{"id":653,"date":"2016-12-29T08:58:00","date_gmt":"2016-12-29T08:58:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rochellesroost.com\/index.php\/2016\/12\/29\/two-items-ticked-off-a-parisian-to-do-list-opera-garnier-and-cafe-angelina\/"},"modified":"2026-10-08T04:59:45","modified_gmt":"2026-10-08T04:59:45","slug":"two-items-ticked-off-a-parisian-to-do-list-opera-garnier-and-cafe-angelina","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rochellesroost.com\/index.php\/2016\/12\/29\/two-items-ticked-off-a-parisian-to-do-list-opera-garnier-and-cafe-angelina\/","title":{"rendered":"Two Items Ticked Off a Parisian To-Do List: Opera Garnier and Cafe Angelina"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

\nDecember 5, 2016, Monday:<\/o:p><\/span><\/b><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\nTwo Major Parisian Items Ticked off
\nTo-Do List\u2014Opera Garnier and Caf\u00e9 Angelina for Hot Chocolate     <\/span>      <\/span><\/o:p><\/i><\/span><\/b><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n            <\/span>Within a couple of days of being in
\nParis again, I felt as if I had never left. The ease with which I hopped in and
\nout of trains, the fluency with which I spoke French with never a bit of
\nhesitation, the confidence with which I sought out shops I wished to visit
\n(often for the first time) and the determination with which I ticked off items
\non my Parisian To-Do List astounded even me.<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n            <\/span>Best of all was the daily waking to
\nthe sound of the tram bell outside my window on Boulevarde Jourdan which filled
\nme with nostalgia for the summer when I used to live in the apartment
\nnext-door. When I drew my curtains back, I gasped for at 8.00 am, Paris was
\nstill pitch dark. In another hour, however, things had changed completely and
\nby 9.00am, daylight had flooded the area, Parc Montsourris across the street
\nhad opened for the day, dog-walkers and joggers had begun taking their daily
\nconstitutionals and the day got on. I promised myself that I would ride the
\ntram at least once and take a stroll around Parc Montsourris at least once
\nbefore I left. And in this way, although I began to whittle my To-Do List down,
\nI also constantly added to it. <\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n            <\/span>I decided to shower in the morning
\nbefore I left (as there was no hurry to start my day), folded my laundry,
\nscoured websites to find out where to go and how to get there and grabbing two pain au chocolat<\/i> from my stash, I left my
\nplace at 9.45 by the RER (B) and the metro to get to the Opera Garnier.
\nAlthough I have loved this building for ages, I have never visited its
\ninterior\u2014this was the day I would take a tour. <\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\nExploring the Opera Garnier:<\/o:p><\/span><\/b><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n            <\/span>I arrived at the main entrance of
\nthe beautiful Opera Garnier building through the metro station called
\nOpera\u2014this brings you right to the junction where the Opera building meets
\nother swanky streets. I spied Rue du Scribe and immediately decided that I
\nwould go to Fragonard<\/i>, the French
\nperfumier, to buy more goodies as gifts for London friends, right after my
\ntour.<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n  <\/span>          <\/span>Inside,
\nat the Box Office, they honored my Met ID card but I did pay 5 euros for a
\nself-guided tour (which was simply brilliant) as I was unable to get a guided
\ntour (one has to book in advance and pay 15 euros for it).<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n            <\/span>The Opera Garnier was Paris\u2019
\noriginal Opera House (it is no longer in use for operas as there is a new one
\nat the Bastille). It was built in the late 19th<\/sup> century by Charles
\nGarnier\u2014after whom it is named\u2014who was Paris\u2019 best-known architect. He knew he
\nwas getting a grand commission when named architect and he poured his greatest
\ntalent and vision into the enterprise. I consider his work on this building
\nequivalent to the building of St. Paul\u2019s Cathedral in London by Sir Christopher
\nWren in 1672. <\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n            <\/span>The moment you enter this building,
\nyou stagger in disbelief, for it is so visually spectacular as to leave you
\nspeechless. Garnier spared absolutely no expense in creating this magnificent
\nbuilding. You start your tour in a circular Rotunda that has arched entrances
\nand a grand stuccoed ceiling. It leads you into a vestibule that is noted for a
\nvery delicate sculpture of a lovely woman. Both sides of the vestibule are
\nlined with floor to ceiling mirrors which can be very deceptive. You think that
\nthere are rooms beyond and then you realize that you are looking at yourself in
\nthe mirror\u2014I must admit I got a bit of a shock when I realized that the
\nreflection looking back at me was my own! <\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n            <\/span>From this point, the grand sweeping
\nmarble staircase branches out into two sides and takes you to another
\nstupendous landing where the interior structure becomes even more ornate. There
\nare marble balconies emanating from both sides, there are loads of delicate
\nsculpture, there are candleabras held in the hands of clusters of bronze nymphs.
\nThe ceilings are painted in the style of the ceilings of French castles and
\npalaces. After you climb another set of stairs, you arrive at yet another
\nlanding where the sight of two caryatids catch your attention. They are created
\nout of mixed media\u2014bronze body parts, marble clothing.  <\/span>Needless to say, visitors can be heard
\ngasping audibly and cameras do not cease clicking. When you position yourself
\nin-between the caryatids, you get sterling views of the higher levels of the
\nbuilding that seem to open up with such a wealth of decorative detail that it
\nbeggars description.<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n            <\/span>When you pass through the doorway flanked
\nby the caryatids, you find yourself facing a door that leads to the Main
\nAuditorium. Plush with red velvet seats and a horseshoe-shaped structure, it is
\nsimilar to London\u2019s Royal Albert Hall. The most interesting aspect is the
\nceiling which was once painted by a contemporary of Garnier but was repainted
\nin 1964 by the Russian artist Marc Chagall. Not an inch of the auditorium is
\nleft undecorated. In the center is the notorious chandelier that plays such a
\nbig role in the opera, The Phantom of the
\nOpera<\/i>. In fact, there is a reference to the Phantom during the audio tour
\nand visitors are directed to Box Number 5 at the end of the corridor where the
\nPhantom (the ghost of the opera house) was known to lurk. <\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n            <\/span>There are many marble busts of opera
\ncomposers encircling the outside of the auditorium and prominent among these is
\none of Berlioz who was extremely popular in the time of Garnier. From this
\npoint on, the audio guide took me to parts of the building that were simply
\nstacked with visual details\u2014mosaics on the ceiling, paintings on the wall,
\nsculpture every which way you turned. I entered a lovely circular Hall that was
\nused during the intermissions for the devouring of ice-cream (I realize now
\nwhere the tradition of selling ice-cream in the London theaters originates).
\nThis Hall is filled with beautiful panel paintings that depict the consumption
\nof different kinds of food and drink. You then pass through a Solar Room\u2014on the
\nopposite side is a Lunar Room. At the very top, you get a sweeping view of the
\nhorseshoe-shaped staircase in its multiple levels until you get to the piece de resistance<\/i>, the Hall of
\nMirrors.<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n            <\/span>The Hall of Mirrors at the Palais
\nGarnier was created in imitation of the one to be found at the Palais de
\nVersailles. Visitors are simply overwhelmed by what they see: ceilings and
\nwalls are covered with paintings in the Baroque style with classical gods and
\ngoddesses attended to by a multitude of heavenly beings, huge blazing
\nchandeliers hang low from the ceiling, gilded sculpted rondels on the walls and
\nceiling, parquet flooring, Greek-style figures holding up giant clocks. After
\nyou have seen this gallery, everything else pales into insignificance.<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n            <\/span>There are, however, still many more
\nrooms to be seen: the museum of fine arts, for instance, is filled with
\npaintings depicting the opera house, opera stars through the ages and composers
\nof various vintage. In the main entrance lobby, there are four marble
\nsculptures of well-known opera composers. By this point in the tour, you are
\nvisually exhausted. However, the tour then takes you to the extensive gift
\nshops where there is everything to purchase that your heart could desire. <\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\nIt
\nwas about 12 noon when I emerged from the Opera Garnier, having undertaken one
\nof the more stupendous visits of my travels. It was one of the best things I
\nhave seen in Paris. Although the place is used today for ballet and other dance
\nperformance, I would urge anyone going to Paris for the first time, not to miss
\na visit to the Opera Garnier. Not a moment inside it is ever wasted.<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n <\/o:p><\/span>Off to Fragonard:<\/o:p><\/i><\/span><\/b><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n            <\/span>Fragonard<\/span><\/i>
\nwas just across the road in the Musee de Parfums. First-time visitors can take
\na guided tour of the grand hotel
\nparticulier<\/i> (private mansion) that has been taken over by the company to
\nshowcase its involvement in the perfume industry. I had taken the tour on a
\nprevious visit to Paris\u2014and so I went directly to the show room to buy myself
\nsome more soaps (I adore their flower-scented set of five) and sets of perfume.
\nWas delighted to find sets that also featured a gold bracelet. I bought a
\ncouple and left.<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\nIn Search of Lunch at Frenchie:<\/i><\/o:p><\/span><\/b><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n <\/span>           <\/span>By
\nthis point, I thought I ought to look for lunch and using Lonely Planet<\/i>, I went in search of Frenchie<\/i>\u2014a small bistro, they said, with really good food. It was
\nsimplicity itself for me to use the public transport system as I possess a
\nNavigo card (equivalent of London\u2019s Oyster Card)\u2014all I needed to do was top it
\nup for a week of unlimited travel. As it turned out, it was a waste in my case
\nand Paris happened to be riddled by pollution (because of unexpected changes in
\nthe atmosphere) and in an attempt to keep people off the streets, the public
\ntransport system was offered free of charge to all commuters for three
\nconsecutive days\u2014so my pass for a week turned out to be a rather expensive buy.
\nThe 3-day free concession brought a bunch of beggars into the metro system and
\nfor the next couple of days, one was plagued by them as they got off the
\nstreets and on to the trains. <\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n            <\/span>When I got to Frenchie<\/i>, however, I found it closed for lunch on Mondays. However,
\non taking a look at its menu, I found it to be stacked with American fast-food
\ntype offerings such as hamburgers, corned beef Reuben sandwiches and pancakes
\nthat were quite unappealing to me. Everything was also frightfully expensive.
\nI, therefore, walked out (the space was tiny 
\n<\/span>and there was no room at all), and found a Subway<\/i> shop from where I bought a Sub Raclette\u2014made with typically
\nFrench-Swiss cheese such as Emmentaler. Having eaten it, I continued with my
\ntouring for the day.<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\nOff to the Church of Madeleine:<\/o:p><\/span><\/b><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n            <\/span>I got back on the metro and arrived
\nagain at Opera and walked a couple of blocks around the square that surrounds
\nthe church of Madeleine in order to indulge in some degustation<\/i>\u2014the French art of tasting food. Although the famous Fauchon<\/i> was open and offered the
\npleasure of tasting a few teas and a couple of other nibbles, Hediard,<\/i> another temple to gastronomy
\nwas closed temporarily for long-term renovation. A notice on the door advised
\npatrons to buy their supplies online. I also then made my way to the Pinoteque<\/i>\u2014a theater that showcased avant garde<\/i> movies and theatrical
\nofferings, but, to my amazement, it had closed down sometime last year and
\nnothing has taken its place.<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n            <\/span>Making my way to the main entrance
\nof the Church, I entered its hushed dark interior and walked towards the front
\nto spend a few minutes in quiet prayer. Built in extreme classical style\u2014a
\nsimple cube surrounded by Corinthian columns and topped with a carved pediment
\nfeaturing Christ in the Heavens\u2014it is quite a commanding presence. <\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n <\/o:p><\/span>Looking for the Jeu de Paume and
\nthe \u2018Ring Trick\u2019:<\/o:p><\/span><\/b><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n            <\/span>My next port of call was the Museum
\nknown as the Jeu de Paume which, before the conversion of the Gare d\u2019Orsay into
\nthe Musee d\u2019Orsay, i.e. about 35 years ago, used to hold the country\u2019s
\ncollection of Impressionist paintings. Since then, it has been used to hold
\nexhibitions of photography and since I had never been inside, I decided to pop
\nin. <\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\nHowever,
\nas I was walking on the Rue Royale, past all the showrooms containing French
\ndecorative arts (such as Lalique, Christofle and Daum), I was almost taken in
\nby what is called the \u2018ring trick\u2019. A woman just ahead of me bent down and
\npicked up a gold ring. She offered it to me and said that her religion that she
\ntold me was Presbyterian, did not allow her to keep it. I took a look at it and
\nsaw that it was unlikely to be real gold. But inside there were hallmarks! I
\ntold her that I did not want it and that she could hand it over to the police.
\nShe then asked me for a few euros as it was her lucky day! I almost put my
\nhands into my bag to give her a few when I realized that the whole thing was a
\nset-up about which I had actually been warned by Lonely Planet.<\/i> In fact, I was annoyed at myself for almost getting
\ntaken in by it. As she waited to get a few euro coins from me, I told her that
\nI was not happy about tricked in this fashion and walked right away.<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\nWhen,
\na few minutes later, I did get to the Jeu de Paume, alas, it is closed on
\nMondays\u2014which made my visit futile.    <\/span>    <\/span>  <\/span>      <\/span>       <\/span>     <\/span> <\/span>  <\/span>   <\/span>  <\/span> <\/span><\/o:p><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n <\/o:p><\/span><\/i>Hot Chocolate and Afternoon Tea at Caf\u00e9 Angelina<\/i>:<\/o:p><\/span><\/b><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n            <\/span>I walked briskly along Rude de
\nRivoli in search of Caf\u00e9 Angelina<\/i>
\nwhich supposedly serves the best hot chocolate in Paris. In the past, I have
\ntried the teas at Laudree<\/i>, another salle de the<\/i> of exceeding fame and
\npopularity in Paris. But my friend Delyse had told me about Caf\u00e9 Angelina<\/i> and I decided to check it
\nout this time round. Its hot chocolate is so decadent that they actually serve
\nit with a little pot of whipped cream at the side.             <\/span><\/o:p><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n            <\/span><\/span><\/i> <\/span>I found Caf\u00e9
\nAngelina<\/i> to be a tea room in the grand French style\u2014dripping with dazzling
\nchandeliers and lined by marble paneling. There were little round marble tables
\nand I was seated at one on a round chair into which I sank. When I looked at
\nthe menu, I discovered that Hot Chocolate and a pastry would cost me only a few
\neuros less than the full Afternoon Tea which included sandwiches and a
\nselection of pastries and cakes in addition to the hot chocolate for 20 euros. My
\ninitial unease at being alone in the establishment was soon dispelled by the
\nfact that I noticed so many single women sipping tea or hot cholate alone and
\ntucking into the pastry\u2014so what I had attempted to do was far from unusual.<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n            <\/span>My Afternoon Tea arrived on a
\ntwo-tiered stand with savories on one level (finger sandwiches composed of
\nchicken salad, ham and cheese and smoked salmon) as well as a cheese scone and
\na top level that contained a raspberry pastry, a lemon macaron, a madeleine (how
\ncan you have tea in France without a macaron and a madeleine, right?) and a
\nsmall Mont Blanc which is a pastry that was created at Caf\u00e9 Angelina<\/i>. It is a chocolate-based pastry, topped with a
\nchestnut flavored cream frosting and filled with chocolate ganache and whipped
\ncream. You can order a single one (which is much larger) or this miniature
\nversion which offers you a sampling of it as well as other pastries. As for the
\nhot chocolate? Was it as good as promised? Well, let\u2019s just say it was terrific
\nand I would gladly have had at least another cup.  <\/span><\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n            <\/span>It was while I was seated at Caf\u00e9 Angelina<\/i> and using their wifi to
\ncheck messages on my phone that I received the shock of my life. Our NYU-London
\nsite director, a fine colleague and a good friend of mine, had passed away
\nafter a brief illness. I found myself reeling with a sense of sudden
\nbereavement. How was it possible that someone so vibrant and so dynamic could
\njust fade away? Only two weeks previously, he had played such a big role in the
\npresentation I had made to NYU faculty members and staff in London. And now he
\nwas gone. Just like that. I found it hard to contain my grief.    <\/span> <\/span><\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n            <\/span>Towards the end of my long stay at Caf\u00e9 Angelina<\/i> (where I did not feel in
\nthe slightest hurried), a young couple of Indian heritage occupied the table
\nnext to me. We entered into conversation and I soon discovered that they were
\nfrom Long Island! For the next half hour, we chatted until I felt rested enough
\nand decided to leave.<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n            <\/span>Darkness had fallen over the city
\nalthough it was still pretty early in the evening. Had I more energy, I would
\nhave stayed outdoors and nipped off to another venue. But I was dead tired and
\nthe sad news had robbed me of a good mood. I was ready to call it a night. So I
\ntook the metro home, reached at 7. 30 pm and got ready for bed where I checked
\nemail. My late full tea did not require me to eat dinner. I was, therefore, off
\nto sleep by 9.00 pm.<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n            <\/span>A
\ndemain\u2026<\/o:p><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n <\/span><\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

December 5, 2016, Monday: Two Major Parisian Items Ticked off To-Do List\u2014Opera Garnier and Caf\u00e9 Angelina for Hot Chocolate                        Within a couple of days of being in Paris again, I felt as if I had never left. The ease with which I hopped in and out of trains, the fluency with which I… <\/p>\n

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