Keeping my Balance: The Opera (a la Phantom of) and what caught my eye in the 9th Arrondissement

Friday, September 16, 2011

The Opera (a la Phantom of) and what caught my eye in the 9th Arrondissement

Daughter Colleen asked for a book only available at the old Garnier Opera House and it was not too far so we set our goal the first day to be to see that and try to stay awake most of the day.

Armed (probably overarmed) with GPS on our iPhones and paper maps from our hosts, we took off into the streets. The area around our apartment is pretty old and quite congested - as probably only New York City would be in the USA. All houses/apartments are tall/multiple-family buildings and with a definitely uniquely Paris feel.

Loved the doors!! Could have taken a whole book of pictures of doors of Paris but I'm sure that's been done. Here is part of one, with ornamental detail I liked. There huge usually double doors open into a courtyard for each building.

Something about this restaurant just cracks me up - oh, yeah, it's the name....Le blabla

And speaking of restaurants, we were starving so we went to a restaurant recommended by Jacques, our host as a traditionally French food restaurant.
Also, no one spoke a word of English. But we managed although we have no idea what Bill's dish was. Le Petit Lyon - where many dishes were "Lyonaise" including our wine.

And the moment you've been waiting for, if you follow my travel blogs....

Saumon ( easy to guess what that was going to be) and Bill's lunch - the Plat du Jour". We did recognize chips on it...

And the menu showing the plat du jour which we couldn't quite read.

Educational note - Entree does not mean main dish here - it is the entrance to the meal, appetizer to us.

And of course, Bill being Bill, our first dessert was Mousse au Chocolat - and it was very good.

I promised the Opera so here we go - first some street scenes on the 20 minute or so walk.

And the famous Opera House which now houses ballet.

The steps are a popular place ...can you find me?

Of course you can!

Gifts for Colleen - and if you know her, you know there could be no better gift, save maybe a trip there for her...

"Our" neighborhood is not very touristy and the first sign of tourist shops was across from the opera - notable more because of the complete absence until this point.