 |
| La Fontaine de Mars restaurant is located in an upscale neighborhood from what we observed. |
Note: To all of our readers visiting our site via a smartphone, please click the “View web version” tab under the word, “Home” at the bottom of the page to access the web version enabling you to access all of our archives on the right side of the page. We’ll be updating our site shortly, making these extra steps unnecessary. Thank you. Today’s photos are from the post from August 14, 2014, while in Paris, France. See the link here for more photos.
 |
| Tom wasn’t his usual smiley self while waiting for La Fontaine de Mars to open for our 7:30 reservation. Us old-timers always arrive too early. Why is that? |
No doubt, if I could have ordered anything that appealed to me on the menu in French restaurants, my dining experience would have been considerably more exciting and interesting.
 |
| The staff was busy preparing for the evening’s usual totally booked tourist crowd, often Americans, from what we read online. |
At that time in 2014, I wasn’t drinking wine and missed the opportunity to try a wide array of French wines. Also with my way of eating, required for my health, we never ordered a loaf of French bread, croissants, desserts, or pastries although it was tempting at times
 |
| This tiny room where we dined had seating for 16. The restaurant appeared to be a converted house with three of four rooms such as this on the second level, which we read was preferable to dining on the loud, busy main floor. However, some may prefer a more lively pace while dining. |
With Tom’s sensitive taste buds and aversion to many spices and flavors, he didn’t take advantage of most French offerings. Then again, for us, during our world travels, dining out was never an important element.
 |
| This is the menu with prices in Euros. US $10 converts to EU $8.46 based on today’s rates. |
We’ve found shopping for local fresh vegetables, meats, and cheeses, made cooking for ourselves a worthwhile undertaking, contributing to a wide array of meals we joyfully prepared and savored at our holiday home in any country.
 |
| The opposite side of the room in which we dined at La Fontaine de Mars. (I didn’t use the flash to avoid disturbing other diners). |
Rarely, did we encounter difficulty in finding quality foods befitting our way of cooking and dining “at home.” The location where we had the most difficulty was while living in Diani Beach, Kenya for three months in 2013, where there were limited options for protein sources and the lack of availability of many cooking ingredients in the small Nakumatt Market.
 |
| My filet mignon on a bed of spinach. I moved over the steak and piled the sauce on the spinach. My way of eating encourages eating lots of fat excluding trans fat, and vegetable oils but includes animal fat, butter, coconut and olive oil, avocadoes, and nuts. |
Also, the fact that the tiny galley kitchen couldn’t fit the two of us at once, cooking wasn’t as much fun as usual. We often dined out when many of the local upscale resorts had beautiful restaurants and fabulous, continental cuisine at affordable prices.
 |
| Tom’s filet mignon with fries and butter for the breadbasket His steak was very small. |
We’d been advised to avoid the local restaurants on the main road, due to security risks and the possibility of becoming sick when our digestive systems weren’t adapted to certain risks.
 |
| By the time I remembered to take this photo, I’d already consumed half of this server of Bearnaise sauce. |
Subsequently, only a year later we were in Paris with the opportunity to savor many exquisite dishes and yet, we were somewhat impeded by our own self-imposed issues.
 |
| Our bill which converted to US $85.11 at today’s rates. |
That didn’t mean we didn’t enjoy the French restaurants. We did. We dined out every morning and evening since we stayed in a hotel without cooking facilities, often trying new restaurants, most within walking distance of our boutique hotel near the Eiffel Tower.
 |
| View from the upper level of La Fontaine de Mars from the steps to the upper level. |
On a few occasions, we returned for a second visit to a particular restaurant when we found ourselves craving a repeat of a prior meal. Each time we selected a new restaurant, we perused reviews at TripAdvisor to ensure each location was rated high for quality, freshness, cleanliness, and service.
 |
| View of the back of Tom’s head and the busy first level which many diners prefer or where latecomers are seated. No reservations were held beyond 15 minutes of their scheduled time. |
Although we dined at a few upscale restaurants, overall, we sought those in the middle range, to keep costs down. It was expensive in Paris for meals, hotels, transportation, tours, and services.
 |
| Another restaurant we visited in Paris, Bistrotters. Tom, as usual, was first in line, waiting for the restaurant to open at 7 pm. |
In a few days, we’ll share our total expenses for the 16 nights in Paris, (not 15 as previously mentioned in error), providing a clear perspective of what one may expect for a mid-range experience in the city of lights (which most likely will be higher considering we were there six years ago).
 |
| Based on the lighting in Bistrotters, it was tough to get a good shot of the menu. Enlarging this photo will enable easier reading. |
That’s all for today folks. After uploading this post, I’ll be studying two videos provided by our web developer on how to post and manipulate our new site which as it turns out will be going “live” on Monday morning, our time, allowing us the day to work out any kinks or issues throughout the day.
 |
| Tom enjoyed his first course of grilled chorizo. |
Our web address will remain the same: www.worldwidewaftage.com and there will be nothing for you to do other than spend less than a minute familiarizing yourself with our new easy-to-use format.
 |
| The waiter was surprised when I ordered the foie gras based on my food restrictions. He felt it may be too fatty without bread or crackers. I found it to be extraordinary, the best foie gras I’ve ever had. That morning, I looked up a few recipes and if I can find duck liver anywhere, I think that once we’re situated again in a few months, I may attempt to make this. |
Each day’s new post will be in plain view along with recent posts, archives, and advertising, easy to access using cell phones, laptops, computers, and tablets. No longer will cell phone users need to follow the special instructions at the top of each of our recent posts.
 |
| This plate provides a better perspective of the size of my portion of foie gras. In the middle were pickled tomatoes and a salad, both of which contained sugar in the dressing which I opted not to eat after taking a taste. The coarse salt and the cayenne pepper on the right of the plate were the perfect accompaniment. |
Happy day to all!
Photo from one year ago today, August 14, 2019:
 |
| A port of call on the Baltic cruise enabled us to tour the city of Copenhagen, noticing many colorful buildings. For more photos from this city, please click here. |