A Visit From Home. Tuesday 18th August 2009.

JR and I went out to the market at Boulevard Raspail in the 6th to pick up a few ingredients for the picnic dinner we had planned for tonight. We were sidetracked by Le Bon Marche, which I have heard is Paris's largest department store. Letting me loose in their Grand Epicerie was a huge mistake. I was surrrounded by all my edible loved ones. Too many to mention today as Paris beckons, but they were all there, including a wonderful book on edible couture.

I bought a caramel beignet and tucked it, wrapped in its white paper bag, deep into my market trolley to bring home to AJ, it was a goody.

JR wanted to visit rue Mouffetard, when we arrived, half of the arrondisement was blocked off, there were police everywhere wearing flack jackets, a police helicopter flew overhead. There had been a bank robbery and the streets were buzzing with excitement. We ignored it all and fell into a little restaurant to enjoy lunch together. My French onion soup's flavours were rich and deep, it had been too long between French onion soups for me. John had a steak in pepper sauce that looked more sturdy on the plate than it actually was. It wasn't fall apart consistency but was tender to the bite, a fine example of great Argentinian beef.

We rushed home to clean up and prepare the croutons, lardons and eggs for tonight's picnic salad before JR's folks arrived. They are holidaying in England at the moment and were arriving in Paris for two nights, it will be lovely to see family again after so long, our last dose of family was when Julie stayed with us in Nantes, what wonderful memories.

JR and AJ went to meet Mum and Dad at the station and we congregated in our tiny Paris home. We caught up on all the news, how lovely it was to see them again. We had planned a picnic dinner in Place des Vosges, Mum's favourite place in Paris. We sat beside the fountain on the grass and I assembled a Lyonnaise salad. We finished with fresh raspberries from the market this morning, they were perfect, just perfect and we all had a wonderful time.

Paying respect. Monday 17th August 2009.

Today JR and I spent hours wandering around Cemetery Pere Lachaise. We visited the final resting place of Delacroix, Edith Piaf, Chopin, Jim Morrison, Charlie Chaplin, Oscar Wilde, Proust, Balzac and last but certainly not least, Brillat Savarin. It was interesting for me to learn that Brillat Savarin died only 2 months after his book was published. Apparently it has never been out of print since. The cemetery was a lovely place to be. Some of the leaves are turning colours of rust and are beginning to fall to the ground, making an autumn carpet that crunches underfoot, the first sign that summer is almost over.

We headed to the Marais and fell into Le Bar Bouille. My lunch of confit du cannard and pomme de terre was surprisingly fab and we got chatting to one of the owners of the bar about his and our, hopes and dreams, he was lovely.

We wandered the enchanting streets of the Marais and ended up in Place des Vosges, Mum R's favourite square in Paris. Mum and Dad arrive tomorrow for a visit so we decided that if they have nothing planned we will pack a picnic for dinner and all come to Place des Vosges to dine.