Paris—the music, the harmony, the Melody. . .
Paris, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways. . . Maison Le Roux, Patrick Roger, Alain Ducasse--and that’s just the chocolate. Another discovery, courtesy of Air France in-flight entertainment, is the music of Melody Gardot, native of Philadelphia, but citizen of Paris, through and through. Think lush, smoky, sultry, and cinematic. Think jazz, pop, and French chanson and you start to hear the idea of her.
If opera is more your thing, I'd suggest Palais Garnier, a feast for the eyes and steeped in the kind of musical culture that name- drops Caruso, Callas, Domingo and Pavarotti. If I had one night only in the time machine of this venue’s history, I’d pick September 9, 2012, when George Michael sang to a sold- out crowd and fans broke house protocol with multiple standing ovations. Sadly, the event’s live album, Symphonica, turned out to be the final album released during George Michael's lifetime.
Performers aside, there are plenty of other reasons to be interested—the rooftop apiary which produces hundreds of pounds of honey each year and the subterranean water tank—a famous detail in the Gaston Leroux novel, Phantom of the Opera, inspired by the very real incident of the falling chandelier in 1896.
We arrived at Palais Garnier well fed. But next time. . .we will walk across the street to Amorino for an Italian gelato sculpted into a flower shape. I'll order the L'Inimitable, a hazelnut-chocolate blend and then we will head next door to Manteigaria for a Portuguese custard tart (pastéis de nata). For a girl who likes to eat, Paris is a dream come true. Ruth Reichl says, "In Paris, food is an endless conversation. You finish lunch only to discuss what you will have for dinner, and where the butter for the sauce was churned.". My conversation with Paris has only just begun!
Comments