Our Trip to France/Belgium Revisited - In Pictures: Day One.

This was our first view of one of the Eiffel Tower, well not THE Eiffel Tower, but something akin to it. We landed in Paris, France after our flight from Atlanta and we wandered around the airport (too aware of the camo-wearing/assault rifle toting security guys around) and finally found the only pay-to-use wi-fi connection. Luckily, after a bit of frustration, we found a tourist friendly concierge-type hole-in-the-wall that helped us locate a hotel and train & museum passes. Our conclusion: wi-fi in Paris is not good at all.

The following images are from our once-in-a-lifetime French dining experience.

STUFFED MACARONI with black truffle, artichoke and duck foie gras, gratinated with mature Parmesan cheese.*

MILK-FED SADDLE OF LAMB nori crust roasted, fresh herbs gnocchi, cabbage juice.*

Radish in a bed of greens atop a jelly fruit salad.

Honey ginger "spoonfuls" w/ gold leaf.

Arrangement/presentation of various appetizers: the raspberry looking macaron on a stick and a eggshell cup with duck foie gras foam. The green half-sphere seen on the end of the arrangement had a grassy/clean green/carrot gelatin texture/flavor. Hard to describe.

ICED VANILLA FROM MADAGASCAR melted caramel with salted butter, praline of peacan nuts and hazelnuts.*

CHOCOLATE “MANJARI” in an origami shape, iced coconut milk hot chocolate elixir.*

French macarons with a passion fruit caramel.

*These descriptions are taken directly from the restaurant's menu whereas, my descriptions are nowhere close to representing the subtle nuances of flavors brought out through masterful technique. This restaurant had the most structured/military-like waitstaff; reading labels as drinks were poured and presenting dishes as if part of a staged production. Highly recommended as an epitome of French dining.