The Best ice cream in Paris

Bonjour tout le monde!
Earlier this week, I read that Raymond Berthillon died at the age of 90.  He was the founder of Berthillon's, home of the best ice cream in Paris.
Many Paris fans know all about Berthillon's, located on the Ile Saint-Louis.  The ice cream shop has been in the same place for 60 years, just at the end of the bridge that links the Ile de la Cite and Ile Saint Louis at the back of Notre Dame.  Normally, the shop is open continually from 10:00 am to 10:00 pm, however if you are gong to be in the capital during the month of August, you are out of luck.  That is because the famous ice cream spot is closed from 27July to 3 September.
Every time we go to Paris, a visit to Berthillon's is on the must do list.  In 2012, Michael and I were in the city with my last Prep student travel group.  It was a free day, the kids had given me their itineraries so the adults had the day to themselves.  Michael's cousin Tommy and his now wife Wanda were also with us, so after cruising by Notre Dame, we walked across the bridge to Berthillon's.  Sometime during the morning, I inherited one of my students, so our group of five found ourselves standing in front of the shop trying to decide which flavors (parfums in French).
Berthillon's renown goes far and wide.  If you look at the Trip Advisor, it is the #4 top attraction on their Paris list, and for good reason.  The ice cream is delicious.  There are over 70 different ice cream flavors, in addition to the sorbets.  My favorite ice cream flavor is vanilla, but there are contenders - amaretto and grand marnier come in second!  Wanda loves ice cream, so that day in Paris, we spent almost 45 minutes at the shop, because the minute that she finished one flavor, she was back in line to try another.  I can't tell you how many different tastes we tried that day, except to tell you that they were all really good.
If you have been to Paris, but not to Berthillon's, then you have not experienced all there is.  If you have been there, what is your favorite flavor?  Rum raisin?  Lavender?  Let the commentary begin!

And, just to let you know all about the place - http://www.berthillon.fr/

Unfortunately, every time I go to Berthillon's, I spend the time eating ice cream., so here are some photos from other fans...

La Grande Arche - 25 years later

Bonjour tout le monde!
I was cruising the net, and found an article on the 25th anniversary of La Grande Arche, or the Grand Arch of La Defense.  I have written about it before, because it "closed" the axis of history that starts at the other end with the Louvre, goes through the Tuilerie Gardens and the Place de la Concorde, follows the Champs Elysees, and crosses the Arc de Triomphe.  The Arche de la Defense was opened in 1989 to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the French Revolution.  The big "picture frame" was a draw, and I took several groups of students to see the Arche.  We climbed the steps, admired the views of Paris in the distance; Michael and I even went up the elevator to the observation deck that offered a fabulous view of Paris and that axis of history.
Alas, the Arche hasn't aged well.  Marble tiles have fallen off one side, the elevator that sped tourists to the roof top observation area has fallen into disrepair - the observation deck has been closed since 2010 - and much of the interior office space goes unused.
It is still worth visiting the area, and seeing just how big the Grand Arche is.  A pilot has flown through it, and the interior space is runored to be big enough to contain Notre Dame.  There is a cool mall right there, and of course, there is the big thumb.  Why is it there?  I am sure that the artist would say, "Why not"?
It is sad to think about a building that started out with such promise and fanfare, but hopefully in the near future, there will be a happy ending to this story.
http://www.thelocal.fr/20140805/paris-the-not-so-grande-arche

The Arche up close

thumbs up!

The view from the now closed observation deck

Looking along the axis of history

The view from the other side of the Arche