On the final full day of our trip, we set out late to catch the midday views of Cathedrale Notre Dame with its soaring arches within and stood on kilometre zero, the very center of Paris. We then took a short trip to Musee d'Orsay to see various pieces from the Impressionist period.
To my surprise, Renoir's Le Moulin de la Galette (1876) hung here which was reminiscent of my college days and having posters of Renoir's Boating Party and Seurat's Seine Grande Jatte covering my walls. After a quick hit of espresso, we worked our way to Saint Germain des Pres.
Near Saint Sulpice, we searched out Poilane bakery on an unassuming rue de Cherche-Midi. For those who are unaware, the Boule Miche is an iconic bread from the famed bakery of Lionel Poilane and is served in restaurants of distinction throughout Paris.
Here is a quick peek at the ovens below the shop. As the bakery was quite small, we didn't stay long and proceeded to cross a few streets toward the famed shop of Pierre Herme also known as the Picasso of pastry.
After sampling the macarons at Laduree, we decided to try a few more at Pierre Herme. The first three were similar flavors to those we tasted at Laduree (rose petal, chocolate, and sea salt caramel) while the last three were new (jasmine, passionfruit chocolate, and raspberry and pistachio). Verdict? Honestly, I preferred each of the Laduree macarons. The rose petal had a more distinctive flavor at Laduree, the chocolate flavor had so much more depth and richness and the sea salt caramel had a nutty and buttery smoothness with just a hint of smokiness. Still it wasn't a bad experience. Just not as distinctive and memorable as Laduree.
Punchlines
...the important issues. Things like health care reform, proper cat maintenance, home dentistry, and of course Popsicle making.
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