PARIS - Days 5 & 6

Over the past few days, we have been in search of a real Parisian bistro. Led by reviews in the UK Guardian titled ‘Top 10 Bistrots in Paris’, we made our way to the Bastille, and off the edge of our tourist maps. With our reservation secured at L’Ebauchoir, we set out early on bikes and rode over the islands and then to the east. Before lunch, we hoped to work up a Gallic size appetite by exploring the area. Our guidebooks did not provide much detail apart from a recommendation for the Marche d’Aligre markets which apparently attracts ‘a melting pot of Parisians from all walks of life’. After returning our Velibs, we walked through winding streets and covered passages that had paved the way for a revolution of historical proportions. To get our bearings, we stopped for coffee at the Bistro Du Coin. A local café without any translations. Whilst sitting at a pavement table, we watched a woman as ancient as the neighbourhood wait to cross the road. Anywhere else, she would have seemed a caricature, but here, she belonged.  Refreshed, we set off towards the market. It had been operating in its spot since 1643. We approached it from a side street containing a bakery and the wine bar, Le Baron Rouge. Smells of fresh baguette filled the air as we forced our way past the bar. The market was a sprawling mess, half inside and half outside. We searched the antique goods before moving on towards our goal. The next hours were spent in search of the elusive 45 rue de Citeaux. We finally arrived at 1.20pm, exhausted and hungry. The bistrot was located down a small street and packed to the rafters. We were led to a small table in the middle of the large room, surrounded by French speaking patrons, a good sign.  We decided to choose the set-menu and a bottle of robust red. We selected nine different dishes over the three-course meal and all were divine. The kids bravely tasted each dish and even tried the vin.  As the patrons made their way back to work, and the place thinned, we decided to head back to the Marias in search of vintage bargains.  The bill; 86 Euro. Over the next few hours, we searched through tiny shops bursting with bargain hunters in search of a jacket for Karin. The day before, I bought an old leather jacket in the area for 25 Euro. Karin had been searching frantically since then. She finally found her own for 10 Euro and harmony was restored. We have now been wearing our vintage looks for the past few days and feel shamelessly at home lounging at a street table at Café les deux Magots . The following day, we booked another table at Le Pre Verre, which was located just a few blocks from our apartment at 8 Rue Thenard. It was a block off St Germaine, but a world away from its bustle. The review spoke of traditional rustic dishes spiced with an Asian influence. This time, the kids stayed at home while we dined alone. Fortunately, we were placed at a tiny table next to an older couple who lived in Belgian but travelled to Paris frequently to eat its food. They deciphered the menu for us and helped us chose our wine. We chose the set lunch with a provincial spicy shiraz. We started with the cumin spiced soup with crusty baguette before lunch of pan friend chicken livers on sweet potatoes with a white cream sauce. Bliss.  It is now Sunday morning and we leave tomorrow for Berlin. We have booked a final special lunch at Christophe Restaurant at 8 rue Descartes in the Latin Quarter. It promises ‘escargots in Provençale butter, steak with potato puree, and unctuous chocolate mousse’. To finish the day, Ollie chose a random location on the map for us to go by Metro. The goal was to find the place and then return by Velib. It was an epic journey.