Bicycling in Paris: Profiles in Courage and Brioche

Paris is one of the world's greatest walking cities - I'm convinced that's one of the reasons French women have such terrific legs - as well as one of the toughest: cobblestones are unkind and countless staircases can make your knees go weak.  So I was plenty apprehensive coming here this time with a bum foot.  Something happened to my foot and all I could do was hobble a few feet before I'd have to give up - not fun.

But things weren't as glum as I'd feared they'd be thanks to the thoughtful people at the RATP, Paris's metro and bus system.  While the RATP gives no quarter to handicapped people on their subways (the many staircases and long distances you have to walk to change lines makes them a nightmare for anyone not fit enough to be on an Olympic team), they make it easy for hearty city-dwellers to skip public transportation by renting bicycles.

Yes, I had to take the metro to Les Halles and walk a tad to get to the RATP bike shop, but once I was there, patient Malik set me up with wheels tout de suite.

Here are the basics:  you can reserve a bicycle online, but you've got to do it one day in advance.  Bicycles are rented by the hour, day, weekend or week and the rental includes a lock, front basket, babyseat (if you want it) and helmet.  I rented mine for eight days for 39 Euros and I'll be sad to give it back - it's a fun little ride.

What's not fun is cycling in traffic if you're as much of a scaredy-cat as I am.  Happily, most of the major streets in Paris have bicycle lanes; unhappily, cyclists have to share these with buses and taxis.  Still, it's not as difficult as it is in New York. 

Today, I pulled off my biggest triumph:  I crossed la Place de la Concorde, a circle that defeats me even as a pedestrian. 

I would have tried for a better picture, but when the light changed there was no hesitating.

The only reason I attempted the Concorde - I still can't believe I did it (actually, I did it twice: it was a round-trip) - was to see the newly redecorated and reorganized Fauchon.  I mean, would I risk my life for anything less important than pastry?

Christian Beicher, the architect who made Pierre Herme's rue Vaugirard shop a study in gaiety, did the new Fauchon and it's got his trademark many colors.  Whatever snootiness may have surrounded Fauchon is gone and the grand old specialty shop is now as friendly as Disney World and very picnicable - there are lots of ready-to-go salads and main courses and lots of stools and counters for on-the-spot eating.

These days, Fauchon is playing with color in their pastries as well.  They've gone crazy with their eclairs

and here's their new take on brioche

They now have lemon, raspberry and coffee brioche - you can tell which one's which by their cute little color-coded tops.  I brought a cafe brioche home and was surprised to discover that it was filled with a jellyish coffee cream - think Krispy Kreme with finesse. 

Given that I had to face the Place de la Concorde again, I wished I'd liked the brioche more, so the prize would have been "worth the journey," as the Michelin people say. 

What was worth the journey - even if it was just down the street - was my regular lunch in my regular cafe: a tartine viande de Grisons, Swiss air-dried beef on toasted, buttered Poilane bread, at Au Chai de l'Abbaye, my own little Cheers.

Comments

[ParisBreakfasts]

WOW WOW WOW!
I'm impressed.
I would love to try this and to see the "new" Fauchon at the same time!
Bycylcing around Concord!
This is comparable to the Grand PRix or whatever that thing is everyone makes a fuss over.
I'm in awe...

[Dorie]

For those of you thinking about starting to ride a bike in Paris, Laura is right -- if you can, start on a Sunday, when the traffic is lightest and the city turns some of the roads along the river into bicycle paths.

I was truly terrified when I got into Paris traffic, but I'm a convert now and, like Polly, I think I'll soon be tooling around on my own bike. I can't decide whether I should buy a bike or, because I go back and forth between New York and Paris, if I should just rent one each time I'm there. (These are the kinds of problems I love.) But the big decision is made: I'm now a cycler.

Rosa, thanks for stopping by. FYI, I took the picture of the Place de la Concorde when I was stopped for a light and balancing the bike and myself on my "good" foot. It would have been a better picture if I hadn't had to spend most of the time rummaging thru my purse to find my camera.

Mmm -- what a great idea, aerobic biking from pastry shop to pastry shop!

Kelly-Jane - I, too, liked the cafe under the old Fauchon, but it was short-lived: it was turned into Fauchon's wine shop. The new shop's cafe area isn't as large or as appealing, but there are places to settle in and munch on the spot.

Ahona - the little coffee-flavored cap on the brioche was somewhat dry, but the bread itself was fine; not a very rich brioche, but a tasty one. I thought there was too much coffee cream/jelly in the center, but I'm not much for jelly-donuts, so I'm probably not the best reporter on this.

Julie - I hope now that Kelly-Jane "made you" buy baking :) that you'll use it a lot and enjoy it.

Molly - I was so glad to meet you in Chicago - enfin. As for the Chai de l'Abbaye, it's a very simple cafe, like so many cafes in Paris, but I'm particularly fond of it because it's right down the street from my apartment and so I get to see all my neighbors and neighborhood friends there. Also, the servers are funny and sweet. It's on the corner of rue de Buci and rue de Bourbon-le-Chateau, which is really the end of rue de l'Abbaye, the street that runs behind the church of Saint-Germain-des-Pres.

Jocelyn - I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the New York Fauchon is closed! So, so sad.

[jocelyn]

They have a Fauchon here in NYC. It is about 5 blocks from here. I love their teas and of course the pastries. This just inspired me to take a walk.....

[Molly]

You brave woman, you, tackling Place de la Concorde on a bicycle! That takes some serious guts - and, I imagine, the promise of loads of pretty pastries on the other side! I love your description of the new Fauchon. I wonder if they haven't overcorrected a little for their past snootiness, but it certainly looks like fun...

I got back from my Paris stay last Friday night, so it sounds as though we just missed each other. What I wouldn't give for that gorgeous tartine viande de Grisons of yours! (Sob.) If I may ask, where is Au Chai de L'Abbaye? I think it might be time to start planning my next trip.

Lovely to meet you at IACP!

[julie]

Hi Dorie,
your site is great. Kelly-Jane made me, no, inspired me to buy your fantastic book Baking from...

I used to live in Paris and cycle every day before they had so many protected lanes, I know what you mean about it being scary at first, but what a pleasure to ride through the traffic jams and look at all the sights along the way...

[Ahona]

I dont really like the look of that brioche! Rather dry and unappealing.

That said Dorie, I LOVE your site and while I dont currently own any of your books, I am saving up for 'Baking from my home to yours'.
a.

[Kelly-Jane]

Hi, the 'old' Fauchon I remember, was in the building to the left of the pastry and chocolate shop.

A big building with big glass frontage and two floors of goods. The last couple of times we were there the cafe (as was)had become the wine and spirits area. You used to be able to walk down the stairs and see all the baking on display, the multi coloured macaroons stood out amazingly. It was casual and a lot of the shoppers seemed to use it. I was so disappointed it had gone!

[Rosa]

Dorie, you took that picture of place de la Concorde while riding your bike? I'm truly impressed! I love the sound of your wine bar.

[Mmm]

You've given me hope: a trip to Paris as a weight-loss regimen, pedaling aerobically from patisserie to patisserie!!! If you want to do a trial run of "Dorie's Patisseries-de-Paris Weight-Loss Tours," my schedule is such that I can be there on fairly short notice.

[Christianne]

What beautiful pastries...wow. And congrats on riding around Paris without getting clipped by a car!

[Polly]

Hi Dorie -- Thanks so much for this!
I just got a bike in Paris two weeks ago and am in heaven. It was terrifying at first, but now... wow. I take my removable panier to the market and it's fabulous.Your photos are great.

[Laura]

Great post Dorie. I have been meaning to rent a bike one of these days and now you have inspired me! I will start on a Sunday though, when there is less traffic...

[Dorie]

For those of you, like Kelly-Jane, who remember the "old" Fauchon, who'd be very surprised to see it now. The corner building that used to house the patisserie has been sold and will be turned into a gallery this fall. I'm not sure about the building that had that wonderful cafe that Kelly-Jane mentioned -- I think it's being renovated. And the building that Christian Biecher livened up -- actually, I think he might only be responsable for the gold area, where the breads and carry-out salads are sold -- the one that always had aspiced lobsters and wild tropical fruit arrangements, is where all the action is now.

If you look at the link to Dalloyau that Kerrin sent --thanks Kerrin -- you can see how even the most traditional pastry houses have modernized.

Interestingly, with many of the "new" desserts, the elements are traditional but they are flavored, combined and designed in very modern ways. That said, I think the new-wave pastries are lighter and often more intensely flavored than their ancestors.

And no, I won't be taking a spin around the Arc de Triomphe -- never, ever -- and fortunately I don't have to: there's a Dalloyau very close to my apartment, so I can check out that pretty little marshmallow number in relative safety.

[Kelly-Jane]

Hope that your foot gets better soon. I don't know if I would dare to cycle in Paris!

The colourful eclairs are stunning (I'm undecided if I like them, but they are stunning!). It's wierd to see Fauchon becoming so ultra modern. I love Fauchon and could spend hours in there looking and shopping. I used to love their cafe in the basement a few years ago as well; before it was made into more shopping space.

[Deborah Dowd]

After seeing the pictures of the brioche and pastries, I can see why one would risk life and limb in Paris traffic on a bike! Reading your post was like riding along on the handlebars(without the risk!)

[Kerrin]

bravo dorie! for your fabulously colorful and appetizing photos from the market and fauchon, and most of all for your courage in facing la concorde en vélo! i have my fingers crossed that there are no pastries tempting you near l'arc de triomphe!! but here's one, at dalloyau, have you seen or tasted these yet? http://madame.lefigaro.fr/cuisine/nouveautes/271-cakes-dete

[Maria]

Oh Dorie! I just stumbled upon your site here, how lovely! Sounds like you had fun in Paris (despite your foot). I would love to ride around Paris on a bicycle and eat pastries around town- what fun!

[Brilynn]

That bike is wonderful and those desserts are outrageous!

[gilly]

Hi Dorie! Your 'Tour de Paris' en bicyclette sounds lovely... though perhaps a little harrowing - the things one does for pastry, as you say LOL! I'm intrigued by the colourful twist on the eclairs, and the any of the brioches (with hats) sound like they would be a nice treat.