The night before we left Paris, we figured that we would have one more swing through the city. We are generally not night people, but we thought that this would be a nice time to see the Eiffel Tower lit up, and to have one last nice meal.

There are many restaurants that capture your imagination in Paris. Maxim’s, Le Tour d’Argent, Le Jules Verne. But we had been intrigued since the day we arrived and saw a place called Au Pied de Cochin. The Foot of the Pig. We had not the nerve to try it before, or to try it with the family while they were in town, so on our last night we decided to walk down to St Eustache, and eat across the street and have Pig’s Trotters.

This place has been mentioned in every guide book that we have seen. It is a LARGE restaurant, especially by Paris standards, with both an upstairs and a downstairs eating area. It specializes in, oddly enough, oysters and pig’s trotters. Fried Pig’s feet with Béchamel sauce.

We arrived at the restaurant a bit early by Paris standards, probably 7:30. When we got there, there was no line, but true to form, the hostess told us (none to nicely) that we had to wait at the bar for 20 to 30 minutes before she could fit us into a smoking table. NO non-smoking tables were available all night. We didn’t complain, but just went to the bar and ordered a coupe of Champaign and a beer.

As soon as we ordered, the hostess came by and told us to pay, that our table was ready. Surprised, we paid, and walked to a banquette and chair, and sat down ready to look at the menu.

The waiter arrived promptly, and was eager to get us started, We looked at the menu, and decided on air-dried ham and paté as appetizers, and then we each ordered the house specialty, fried pig trotters.

The appetizers came and were fine, not really any better than we had been used to in town. But then they came and were getting us ready for the main course.

I have to set the stage in this place first – it is a cross betwwen an old Parisian Brasserie (lots of polished wood, etched glass, huge Belle Epoque chandeliers composed of frosted glass shaped like fruit) and someone’s house who collects pig paraphernalia. The little flower pot on the table is a cute ceramic pig. The door handles are brass pig trotters. There is pig art on the wall, and a pig motif on the plates. There is a pig poster as you walk into the bathroom – of a pig about to get it’s trotter cut off. All in all, it is a tribute to porcine taste.

The waiter first brought us small plates with a pig question on it. (How many bones in a pig trotter – 29, 30, 31, or 32? – the answer is 32) It was for "Les petit lohss" The small bones. Then they brought us a finger bowl, to wash off our fingers as we greedily chewed on Les petit lohss. Then a small bowl of Béchamel sauce for us to share. Then the trotters.

These had no pretensions about hiding what they were. They were lightly fried pig’s feet, toenail and all. You cut into them, and you hit skin, bone, gristle, and tendon. There were about two bites of meat the entire, twelve inch long trotter, and you had better like that bite! But the fries were good, I can say that.

By the time we left, about 9:30, there was a line of at least 20 people waiting for tables, and it extended out the door. Pig’s feet are big business in Paris.

After leaving the feet, we took the metro one more time. I had not mentioned it earlier, but for the year 2000, the Eiffel Tower is being "sparkled" ten minutes out of every hour after dark. Well, until midnight, anyway. I cannot attest to any time past that. When Matt, Laurie, Ab, and Gus were here, we saw that from the Toupary restaurant. So we went to see it up close. We arrived just as the 10:00 PM show started, and it is an amazing thing to see. When you get close, you can see each light strobing on and off, and it just sparkles. There were a ton of people milling around watching, and you could even go up into the tower this late at night. Both Doreen and I have been up before, and we didn’t feel like standing in line so late, so we called it a night and went home for the last time to our place on the Ile St Louis.

Good night to all from Paris.