Birthday-gasms

Happy Birthday to Valerie!! What a glorious day we had. Valerie and Nikki headed over to the arrondissement (parisien district) where the birthday girl planned to indulge in her favorite exercise: bikram yoga. For those of you not in the know, that’s practicing yoga in a hot (like 95 degrees) and steamy room to help the muscles be juicy and elastic during various poses. Here’s the birthday girl before and after:

Meanwhile, Nikki walked around the neighborhood and I worked on the blog. After regrouping, we went out for a very late lunch at a little place on L’Isle de St. Louis.

The walk over was a treat and we discovered that the bridge over the Seine leading to the west wide of Isle de St. Louis (upon which Notre Dame sits, which you can see in the background) not only had an “official name”, which I’ve forgotten, but also a more romantic name – “lover’s bridge” – because for years, amorous couples had affixed locks to the wire latticework that spanned each side of the walkway.

Aptly named “Le Relais de L’Isle”, our little spot had about 6 tables and it was there that we had our first gasm of the day. Food-gasm…mmmmmmm.

Who knew that a turkey leg could be boned, stuffed and still hold its shape? And so tender…Valerie had veal something cooked in a terrine with frites on the side and did we enjoy dipping those frites…a whole new plane of deliciousness for fries and gravy, let me tell you…

Walked out of there in a daze, smiling contentedly, and meandered through the little shops until we struck paydirt and experienced our first shopping-gasms……oooooh, don’ you just love that? doesn’t that just look like something (fill in the blank with Nikki, Valerie or Debi) would wear?

Even found the store Nikki read about that had local origin jellies, sugars and mustards. Want some foie gras? Stores selling just that:

Marvelled at the long (and I mean seriously long) lines everywhere for ice cream and gelato – don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like it. Went in to inhale the smells in the fromagerie (nasal-gasm). Gawked in the charcuterie (cured and raw meats), ogled and screwed up our noses in the foie gras stores. Of course, it was a day of glorious weather, walking up the streets, people eating ice cream, the Seine rolling by, jazz musicians playing on the bridge:

uh oh, I think I just had a slice-of-life-gasm……looking around me at the back of Notre Dame, seeing people lolling by the river like a painting I migh see on a wall in a museum, surrounded by ornately sculpted old buildings, hearing strains of music, tummy totally satisfied, the sun shining down on me, does it get much better than this?

An afternoon of walking the winding roads, drinking in the surroundings, the sounds, the smells, the totally french fashion sense, the “it’s this way”, the rustle of shopping bags, the sound of the french language, discovering unusual little stores and products, and soon….the sounds of women with aching feet! Back to the hotel and can we please move our dinner reservation to 9 o’clock? Nikki crashes while V and I research more restaurants for upcoming days…Up to dress and out to dinner. Back, in fact, to the same street where we had lunch. Enjoyed our repast – complete with champagne for the birthday girl – then enjoyed our walk down the now not-at-all crowded street. Loved that there were no more lines for ice cream, and so indulged in a little (incredibly smooth and richly flavored) gelato(gasm). Walked back over the little bridge, but stopped to hear the African drummers along the river and watch the crowd of people shaking their moo-moos to the beat. Strolled back to our room,  umber. 204, and read our little selves to sleep…although I remain pitched in a cunning match of wits with Stacey and our 3 scrabble boards! And sleep did not come before each of us said out loud at some point “I think I’ve had enough to eat”. Good one, that. Good night, Dick.