A Walk in the Park
Many years ago when I was young boy, our family would frequently grab the dog and all pile into the Peugeot and head from Neuilly towards the Parc. I still remember it to this day, walking through the woods and exploring, my Father yelling -it not for the dog then at one of us. How could three boys possibly ever get into trouble. Those were fun outings and I treasure those memories. By the end of the day, we were tired and so was the dog. Mission accomplished as far as my father was concerned. By the time we reached Neuilly appetite bells were going off like crazy and just in time to enjoy a four-star French meal prepared by my mother.
I decided to grab my dog and go enjoy a late afternoon stroll in the parc and woods of Saint-Cloud which is just over 3 miles from the city limits. I was not going native or anything just felt the need for some fresh air before the usually hectic schedule of a new week. I thought I might bring a worn copy of On Walden Pond for some inspiration while my trusted pooch friend Monsieur Louie wandered about chasing French squirrel because they were there. He did go rather nuts when he crossed paths with Bisous the Mad Caniche. Well not really mad – rabid perhaps snarling little ball of white fluff. There’s not much more I can say about that other than its owner Madeleine, an attractive Parisienne was trying her best to restrain the little demon. Madeleine had that, what I call, “horsey-set-I’ve got money-you don’t” look to her. She was, of course, impeccably put together to match her impeccable March tan and almost starved to an impeccable perfection.  I go along with my dog logic on and the dog can’t pick up a stump, catch a tennis ball or better yet hold a tennis ball and a lacrosse ball – well what’s the point?  Madeleine got me off track here, one thing I wanted to mention was that Saint-Cloud is also a town or une ville résidentielle, and the parc itself is over 460 acres. 
St. Cloud, is one of the most famous of French estates. Although its grand château was burnt down in 1870, enough survives to display the character of the great gardens and you still can get a feel of the majestic gardens that were built across a steep escarpment overlooking the River Seine and Paris. A great baroque cascade, rather heavily detailed, descends the slope. Louis XIV’s younger brother acquired the estate in 1658 (here’s your birthday present Louis, do you like it?) and André le Notre re-designed the older terraced garden.     
Saint-Cloud has had its share of being in the history books, for one event or another. For example, Henry III was assassinated there in 1589. I can remember it clearly even to this day. Napoleon Bonaparte’s 18 Brumaire, coup d’Etat was at Saint-Cloud and in fact Napoleon choose it as his second home. In an ironic twist, it was also at Saint-Cloud where they signed the treaty effectively ending Napoleon’s rule in 1815. In the village of Saint-Cloud itself, a couple of familiar names lived there such as Maurice Ravel, Anatole France and Jean Cocteau to name a few.

Before leaving the parc I stopped in at Restaurant Chalet La Pergola. I was weak from hunger and needed un petit quelque chose to tide me over. I inquired with Madame at the front door if my dog would be a problem and replied mais non Monsieur pas du tout! Not an imposition whatsoever in fact they even had a dog bowl which I also noticed was being used by a familiar looking Caniche.  Monsieur Louie approached the bowl, sniffed and I fully expected him to lift his leg and give the caniche an American salute. Madame Madeleine, the perfect Parisienne, was finishing her aperitif and declined my offer to join me at my table. Oh well, as I handed her my card, je suis sincèrement désolée, à bientôt j’espère. One can never be too polite and you just never know when I might run into Madame Madeleine, the perfect Parisienne.

Excuse me, can we talk food? Thank you, as I said I found myself famished from all that fresh air and eager to tackle un petit plat of something. I ordered a Pastis avec deux glaçon et un verre d’eau while I scanned the menu. So many choices so little time. I put down the menu and the waiter was at my table before I could say Côte de Provence pichet 25 cl to go along with a Tartare de Boeuf, Pommes Allumettes. I really enjoy a good tartare and it’s just not that easy to find places that it on their menu let alone that it’s a good tartare. Yes a good tartare is finely chopped, high-quality, raw lean ground beef, seasonings and raw egg. It arrived appropriately shaped in a mound in the middle of the plate with an indentation to hold the raw egg yolk with capers, chopped parsley and onions on the side. A nice helping of Pommes Allumettes – matchstick size fries completed the presentation. Everything, wine and food was delicious to the very end. Could I  ignore the desert cart. I chose not to and settled on the Tarte au citron meringuées – the lemon meringue pie that had caught my eye coming in. Along with a coffee I ordered a Bas-Armagnac Laubade and enjoyed the view of Saint Cloud in the fading daylight.  

I’l come back to Saint-Cloud again maybe in time for the popular annual two-day concert “Rock en Seine.”