<< June 11, 2008 >>
the super metro trip

Paris

it's worth getting a nike+ account just for the access to its running route library. almost anywhere in the world, you can find a route that someone else enjoys running enough to spend the effort of entering it in. i settled on this route. it was fine, although the diesel exhaust and cigarette smoke is getting a bit old.

today's goal was to ride all of the metro and tram lines. here was my route (it's easiest to see with the "terrain" view). i didn't quite hit all of them on that trip, but i picked up the last two on the ways to and from dinner.

highlights of the trip were stopping by the tour eiffel (well, that's not really a highlight, just something i did) and the T2 and T3 lines. the T1 is much older than these new lines, and goes through a less wealthy suburbanish area, notably near some hospitals. there were some young children with some awful coughs on my packed tram, and i'm sure i will catch some horrible disease from this trip. this tram ride was slow, long, and the car squeaked horribly when turning.

the T2 and T3 lines are very new trams, not unlike the luas, and were a joy to ride on. the T2 takes wealthy la defense workers to the RER line (no coughing children here) following the river on a dedicated right of way.

lunch was back to the place i ate at the first day, but instead of the crepe i ordered they brought me an omelette with cheese and ham (but no egg on top, i guess because an omelette already has egg in it). i am not a big omelette fan, but this was a great omelette.

dinner was at the fabulous le train bleu. initially, i was worried that i was not quite dressed up enough for it, but my fears were not warranted. to start, i ordered an asparagus, mango, and lobster salad.

or at least i thought it was a salad.

what was soon placed on my table was a small glass, a shot glass, with some greenish mousse-like thing. this is what i ordered? €34 for one ounce of mousse? ok, i better take this slow, and enjoy it.

i thought i could taste the asparagus, and some lobster, but the mango was nowhere to be found. it was good, i guess, although not quite worth €34. i consoled myself with the thought that at least i'd get a funny web post out of this.

then the waiter brought me my salad.

i still don't know what that first thing was - it wasn't on my bill, and i couldn't find anything about it on the menu. i have no idea what was in it; i just hope it's not some practical joke the kitchen plays on americans.

the main course was some sort of lamb thing. it was pretty good, although i may have enjoyed watching the waiters make tableside beef tartar for the other tables more.

dessert was fabulous: framboises sur sable choco-sel, sorbet framboise (raspberries on a chocolate shortbread, raspberry sorbet). i briefly considered ordering a second one, but decided just to sit around a while and enjoy being in paris.