With the doors of her office barely closed, she goes down the stairs to the exit four by four and is already concocting a little surprise for the evening in her head. It’s Friday and the weekend will begin as soon as she walks through the doors of the building that houses the headquarters of her company in the heart of Paris.

A few minutes later she arrives at the flat and finds him studying Italian, lying on the sofa. « I have a surprise for tonight, I invite you to a restaurant ». In less time than it takes to say it, we find them riding their faithful pedal-riding steeds down the Avenue Denfert-Rochereau towards the Seine. A short passage by the Pont de la Concorde, on which they meet few people, they discover the facilities for cyclists. After bypassing the Jeu de Paume at the corner of the Jardin des Tuileries, they take the rue St Florentin. Even in this somewhat « chic » street in Paris, the terraces have taken over the road. They then lead to the parvis de la Madeleine and take the direction of St Lazare. Rue Tronchet, then rue du havre, it’s amazing what they come across as cyclists in these last days of summer. Just in front of the Condorcet high school, they find a place to attach their bikes, in front of the RER entrance. « Close your eyes even if you’ve guessed where we’re going for dinner? »

They thread their way through the rue de l’Isly, slalom between the crowded terraces and finally end up at… at… at… where Victor Hugo lived, at the Certa. The waiter dressed all in black and who knows them well, welcomes them warmly as always here. The terrace is taken by storm. No problem, he offers to install them in the second room.

From their table they have a direct view of the kitchen, the « Holy of Holies ».

Where the encounter between a Sri Lankan Lion and a Malian Eagle works wonders. The chef, originally from Sri Lanka, is active behind his desserts. Beware, here we are super concentrated. The knives and mandolins are well sharpened. It is the waltz of kitchen instruments in a superb mastery. The chef and his second cook cook a sublime vegetable wok. Their expert hands know how to select the fruit and vegetables to perfection, while decorating the plates and watching the cooking of the dishes with the corner of their eye. All the senses are on the alert to ensure that the food is cooked just as it should be.

In the kitchen, in spite of the rush, everything is harmonious and the team is well established. Everyone masters his or her role and nothing is left to chance. A glance here, a precise gesture there. The dishes are masterfully prepared with elegance and love.

It is undoubtedly this little touch of love that makes all the difference here and that exhales so many flavours. Their dish is served: cooked to perfection to reveal all the softness of the mushrooms and the crispness of the turnips and beans. Here they are embarked in another world, that of flavours and scents. Thank you Chef! On several occasions, waitress, waiters and the chef himself make sure that everything goes well. But yes of course everything is fine. The music is good and the weekend is off to a good start. The transition from the working week to the charm of the weekend went like a flash. It’s time to go for a stroll around Paris before entering the 14th arrondissement.

After a short passage in front of the Opera and then the Comédie Française, as they are about to take the Carrousel passage, a big 4×4 rushes past them, cutting them off, so as not to slow down in the narrow passage. Need to assert themselves, to pollute a little more, to show a je ne sais quoi of superiority no doubt? They make a short stop in front of the Louvre pyramid which is illuminated by a thousand reflections under the rays of the setting sun. The luminosity is magnificent.

They then cross the Place du Carrousel, then take the Pont du Carrousel to watch the sun set over the Pont Royal just behind the Grand-Palais. Above the Musée d’Orsay, the Eiffel Tower emits light signals so that people don’t forget it.

Turning on the other side, across the Pont des Arts, they admire the lights of the Pont Neuf and the Square du Vert Galant at the tip of the Ile de la Cité. A few rare boats or barges criss-cross the Seine, which undulates and then shudders for a few minutes after their passage.

The lights on the quays are reflected in the Seine in front of the Musée d’Orsay.

For a moment, you would think that the paintings had escaped from the Museum to live again on the quays. A short escapade on the Pont des Arts allows them to enjoy the view over the forecourt of the Institut de France.

They finally take the Quai de Conti and go around the magnificent building on the right-hand side on the Quai Malaquais. As they pedal into the Rue de Seine, their attention is suddenly caught by two large posters on the façade of the Academy of Fine Arts.

Turn around to take a closer look. But yes, they didn’t dream, it is indeed an exhibition on « The Photographer » by Emmanuel Guibert. She has a real passion for these three artists : Emmanuel Guibert for his comic book drawings, Fréderic Lemercier the colourist he works with and Didier Lefèvre the famous photographer. Here she is, photographing the photographer. Her imagination has already gone to the borders of Afghanistan and Pakistan. It’s decided, they will be there tomorrow to escape thanks to the sublime photos and comic strips. After this little trip, a stop at the famous glacier in the rue de Seine is necessary to check, on their way back from Italy, if the ice is as good here as it is on the shores of Lake Bolsena.

Par Nathalie

Translated with http://www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)