eel sai(n) loo-EE / an island in the seine river
The Seine river divides the city of Paris, and I think most people know that there’s at least one island in the middle of it — Île de la Cité, the biggest of the three and the one that Notre Dame is built on. The island also is the home of the Saint Chapelle with its huge stained glass interior, as well as the Palais de Justice. It also has a bunch of touristy cafés and souvenir shops.
Directly behind Notre Dame and to the east is Île Saint-Louis, a more residential island with a single market street down the center. it’s a favorite destination for us because of two things: one, the Saint Regis, a cocktail bar and cafe that overlooks the bridge between the two islands and the back of Notre Dame, that is a great place to sit and have a drink; and second, Aux Anysetiers du Roy, a tiny bistro where I was scolded by the grand-mere who owns the restaurant to clean my plate, and we always return to check in on her. (The right play here is always to order something French countryside; the steaks are fine but the cassoulet and the boeuf bourguignon are very very good.)