Visitor's Survey: Part II

AH and I were lucky enough to recently host his younger sister (the Chicken Whisperer) and brother (a Certain Young Man), as well as his sister's husband (He Who Takes Silly Photos).  They arrived on December 26th, and the five of us almost immediately got onto a train out to Dijon.  We spent a day and a half exploring wine country and learning about the significance of the terroir in the quality of the wine (hint: it's very significant).  Then back to Paris for a week of museuming, sight-seeing and eating (oh, yes, there was eating) with my SIL and her husband.  AH's younger brother, a Certain Young Man, got caught up with a ring of international jewel thieves that operates only at night in Paris.  I assume this happened because he would leave every evening around 10 and return the next morning sometime around 7.  I mean, what else would keep a young, single guy out in Paris at those hours?

Before they left, after our final meal of McDonald's (HWTSP wanted to drink a beer in a fast food establishment), I was able to wrangle some answers out of them over a nice bottle of our burgundy spoils, as well as the remainder of the boxed wine (which I will hopefully never tangle with again).

Let's start with the basics.  What was your favorite thing that you did this week?
He Who Takes Silly Photos:  Stock answer: burgundy wine tour, secondary answer: ride the TGV, real answer: I ate a lot of good food this week.
Chicken Whisperer: I’m gonna say one things, not three things like Adam did.  So I’ll say the TGV train ride for now; if I think of something better, I’ll let you know.  Public transportation in general.

Snacks in the train station. AH is not amused.

Would you have done anything differently?  What do you wish you knew before you came?
HWTSP: I wish I had known more French food vocabulary.
CW:  I would’ve bought Eiffel Tower tickets sooner.

See, no worries; we made it up the Eiffel Tower even without as much forethought as we could have used. AH and HWTSP attempt to point out the sights of Paris.

Was there a moment where you said to yourself, "Wow, I'm really in Paris"?
CW: The nudists on New Year’s Eve. [Four gentlemen dropped trou in front of the Pantheon, had a friend snap photos of their bare bottoms, re-robed and scampered off to what we can only assume was their next full-moon photo-op].
HWTSP:  Drinking hard cidre on the subway.

Ah, drinking in public. In the square in front of the Pantheon at midnight, New Year's Eve

Best meal? Any restaurants that you would recommend to future sojourners?
HWTSP:  Now that you have made a list of every meal that we have eaten in France, the best meal was the chicken in the Ile-St.-Louis.  Good ambiance, good food.  The guy that said hello was the guy that cooked your food- you could see it all out there.  Also, those sandwiches [from their local boulangerie] were fan-f-ingtastic.
CW: I really liked the eggs benedict [at Cafe Central, on Rue Cler].  I didn’t enjoy the overall dining experience, but my meal was really good.  Also, that Mexican place [La Perla, in the Marais] was really good.
HWTSP: Yeah, I would’ve never guessed that tuna steak would be so good.
CW: Yeah, that almond thing, too [almond pastry]!  Write that down!  And nougat ice cream [at Chartier].
HWTSP:  I’ve never heard her get that excited about one item of food.  As for something I’d recommend: Chez Hanna [on Rue Rosiers], the little place on the island, Crepe d’Arts [in the Latin Quarter].  As for L’Ebouillante: the hot chocolate was fantastic, but the food wasn’t worth the expense.
AH (chiming in!): I’d say La Perla and Crepe d’Arts had by far the best value.

The hot chocolate at L'Eboulliante. Excellent, says HWTSP. The food, eh, not so much.

What will you miss the most about France (besides us)?
CW: Not working.  And cheap wine.  All you can eat bread.
HWTSP: Cider and boulangeries.
CW: And public transportation.  Beautiful buildings everywhere you look.  Something to look at every second of the day.

Yule logs at the boulangerie by their apartment

The Hotel de Ville sparkling for the holidays

What was your favorite thing that I said after consuming most of that box of wine?
HWTSP:  “I can only get drunk three more times in my life!”
CW:  “I just love your brother so much...he’s such a good person!” Also: “I’m not scared that my girls will be ugly because you’re so pretty.” Also: “Your lease is on the name!” [CW had pointed out several times, "my name is on the lease" when things ran the risk of getting a bit messy. I think I might have gotten it a bit mixed up...]

Was it everything Rick Steves [host of PBS' "Rick Steves' Europe" and author of many guidebooks] promised it would be?
HWTSP: Yes!  We had a good Rick Steves experience.
CW: Would Rick be proud of us?
HWTSP: I think he would.
CW: I didn’t eat the beef tartar.  I didn’t eat everything that Rick Steves would have wanted me to.
HWTSP: But you ate things I wouldn’t have expected you to.  Also, how did we start talking about food again?
CW: I don’t think even Rick Steves can prepare you for the crowdedness and dirtiness.  

Worst thing about Paris?
CW: Dog sh-t!  Dog sh-t everywhere!  Parisians and their dogs are nasty!
HWSTP:  Small bathrooms and menu confusion.
CW: I think every single one of your answers is “food.” 

HWTSP really did enjoy his food. Here he is demonstrating his feelings for a chocolate Pere Noel that 

AH impulsively bought because it was 50% off.

Last question.  What would you have to do next New Year’s Eve to top this one?
HWTSP: Grand canyon.
CW: Win the lottery.

Bonus question from AH: How long do you think you could live in our apartment?
HWTSP: By myself? Indefinitely.  With my spouse?  As long as she could stand it [well played, sir].
CW: Till we got bored of it.  There wouldn’t be enough to do in your place.  There would be no place to put the chickens.