STAYING here at Paris Marriott Rive Gouache Hotel and Conference Center, four kilometers away from the Eiffel Tower is both a joyous and a pocket-drenching experience. Pocket-drenching for the company but certainly not for me….haha! Actually, I was given a vacation to Paris for one (great, I just can’t bring my wife) because there was an innovation I introduced which tripled the company’s profits. I was given blanket decision to choose the travel package and so I gladly chose to stay at Paris Marriott Rive Gouache Hotel and Conference Center which is a four-star hotel and definitely not cheap.

I chose to stay here for a total of four nights because the fourth night is for free. That’s some deal that the travel agency is offering! My billet is worth $189.74 a night and I didn’t want to contract AIDS or something and I want to be faithful to my wife through and through so I slept alone. That’s kinda boring but with the Internet connection that I had, I merely had to call my wife with our ten-month-old baby back home in Georgia via the Internet which is a lot cheaper than using IDD. I guess there’s a six hour difference between our time zones but I don’t mind. You know, I really feel homesick here even though I’m looking forward to a tour of the magnificent Eiffel Tower tomorrow. Cable TV is not much, just the same basic programs you’ll see in the States because I simply can’t understand French (French course in Montpellier). Early this morning was my first taste of a hearty French breakfast which contained croissant and café au lait (which is basically coffee with milk).

Then I strolled down the streets because I really didn’t want to confine myself eating at the restaurant bar. I want to get a taste of real French food right there in the streets. The first restaurant that I visited was Chez Flottes. Chez Flottes is a fine dining restaurant featuring French nouvelle (i.e. new, not traditional) cuisine. If you are taking a taxicab, it can easily be found by the driver. This particular restaurant is located at Rue de Rivoli and Place de la Concorde. Don’t be paranoid about drivers who will rob or con you, Paris is a fairly safe place to stay. I have done my research before coming here. Upon entering Chez Flottes, you’ll be amazed at its red motif. Of course, the price of the food here is really something remarkable but it’s worth it. You’ll only be served with the best French cuisine.

After all, there’s some truth to the popular French joke, “If you can’t pronounce the menu, you can’t afford it.” Although it is advertised as a nouvelle restaurant, Chez Flottes also offers some very rich French traditional cuisine. This restaurant also ensures that all regions in France are represented in their menu. Their appetizers alone are already tempting. Consider the following – marrowbone with guerande salt, roasted goat cheese with sweet and sour sauce and pears or duck terrine with green pepper. The main course is a blast but I’ll leave that to your imagination.