Baby Bottles of Wine

Yep, you read that right. The day after our Fontainebleau/Vaux-le-Vicomte excursion, a group of us went to Le Refuge des Fondues in Montmartre to celebrate Y.'s birthday.

At this point in my stay here in France, I've gotten pretty good at sifting through restaurant reviews. It's not uncommon to find wildly conflicting reviews about the same restaurant, with some patrons touting an establishment as "the highlight of their Paris vacation," and others saying it was the most over-rated tourist trap they'd ever fallen for, with bad service to boot.

First things first - ignore American complaints about poor service. In the States we're used to charismatic unemployed actors grinning at us as they regale us with descriptions of the day's specials and fastidiously note all our special orders - all in the hopes of getting a big fat tip. Here in France, service is compris, and leaving a tip is completely optional - a reward for truly outstanding service. Since I'm an obviously a poor foreign student, no Parisian waiter expects me to leave a tip, and the service usually reflects that. Mais, tant pis! I'm just here for the food, anyways.

Alors, I could tell by the reviews online that Le Refuge des Fondues was going to be fun. The people who wrote negative reviews online sounded like old farts. The people who wrote positive reviews sounded like they were young, adventurous, and had a good sense of humor.

Although Y. claimed she had called the restaurant and made a 6:30 reservation for us, they restaurant refused to seat us until 7:00, claiming they they didn't even open until then. Oh well - we strolled around Montmartre for a bit. We were finally seated at a long table against the wooden walls, which are covered in scribbles and carved signatures of past patrons.

The meal was prix fixe at 21€ per person, which got us all apéritifs, a plate of hors d'œuvres (head cheese, cheese, pickles, olives, and spicy potatoes), a choice of cheese or meat fondue, and - of course - the famous biberons (baby bottles) of wine (choice of red or white).

I think the wine has to come before the fondue to help you numb the guilt that comes with consuming ridiculous quantities of bread and molten cheese.

On nights like tonight, calories don't exist...

As one review aptly put it, it's neither the best wine in Paris, nor is it the best fondue in Paris - but it's one of the best quirky Parisian experiences you could ask for as a hungry/thirsty study abroad student!

Sunday Vignettes (9/18)

Sunday I met up with V., an American friend whom I hadn't seen since mid-high school. She now lives in London and was visiting Paris with her boyfriend, boyfriend's sister, and boyfriend's sister's friends. It was a lively international bunch - exactly the kind of group one would want to romp around Montmartre with.

We met at métro stop Pigalle, then trekked up the hill to the Sacré Cœur cathedral by an alternate route and somehow managed to avoid the scammers who prey on tourists (grab your wrist, start making a bracelet around it, then make you pay for it) AND the long line to get into the cathedral (we cut without realizing).

We were still allowed to tour the inside of the stunning neo-Byzantine cathedral, even though Mass was going on at the same time. It was kind of awkward to be a "looky-loo" while people who were genuinely there for service sat and prayed or took communion...but so be it.

As we descended the hill, we passed a Paraguayan harpist playing on the steps - the same harpist I saw there in 2009!

2009

2011

We then passed the famous Moulin Rouge and a variety of sex shops (Montmarte is home to Paris' red light district) ...

And then, since it was an unabashedly touristic day, we ate lunch at Le Café des Deux Moulins - the café from the movie "Amélie" ("Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulain"). It was un peu cher, but we vegetarians (there were several of us) were able to get lovely salads sans jambon (without ham).

Finally, we took a stroll through the Cimetière de Montmartre. We spent a good amount of time looking for Oscar Wilde's grave before realizing that he is in fact buried in the even-more-famous Père Lachaise cemetery (20e arrondissement). Still, all was not lost, since we happened upon the grave of French Romantic composer Hector Berlioz, most noted for his Symphonie fantastique; as there were several musicians in our little group, this was almost just as exciting!