Parisian Actors, Wines & a Corset

Pontificating moments on Parisians by the German, on Germans by the Brit, on Parisians by Jean Cocteau, and on corsets by me…here’s how it went…

The German: Paris is all an image. The mayor has a tourism budget to pay actors to be beautiful and kiss lovingly, pretend to sketch along the Seine and carry musical instruments. This, he says, is part of the master plan to create Parisian culture, when in fact, the city is essentially a hollow vessel of clogged arteries. (Okay, I doctored it a bit. Oh, and he was joking. He likes the French. It’s a WWII thing.)

The Brit (our friend, Rusmat, who with his wife, Keiko, met us in Paris for the weekend): If the world was neutralized tomorrow, it would take some time for the people of Munich to notice. (self-absorbed, those Münchens.)

And, fittingly, Jean Cocteau said: In Paris, everybody wants to be an actor; nobody is content to be a spectator. (…maybe the German was on to something…)

And I say: Where else, but in Paris, can you wear a corset to a restaurant? (and by restaurant I mean white tablecloths — no stage, no poles.)

Anyway…in between, we walked and walked and walked; cruised on the Seine, explored the Louvre, Notre Dom, Musee D’Orsay, shopped on Champs-Élysées and Ile Saint Louis, picnicked in Place des Vosges, etc., etc., etc…..

Here are a few of the notable wines we drank:

2007, L’Oratoire de La Pansière, Calou, Faugères, Rhone
Full of youth, balanced, red plum, really ripe strawberry and cherry
Syrah, Grenache, Mouvedre, Carignan, Cinsault
Enjoyed at the Greek restaurant on place de Itale

2001, Chateau Chasse Spleen, Moulis en Meds, Bordeaux
Wound tight, but anticipated its potential. Coming back to it, it was a dark beauty, with black currant, bitter dark cherry and rough tannins. Probably needs to sleep a little longer. (Of course that’s my answer to everything!)
Given to us by Greg & Stacy

2006 Domaine de Pallus Chinon Les Pensées de Pallus
Strong and velvety, solid tannins, intense blackberry and dark fruit.
The German loved it with a tasty, but not beautiful Pot au Feu de cochon (pot of pig)
Cabernet Franc
Enjoyed at L’Avant Gout

Au Revoir!