{"id":654,"date":"2016-12-29T09:04:00","date_gmt":"2016-12-29T09:04:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rochellesroost.com\/index.php\/2016\/12\/29\/twas-all-about-impressionism-macarons-and-crepes\/"},"modified":"2026-10-08T04:59:45","modified_gmt":"2026-10-08T04:59:45","slug":"twas-all-about-impressionism-macarons-and-crepes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rochellesroost.com\/index.php\/2016\/12\/29\/twas-all-about-impressionism-macarons-and-crepes\/","title":{"rendered":"T’Was All About Impressionism…Macarons…and Crepes."},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

\nDecember 6, 2016, Tuesday: Paris<\/o:p><\/span><\/b><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\nToday was all About Impressionism\u2026Macarons
\nand Crepes<\/o:p><\/span><\/b><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n            <\/span>I awoke at 6.00 am (yes, to the
\nsound of the tram bell). I showered and fixed myself a smoked salmon baguette
\nwith salad which I would carry for lunch and ate pain de chocolat<\/i> for brekkie. By the time I left my place it was
\n9.45. I arrived at my destination, the Musee d\u2019Orsay, at 10.30 am. Having been
\nhere several times, I did not expect to stay beyond noon.  <\/span>   <\/span><\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\nExploring the Musee D\u2019Orsay:<\/o:p><\/span><\/b><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n            <\/span>I could not have been more
\ndelusional. The Musee d\u2019Orsay is so huge and so crammed with artistic wonders
\nthat it deserves a whole day devoted to its exploration. As it turned out, I began
\nmy examination of its masterpieces quite systematically, on the ground floor,
\nas I took in its sculptural treasures\u2014Rodin, Carpeaux, mixed media African
\nbusts by Cordier (which I adore) before I made my way to the end of the hall
\nonly to find a special section devoted to the Opera Garnier and the artistic
\ngenius of Charles Garnier! Now what are the odds that I would have visited it
\nonly the previous day? Had I not taken the tour, I would have just skirted
\nthrough this exhibition. As it turned out, I gave the section a great deal of
\ntime and attention and was completely taken by the model of Paris featuring the
\nOpera building built on scale beneath our feet and protected by a glass floor.
\nThere was also a brilliant cross-section of the entire building that gave
\nglimpses of the kind of d\u00e9cor that had fascinated me yesterday. You could see a
\nminiature version in this model of the original ceiling rondel as it had
\nexisted before Chagall presented his Modernist one.<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n            <\/span>I made my way by elevator then to
\nthe top-most floor and decided to head downwards via the stairs. At the top, I
\ncame upon the huge clock that acted as the clock of the Gare d\u2019Orsay (when it
\nused to a major railway station). The manner in which this building has been
\nrepurposed to house the national Impressionist collection is simply stunning
\nand no matter how often I come here, I still remain awed. Through the clock\u2019s
\nhands, one can see the city of Paris spread out with the church of Sacre-Coeur
\nat Montmartre clearly visible in the distance. As I moved inside, I found the
\nbalcony (which is open only in the summer) which offers incredible views of the
\nSeine and the buildings on its banks including the Louvre. Of course, once my
\nviewing of the paintings began, there was no stopping my camera. I clicked
\nincessantly\u2014from Whistler\u2019s Mother <\/i>to
\nManet\u2019s Flautist<\/i> and Odalisque<\/i>, from landscapes and
\nsnowscapes by Sisley and Pisarro to Monet\u2019s Poppies,
\nLadies with a Parasol<\/i> and his Waterlilies,<\/i>
\nfrom Renoir\u2019s portrait of a very young Monet to his portrait of Berthe Morrisot
\nand his twin paintings of City and Country Dancing, from Cezanne\u2019s mountain views
\nand Card Players<\/i> to a few by
\nRousseau\u2014all the Masters were there, vying for attention. I went past the Caf\u00e9 Campagna<\/i> and made my way to the
\nlower floor where the grandeur of the Impressionists continued. I took some
\nmore pictures of works by Van Gogh, Seurat and Cezanne and then eventually,
\nwith my tummy rumbling and my feet begging for a rest, I went into a small caf\u00e9
\nand ordered a sandwich. I did have my own in my bag but I simply could not find
\nthe space to sit down and eat my own lunch. The sandwich I bought was eaten at
\na stand-up counter but it gave me the rest I needed.<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n            <\/span>During the second half of my tour of
\nthe museum, I focused on the lowest level and as I wound my way in and out of
\nthe galleries, I saw works by Bonnard, Courbet and even Modernists like
\nPicasso. The lower level presents a mixed bag\u2014there are gigantic works and
\nthere are very small canvasses. I was fairly drooping with fatigue by the time
\nI finished looking at every painting, but as I was keen to see Manet\u2019s Dejeuner Sur L\u2019Herbe<\/i> and could not find
\nit in its regular position, I asked a guard where it could be. He told me that
\nit had been moved temporarily into the special exhibition on the \u2018Second
\nEmpire\u2019. So off I went to the opposite side of the lowest level and there I
\ngave myself up to the thrill of seeing all sorts of 19th<\/sup> century
\nitems–from letters and sculpture to paintings and decorative objects: some of
\nwhich were so stunning that they took my breathe clean away. Finally, in the
\nlast gallery, I did see the Manet masterpiece I had been seeking and when I had
\ntaken a good close look at it (for the nth time), I decided to get a move on\u2014as
\nI was really really tired. So, in the end, by the time I left the Musee
\nd\u2019Orsay, it was 4.00 pm!<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\nOff to Pierre Herme for Macarons:<\/o:p><\/span><\/b><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n            <\/span>When I had last lived in Paris, four
\nyears ago, I had indulged in a great deal of gastronomic treats from artisanal bread
\nfrom Eric Kayser and cheese from Barthelemy\u2026but one thing I hadn\u2019t quite
\nmanaged to taste were the incredible macarons<\/i>
\nmade by the inventor of them himself\u2014Pierre Herme. This time I was determined
\nnot to leave Paris without sourcing, finding and feasting on them. I had used
\nthe internet to find out that one of his extraordinary patisseries <\/i>is near St. Suplice Chruch and that was where I took
\nthe metro in search of it. I found it soon enough and when I went inside, I saw
\nthat he had a special Christmas range based on foie gras. It was not long
\nbefore I bought a box of macarons\u20147 come in a long box\u2014plus a special one made
\nwith truffles (that comes in its own special packet). I was pleased to take
\nthem home and enjoy each one separately. I also bought two of his
\ncroissants\u2014one being his signature IsfahanL a combination of rose, raspberry and
\nlychee (flavors that had resulted in the creation of his famous pastry called
\nthe Ispahan)\u2014well, this was the croissant equivalent. I also bought his
\nCroissant Poire William, filled with a pear puree and studded with candied
\npears. Breakfast for the next couple of days was sorted! And would be special!<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n <\/span><\/span>Crepes for Dinner in Little
\nBrittany:<\/o:p><\/span><\/b><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n            <\/span>Also on my list of Must-Do Items
\nbefore leaving Paris was eating crepes\u2014and since Lonely Planet<\/i> had extolled the virtues of a place called Chez Josephine<\/i> in Little Brittany, off I
\nwent to find it. It was practically in the shadow of Tour Montparnasse. It had
\nturned dark by the time I reached there\u2026and guess what??? It was closed on
\nTuesdays!!! Duh Me! Well, I had no choice but to look for an alternative place
\nand I found it at Creperie Bretonne<\/i>.
\nThere, I settled down in an empty creperie, after I inquired and found out that
\nit was not too early for me to be served dinner at 5.00 pm. I chose to each a Crepe Rennes<\/i> which was filled with ham,
\nSwiss cheese and mushrooms\u2014and it was scrumptious! I savored it with a large
\ndecaff caf\u00e9 au lait<\/i> and feeling very
\npleased with my very early dinner, I made my way out about an hour later. <\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n <\/o:p><\/span><\/b>Home to Relax:<\/o:p><\/span><\/b><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

\n            <\/span>Fairly falling with fatigue, I made
\nmy way back home on the metro and reached at 6. 30 pm. I sat propped up in bed
\nand caught up with email and the world\u2019s news and facetimed with Llew. Then, at
\nabout 9.00 pm, I ate a smoked salmon salad that I made with my greens, smoked
\nsalmon, blue cheese and nuts\u2014douzed with salad dressing. When I felt ready for
\nbed, I brushed and flossed my teeth and turned out the light.<\/o:p><\/span><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

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

December 6, 2016, Tuesday: Paris Today was all About Impressionism\u2026Macarons and Crepes             I awoke at 6.00 am (yes, to the sound of the tram bell). I showered and fixed myself a smoked salmon baguette with salad which I would carry for lunch and ate pain de chocolat for brekkie. By the time I left… <\/p>\n

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