Monumental Paris

The Hôtel de Ville is the city hall of Paris and it is a magnificent sight even on a stormy day.

The most famous of all Parisian landmarks is La Tour d'Eiffel, and the view from the expansive Champ de Mars gives it a majestic feel.

A wedding was taking place right behind the Champ de Mars with the Eiffel Tower as the backdrop :)

If you want a sweet treat nearby, Pralus has great temptations both outside and inside their shop.

Since it started to get both cold and rainy, I headed to Chez Janou, a provençal bistro for a bit of warmth. This cozy place has a covered outdoor patio that would be lovely in sunny weather, but even in rain, it is a haven. The lunch formule was a choice of either entrée & plat or plat & dessert for 14,50 € or about $18 USD. They were already of out the sauteed mushrooms entrée and the coq au vin plat by the time I sat down at 2pm, so I ordered the velouté de cresson (watercress soup) and saumon avec tagliatelle des legumes (salmon with tagliatelle of vegetables). The soup was perfectly made with a smooth purée of watercress in a well seasoned soup. It was also a hearty serving, easily enough for a full meal if you are not very hungry. Grilled garlic bread was served on the side, but I preferred dipping the regular bread into the bowl to sop up the last bits of this liquid green jewel.

I don't usually order salmon, but since the plates next to me looked great, I'm glad I gambled and chose the special instead of the sea bass on the menu. The skin was crisp, the fish was fresh, and the surprising tagliatelle of zucchini and carrots in the beurre blanc sauce was divine.

I had a wonderful glass of red with my meal even though they are known here for their selection of 80+pastis; if I had chosen a pastis, I doubt I would have been able to find the metro after my meal! I ordered a café and it came allongé (long instead of a short espresso). It came with a nice little nougat that bore the restaurant logo. If you want dessert here, I would definitely order the chocolate mousse; I saw it on a nearby table and they literally bring a HUGE bowl with a giant spoon which you use to serve yourself as much as you want!