mass in notre dame: click here for sunday schedule
I never really walked around Paris on Easter Sunday. I knew I wasn't going to see a New York type of celebration with a bunny parade but it was a perfect opportunity to join the tourists and treat ourselves to some chocolate.
Traditional Easter symbols in France are not bunnies, although in Alsace they are used, but rather fish (Poisson d'Avril/ April Fish) and bells. French Catholics symbolize the ringing of bells as the flight of misery/grief on Good Friday to the Vatican in Rome; then these flying bells return on Sunday morning carrying chocolate and eggs!
the sunny resurrection.. before the afternoon's rain and hail
The line outside the cathedral was expectedly long. Seeing it as the moment to benefit from the reputation of being "parisian pricks", we cut the queque and pissed of some tourists. Sorry, but we were already late enough for mass. And for those interested in attending mass, there is an international one at 11:30 am every Sunday in Notre Dame.
Coincidentally, it was the 1st Sunday of the month, and during this special day in Paris, these national museums do not charge entrance fees. Profitez! Seize the opportunity everyone!
We thought we could squeeze in a visit to the Conciergerie before our late lunch but the line was too long.
where Marie Antoinette was imprisoned for a few days prior to her guillotine
Next stop, was lunch. On Sundays, most restaurants are closed except for the ever-reliable ones along rue St. Anne, home to quick, authentic Japanese cuisine.
Although a traditional Easter Sunday meal for a French Christian household would be 'Gigot D'agneau' (leg of lamb) and a grand omelette, signifying the end of the 40-day fasting from meat and eggs.
Yakiniku lunch meal for 12,50 euros
Pork miso ramen with gyoza on the side for 8,50
most of the restaurants have published food reviews posted at the entrance
Best part about eating out in small cities like Paris is the chance to walk out that stuffed feeling of goodness until the appetite is ready for the next treat..chocolates in the Marais!
Call us late bloomers but the more we play tour guide to visitors, the more we have realized how damn walkable the whole of Paris is. Comfortable shoes, good weather and a hand to hold are all that's needed!
We arrived quite tired but ready for our easter fix at Jodis & Gourmande Chocolatier,
producteur d'idees en chocolat.
ganache noire et lait fourree au miel(stiuffed with honey)
praline-stuffed moulin eggs
our bag of bonbons: chocolate and caramel
All in all, this Easter in Paris was indeed a happy, memorable one for my husband and I. No amount of rain, shine, line and hail combined could stop us from enjoying a new "beginning" with a bag of chocolates.
And thankfully next year, we will be splitting the sugar count among three. :-)
3 comments:
yummy chocolates!! Bring some over when you come visit :)
do restaurants there use msg? of course i am referring to the pork ramen.
hi there! for sure they use MSG but at the same time there could be asian restos which don't use it. i haven't seen any yet along that street.
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