Craig T. Olson: The Streets of Paris..

Walking the streets of Paris if you think of Charlie Hebdo or the Cafe shootings or train bombings, your brain will get you feeling a bit uneasy.

The unreality is: we look at the news on a small screen filled with tight images over and over and those images seem larger than life. The reality is there are over 2.5 million people living in Paris proper and you just don't think about it until you see a Jesuie Charlie sticker or grafitti spray in one of a million places.

Walking in Paris is much like any other European city until you turn a corner and run into something historic. The writer of Les Miserables Victor Hugo's home is around one of those corners and if you've never seen Owen Wilson in "Midnight in Paris", it is a fantastic visual of every persons fantasy of Paris. You do walk the streets at night on cobblestone. You're voice echos and you look into the windows of every cafe' and think you might see someone famous or from the past.

(Now I love taking photos when I travel. No longer with real cameras but only an I-phone but none the less I work pretty hard to find interesting shots and angles and form. I hope you enjoy some of the views.) If you only had four senses and sight was missing, you could walk and smell and probably figure out that you were in Paris. The amount of perfume shops, and crepe' shops and the sounds of street musicians and African street vendors every 50ft and a beggar from supposedly Syria on their knees with a cup every corner speaking bad french would let you know.

There is this mashed potato cheese thing sold on the streets.

Oh, it's amazingly good. this guy just continually mixes it up and puts it in
"to go" containers and sells them all day long as you see people standing or sitting on a corner eating this no calorie snack. I mean this kind of reminds me of Americans stopping and buying a bag of chips to snack on while walking but the French buy fresh, hot mashed potatoes mixed with a smooth fresh gruyere cheese.

Ok, perhaps French snobbery works in this case :) I'm all in with swapping chips for this...

Form this little cafe' where stopped for lunch on the Champs Elysees (in the background). The paris marathon was going on and we viewed the runners from multiple locations that day as well as people the next day wearing large medallions around their necks with great pride. Us, we had walked at least 10 miles and i had no pity for the runners since our legs, hips and feet were in full out burn mode. Nothing a tureen of Foi Grais and a premier Cru Chablis couldn't fix in an hour.

Now Foi Grais.. I know it's a nasty fight going on with the PETA folks.

Me, I'm very concerned for these ducks. I think they need reparations and better health benefits. Really? Infact i'm feeling so bad, I'm going to crack a can tonight and make it the 1st course in my dinner plans for our house guests. If you've never had seared Foi Grais with a port or Sauterne' or ceviche'd (omg) , or even cold from a tureen with toast points, you must experience this if you love food. I'm not kidding here. It is truly the best fat in the world to taste with mild liver overtones. You can't explain it, you have to taste it and it needs to be cooked properly. And no, I can't have you all over for dinner. :)

Now from tureen it looks much like liver pate' and yes, that i guess is really what it is except any brownsweigert from the yellow plastic tube i ever ate growing up, tasted like roadkill compared to this..

I can't go down this food road right now or i'll have to stop writing and go eat. Wait, my bride just brought me yogurt with blueberrys, peanutbutter toast, espresso and 9 pills... so i continue...

One of my favorite things about Italy is that they only cook what is local. If you are on the coast it's all seafood. If you are inland it's vegetables, beef, pork, lamb and chickens with no fresh fish on menus.. I kinda love that thought in a world of "Supermarkets with Everything for the rich and famous, or middle class with a desire to eat like the wealthy". In Paris, there are outdoor markets selling fresh fish and shellfish. This stand I walked by 5 six times in a week on the way to dinner or a train. I never was able to stop and eat there and Ohhhh, i wanted to. I' mean click on this picture (it will enlarge). Now look to the left. Fresh Scallops in the shell. I mean, I've wanted to eat fresh scallops from the shell raw my whole life. I thought this might be the first time, but no. arggg the museums were waiting for this newbie.

I guess If I ever get to London, I'll go to Herod's and buy "one" fresh scallop in the shell and eat it there.. yup that is a bucket lister for a foodie :)

If you walk the Champs Elysees (a long walk), there are gardens and park like grass walking areas on the sides. Here you can stop and sit and have a bottle of wine and baguette and cheese with fruit as many do on their blankets. Yes this is very "Paris" and leads to the romantic feeling you get there. It was cold and raining much of our week but there were signs of spring and a few things blooming a few of the days we were out marathon walking.

From the river you can cruise and see Paris in a wholly different way. An hour cruise will get you from the Eiffel Tower down past Notre Dame and back along the other side or the islands and back. The bridge work is incredible like it is in Venice. There are still Wooden bridges in play along with some of the most ornate Eiffel style iron works I've ever seen.

There is a whole new side of Paris like the new Vegas, but I have no desire to go there.

Here where the Tour d' France ends, you are reminded you are only one place...

From outside the walk along a pool and museum.

Under the Champs Elysees looking back to old town.

Last blog will be dedicated to some of the art and buildings.. They are truly "Paris". From The King's palaces ,NotreDame and the Opera House to the 3 main museums, I'll post a host of some of my favorite picks with less talk and alot more photos... :)

Till next time, consider my servant Job...