Le Flore en L'Ile

Having walked from our apartment in the Marais to the Ile de la Cite' and admired both the inside of Sainte-Chapelle and the outside of Notre Dame, (we did go in but Notre Dame was simply packed with school groups and tourists so we were swept around the church in a human current at a pace that didn't encourage gazing and appreciation), found the marker in the plaza from which all distances in France are measured, admired the equestrian statue of Charlemagne and mourned over the Deportation memorial, we were more than ready for lunch. We crossed the little bridge from the Ile de la Cite' to the Ile St. Louis and ate at a little restaurant with a dark green awning at the foot of the bridge, Le Flore en l'Ile. The heavens opened just as we sat down to eat, making us feel doubly blessed to be indoors in such a special setting.

The omelet with ham, cheese and mushrooms was perfectly cooked, the green salad was lightly dressed with a vinaigrette and the frites were crisp on the outside but almost creamy on the inside. The view of Notre Dame floating on her neighboring island completed the perfect lunch in this elegant little restaurant and the rest prepared us for the other half of our day admiring Paris on shank's mare.