After splitting in half, one group gets my directions and advice to travel to Montmartre.    I haven’t heard back from them yet, but if I ever do, I will give you their report.   Seven of us walk through the interesting winding streets of the Latin Quarter up to the Pantheon.   The Pantheon is in need of some serious renovation work – it has fallen into a state of semi disrepair.   There was some work being done on the inside – Foucalt’s Pendulum is currently not proving the world is round and some flooring work was being attended to.   The group went down to the crypt and visited some of France’s national heroes who are on permanent vacation in Paris.

We walked over to the charming Eglise St Etienne du Mont, burial place of the patron Saint of Paris.   It is a cozy and bright little church and well worth the visit.

The group then headed over to rue Mouffetard. Some people say rue Mouffetard is “everything you think Paris should be”.   It is filled with ethnic restaurants, shops and boutiques, and at one end of the street there is a market.     Well, the market isn’t that good, the shops are generally tourist traps, and the meal we had at the restaurant was poor – the worst I have ever had in Paris. The food was not fresh or particularly tasty.   The waiter tried to rip us off on our bill by saying we shortchanged him and some of us had to make a mad rush back to the hotel, if you know what I mean.   I am officially taking rue Mouffetard off my list as recommended places to visit while in Paris.

I took the rest of the day off to relax.   I just sat on a bench in the Latin Quarter watching the world go round.   I took a walk through some more of the winding streets.   I went back to the hotel, Skyped a few people back in the states.   

I decided to go over to a wine bar, but they don’t serve until 5:30 p.m.   So a few of us met at the Moose Bar, again.   We had a nice conversation with a young ex-pat who has found happiness teaching English in Paris.   The pay isn't that good but the hours are short and the lifestyle is relaxed.   There seems to be a very large population (well, at least we run into them) of Brits and Americans living here.

At about 9 p.m. I went with two other members of the group for dinner. As we were walking over they told me they stopped in the Cluny Museum earlier and listened to a rehearsal of a concert scheduled for Sunday.   One of the nice things about the independent nature of this group is that they go out and discover things that you never read about in tour books or that other tour guides tell you about.  

Anyway, dinner at Bouillon Racine on rue Racine was one of my best finds on this trip to Paris. It is decorated in a fresh Art Nouveau style that does not make you feel that you are surrounded by antiques of that era, but that you have actually gone back in time. The place is beautifully decorated in the soft green tones.   The lighting is soft with long hanging chandeliers.     The tables had beautiful linens and the seating was comfortable.    The wait staff was typical stand-offish French. Not ever did they crack a smile but they were professional and polite.   The food was the best I have had on this trip to Paris, and probably some of the best I have ever had in my many trips to this city.

Bouillon Racine has a Belgian slant towards its food.   There are several Belgian beers (I had two at 8.60 euro each) on the menu that go well with dishes like pork shank and the duck confit.   By the way, these dishes were traditionally prepared. The duck confit came with whipped potatoes.   The pork shank was blanketed in a coat of fat, and the meat fell off the bone. However, it was light, not heavy like you might think.   The asparagus soup as an appetizer was as fresh as fresh can be.    I had the terrine of seasonal game.    It was served with greens and sautéed onions.

On our 29.50 euro menu, we were also entitled to dessert.   The pressed apples in gingerbread came naturally sweetened,  the natural sugars gave  a special appreciation for this dessert.    Crème brulee is of course a standard in French restaurants.   I hate to use clichés, but after cracking the hard surface, it really did melt in your mouth.

I think Bouillon Racine was the culinary discovery of this trip.

Random notes: Skype is working out exceptionally well for calling back to the U.S.    There are more Americans and English speakers in Paris these days.   I don’t think there aren’t any restaurants in the arrondissements adjacent to the Seine that don’t get at least 30% of their business from the tourist trade.