This summer, the world was excited by the Olympic Games held in Paris. The opening ceremony was held outdoors for the first time in history. Making the most of the city of Paris, the athletes appeared on boats on the Seine River, and the ceremony took place at Trocadero Square, right in front of the Eiffel Tower, across the Iena Bridge. The spectacle was overwhelming.

Although many of the events were held indoors, some were held outdoors, including the marathon and race walking. This gave a glimpse of Paris, a city full of famous historical sites. However, I wish they would refrain from holding and showing a swimming event in the dirty Seine. I'm sure they tried to purify the water, but it was horrifying. The streets of Paris are paved with stone, and pet feces are everywhere. Early every morning, water cannon trucks go around the city and pour the feces into the drains. Well, they said they have a complete sewer system, but when it rains, the water can't be treated and it flows into the Seine. I'm not sure if it's really sewage, but in any case, the water pollution won't be resolved.

The first time I visited Paris was in 1994 , exactly 30 years ago. I remember it was the end of summer. The currency was still the Franc, there was no internet, and my only prior knowledge was reading "Travel Guide to the World." I was young, or maybe ignorant, when I went to Paris alone. I settled on a three-star hotel (a five-star hotel) near the Opéra Garnier, but like the Athletes' Village this time, it had no air conditioning. Moreover, the walls of the old building were thin, and I could hear the snoring of the guests next door. I was frightened, so the next day I went to JTB on Rue de Scribe and asked them to find a fully air-conditioned residence.

I found it quickly, but it was in a good location on Ponthieu Street, just behind the Champs-Élysées, but it was noisy outside at night because it was an entertainment district, and the neon lights were coming in through the gaps in the curtains, making it hard to sleep. So, from the next year, I decided to stay at a designer hotel called "La Villa" on Jacob Street behind the Church of Saint-Germain-des-Prés on the left bank. Paris is a smaller city than I thought, and if you stay near the center, you can walk to the main places. The subway is dirty and easy to pickpocket, so I didn't feel like riding it. I took a taxi to go to places like Père Lachaise Cemetery in the 20th arrondissement, which is near the outer edge.

So, you just walk and walk. And when you get tired or thirsty, you go into the first cafe you see and take a break. That's because there were no convenience stores, let alone drink vending machines, in Paris. I guess it's still the same today. When it comes to cafes, there are famous ones like "Fouquet's" on the Champs-Élysées, and "Deux Magots" and "Flor" in Saint-Germain, but these are so-called "tourist cafes," and there are many unknown cafes that people use on a daily basis scattered all over the city.

Most people order "café" when they go to a bar, which is an espresso. Those who want to quench their thirst with an alcoholic drink will probably order a glass of beer called "demi." The carbonated drink "Orangina," which is also sold in Japan, and the juice "Jokeru" are famous, but they don't really feel like adult drinks.

If you ask the waiter for an "en cafe, s'il vous plait," you will receive a single espresso coffee, a water chaser, and a bite-sized square chocolate bar called a "carré." By the way, "carré" means square.

This "carré" is essential, and at famous cafes like "Deux Magots" it is served wrapped in custom-made paper with the store's mark or name, but at ordinary cafes you will get a commercially available "carré". This, too, seems to be made by a number of different companies, and each one has a slightly different taste, which makes it fun to try them. Ideally, you should judge the taste of the espresso at the cafe you happen to be in, but when the carré is delicious, you feel happy and like you've gotten a bargain.

There is a standard "carré" among such "carrés," and it is made by "Valrhona." For example, at the branch of "Café Deux Magots" in "Shibuya Bunkamura," which closed due to redevelopment, when you ordered coffee, a "carré" with the store's name on it was served, and it was made by Valrhona.

In addition, the Paris restaurant guide "Le Baie" has a section for rating the after-meal coffee (i.e. espresso).In addition to rating the taste (with a cup mark), it states that at grand maisons, petit fours and chocolate truffles are also served, but at everyday establishments, it is written as "Carrée", and in some cases brands such as "Valrhona" or "Leonidas" are listed.

"Carrés" are not just a side dish to a "café", they are also used in a surprising way in everyday life. They are a return gift for a tip. As you know, Paris is a tipping society, and for example, waiters at a café have their own territory within the restaurant, and tips from customers in that territory become the waiter's income. Therefore, when you sit down and call out to a waiter passing by your seat, you may be ignored. This is because the waiter in question is not in charge of that seat. Conversely, once you sit down, you will need to wait for the waiter in charge to arrive. And it is good manners to pay some kind of tip, even if it's just one espresso.

This applies anywhere. Even at Grand Maison, you had to pay a tip in addition to the total amount. I paid the bill by card and the tip in cash. If you are very satisfied, pay more. If the service is arrogant or the food is not so good, pay less. This is quite difficult.

Also, public toilets in Paris were private and you put money in to open them, but they were often broken, so I often had to go into a cafe to use the toilet. Then, even if you ordered a drink, some stores had a tip box like a donation box in front of the toilet. In other words, you needed to tip for everything. So I had to carry coins (Monet) with me at all times.

At hotels, you tip if someone carries your luggage for you. You also tip if you request room service. And when your bed is made, you have to leave a tip on the bedside table every day. Of course, even a small amount is fine. Then, sometimes, when you come back to your room, you'll find a "carré" sitting in the same place as you left the tip. The "carré" is a small gift in return for the tip.

How elegant! "Carre" is not just a freebie that comes with "cafe". It was a casual but valuable experience to see that it also contains the meaning of "thoughtfulness" from the unexpected use of "Carre".

This month's recommended wine: "Don't forget the reds of Graves - if you have to choose, I recommend AC Pessac-Leognan -"

"Chateau Larrivée-Haut-Brion 2019 AC Pessac-Leognan" 7,700 yen (excluding tax)

 This time it's Bordeaux wine.

When it comes to Bordeaux wines, the pair of Cabernet Sauvignon-based wines from the Médoc (left bank) and Merlot-based wines from Libourne (right bank), which I have introduced in the last two articles, is famous, but we must not forget the Graves wines.

Graves is located in the south of the Medoc, upstream of the Garonne River. It is also where the city of Bordeaux is located. Graves is famous for producing white Bordeaux wine. Not only dry wines, but also sweet botrytis wines such as Sauternes and Barsac are produced here.

In addition, Chateau Haut-Brion, one of the top five chateaux in the Medoc classification, is an exception, being located in the village of Pessac in Graves. This means that there are many excellent chateaux that produce Medoc-style red wines.

The region that produces these excellent red wines is concentrated in the northern part of Graves, around Bordeaux city near the Médoc. Therefore, in 1953 , Graves started to classify red wines, with Haut-Brion at the top, and in 1959 , dry white wines were also classified. Furthermore, from the 1986 vintage, the appellation AC Pessac-Léognan was introduced to indicate the northern part that produces these classified wines, and only the southern part can be called AC Graves.

So, if you want a red wine from Graves, you should look for an AC Pessac-Léognan chateau.

Chateau Larive-Haut-Brion, which I will introduce this time, is a famous old chateau located in the center of Leognan village. It was originally named Haut-Brion-Larive, but was sued by Haut-Brion and changed to its current name. It is adjacent to Chateau Haut-Bailly, a classified chateau that produces only excellent red wines, and although it produces both red and white wines, it is also highly regarded for its red wines.

Peppercorn also reviews this wine in Bordeaux Wine (Hayakawa Publishing), saying, "With its stunning color and spicy, delicate bouquet, this is a truly classic Graves wine, and the red can rival, or even surpass, some of the other classified chateaux."

Since it is not graded, the price is also reasonable. Take this opportunity to try it.

Biography
Osamu Seki

Born in Tokyo in 1961. Currently a part-time lecturer at Meiji University and other institutions. Specializes in contemporary French thought and cultural theory. Director of the Reefer Wine Association.
His books include "An Introduction to Beautiful Men" (Natsume Shobo) and "My Neighbor is Arashi-kun" (Cyzo), and his translations include "How Should We Read Foucault?" by Oksara (Shinsensha) and "Mr. Pydrow, What Use Is a Gastronomic Critic?" by Pydrowski (Shinsensha).
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