

Opening at 21:30 everyday (it won't close until dawn from friday to saturday), you'll find different jazz bands playing good traditional jazz. Sometimes even Big Bands have played. We enjoyed a Benny Goodman Tribute by the Michel Bard Orchestra. There's a dance floor, where the best boppers in town go and dance (be prepared to be taken out by a real bopper).

You'll have to pay from 9 to 13 euros to go in, but the drinks (4,50 soft drinks and 6 euros for spirits) are not compulsory.

Paris III: les Cafés

One of the most typical activity people usually do one they get to Paris is going to a cafe, and if we're talking about a pavement cafe, it's just a kind of dream.
There's a wide range of choices in Lutetia, from the most français-chic, to the worst seedy place you could ever imagine, although usually tourists try to avoid these last ones (I'm afraid sometimes unsuccessfully).

Our favourite (I mean, my partner and I) is Le Fumoir, a good friend's discovery. This cafe belongs to the chic's group and, I won't lie, it's not cheap (about 4€ a soft drink). But it's such a pleasant place... and once you've paid 100€ for a tiny hotel room where you have to share the toilet and the shower room with the whole floor, don't miss the pleasure of drinking a coffee in front of the Louvre and the Sena. You'll find this cafe at 6th rue de l'Amiral Coligny, just in front of the backside of the Louvre. Jazz and electro-lounge is played and there's a small library inside, where you can relax reading an old book. There's a small terrace, with 6 or 8 little tables and electric radiators (otherwise, these tables would be used 2 months p/year).

There are also many cafes in Saint Germain with the typical

terraces, with their typical Parisian couple, looking to the street, with a kir or a coffee. The best (or the worst) thing of these cafes is that there's another couple sit 2 cm from your table. And you, or they, can listen to your conversation and know your, or their, deepest secrets.

Of course, for those who love Starbucks and can't live without that substance they sell (they say it's coffee, but I'm not sure), there's a nicer version of it. Magnus and Magna took us to a small cafe called Columbus, at the beginning or St André des Arts, very close to Saint Michel Blv. You can take away your coffee or drink it sit at a table. You'll even find something called "Mockaccino décaféiné", that I would never dare to taste, but my friend liked. I prefered the chocolate muffins and cookies. There's a wi-fi area which is free for the customers (and very used). The music is lovely and you can enjoy a weird painting exhibition.

Paris II: Rue de Mouffetard

A great street to have a quick (and not so quick...) lunch. First of all we have to remind all of you it's not just another traditional-sightseeing street, but a remnant of an old Roman road, where old buildings, some even dated by the 12th Century, can be found. You'll find this little treasure at the 5ème arrondissement, very close to the Panthèon. The picture from Maximilien Luce probably is not going to help you a lot, but I'm sure you'll like it and if a XIXth Century painter thought the street was worth enough to be painted,... you won't dare to miss it.

Right in 60, rue de Mouffetard you'll find the best fast-made crepes in Paris (except for, of course, any crepe done by a true Britanny native). Au p'tit grec is a really small bar where you can buy and eat cheap crepes. We paid 16 € for three crepes and three cokes. There's not the huge range of choices you might find in Britanny, but it's pretty assorted. My friend took tuna and cheese and my other friend and I took egg, ham and cheese (une complète, on dit chez-moi). You can have tomato, lettuce and onion on it; in fact, the guy seems bothered if you don't want it in your crepe, he didn't understood it, as it was free. I've been told the best sweet crepe is the one made of Nutella and banana. Omelettes (2 or 3 eggs) with differents ingredients can also be taken.

If you feel like a fondue, this is also a good street to find a nice and cheap one; there are a couple of good restaurants where you might fondue and raclette (3 for 5 people, for example), paying around 16€ each one.