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Bonjour My Dear Friends!
The two images above are from the cafe website
I was just reminiscing of my days in Paris (I miss it so) and remembering my old friends that I had to leave there. The hours we would spend in the cafes talking, debating, eating, laughing, and enjoying life! Oh, what I would give to be there for just one day. My favorite place to pick a cafe....St~Germain~Des~Pres. Les Deux Magots, Cafe de Flore, Brasserie Lipp, and of course the beautiful Le Procope.
Absinthe at the Cafe Procope via Flickr
Le Procope opened in 1686 and is believed to be the world's first coffee house and Paris' oldest restaurant. It is an amazing place to visit and enjoy some great food.
This gem is steeped in history and it is closely linked to the revolution as well. After its opening it quickly became a very fashionable place to be seen. The city's literary and political elite as well as the actors from the famous Comedie~Francaise would meet here.
I feel more intellectual just stepping over the threshold!
In this famous restaurant, a young and poor lieutenant named Napoleon Bonaparte would be made to leave his hat as security as he went out searching for money to pay his bill!
Voltaire's table is still here among the books and paintings reminding us of the 40 cups of chocolate and coffee mixture he drank every day. There is portrait of a woman hanging above a table with a bayonet tear through it, the cut crystal chandeliers everywhere, the rich colors, and mirrors throughout. it all transports you to another time and place. Oh, if these walls could talk!
Alas my friends, I am here and not there but maybe one day we can meet up for coq au vin ivre de Juliénas, Absinthe, and a cafe creme. We can sit and philosophise, debate, and share stories just like the old Masters! Until then...Good night.
Labels: 18th century, art, Chandelier, culture, Decor, France, Friends, History, Madame du Barry, Marie Antoinette, Napoleon, paris, Romance