In search of the elusive Sunday Bloody Mary

Sunday means Bloody Marys, so on this chilly, rainy Sunday, we headed out on a mission to the source of the tasty beverage–Harry’s New York Bar, where Hemingway hung out and the purported inventor of the Bloody Mary.

But first, we stopped at the Place de la Concorde on the way to see if we could get into the Hotel de la Marine (the Navy Department) for a free visit during its two-day-only opening to the public. This magnificent building houses the largest collection of 18th century furniture in Paris. Most furniture in the great palaces was destroyed in the French Revolution, but somehow the contents of the Hotel de la Marine were spared.

Unfortunately, half of Paris had the same idea, and the lines snaked around the block. Not willing to stand around for an hour or so in the rain, we scuttled back down the Metro to find Harry’s Bar just a couple of blocks from the Garnier Opera.

Again we were stymied–Harry’s is closed on Sunday. No great loss. They charge 14 euros for a Bloody Mary. No Bloody Mary can be that good.

So back to St. Germain we went and decided to visit Cafe de Conti down the street from last summer’s hotel, the Dauphine St. Germain, a gem. Conti’s Bloody Mary was pretty good, but I was shocked to be told that they do not accept credit cards for payment. They had just taken my credit card the week before and several times during our visit last summer. This was the first time I had experienced rude treatment in Paris.

You don’t argue in someone else’s language, so I paid the tab and we walked out, never to return to Cafe Conti again. Back in the apartment later in the day, I made sure to share our experience on Trip Advisor and Google.

To cap off a frustrating day, all the regular grocery stores were closed after 1 p.m., and we were dangerously low on wine. I wandered up and down rue Monge, looking for an open store in vain. Finally, I settled for a mini-market that was overpriced for wine, any port in a storm…