Day on the Right Bank

Paris, France

Paris is well known for its patisseries, those spots where Parisians start their days sipping espressos and nibbling on croissants. This morning, we set out to experience a new patisserie – one pushing the creative boundaries. What we found was La Patisserie des Reves, where delectable goods are showcased under futuristic bell jars.

Pick out what you’d like and a complex pulley system gives you access to some mind-blowingly delicious treats.

Ready to start seeing the sights, we made our way over to Musee Rodin. The Thinker was understandably a mob scene but we did have other outdoor works, including Gates of Hell, to ourselves (at least for a few minutes).

From there, it was onward to Les Arts Décoratifs for a crash course in French furniture and design. These chairs were my favorite.

We had planned on getting lunch at Café Marly but the outdoor seating was without shade – and on this almost summer-like day, we didn’t feel like baking. Instead, we spotted a Paul vendor, grabbed sandwiches and a park bench. Much better.

Taking advantage of our time on the Right Bank, we hit up the Champ Elysess and the Place Vosages. We poked our head into a few shops and Char spotted this awesome truck at Goyard (unfortunately, think it was like 14000 euros).

We wanted to grab a drink at the Ritz but were running late so headed back to the hotel. After last night’s dinner fail, the stakes were high. But Itineraires, a place recently reviewed by the Times, came through. The best dish was this mushroom risotto – covered in paper-thin sliced shrooms.

Whoa.