Paris Day 7

Even though we’ve been walking an extraordinary dinary amount every day I wouldn’t do it any other way. It’s the best way to experience each neighborhood.

The vestibule leading to our apartment on Rue de Lille-

Yesterday was calling for rain at noon for an hour then clearing. So we took the umbrella but didn’t use it on our walk from our apartment on Rue de Lille, next to Musee D’Orsay, down Rue de l’Université through the Esplanade Des Invalides and further to the Eiffel Tower. (Please forgive all the spelling mistakes the last few days. It takes a while and I’m trying to bang out the daily journal before Kate wakes up).

It was a little chilly after we stopped walking and were waiting on cue to get tickets for the car ride to the summit of the Eiffel Tower. Originally we were going to eat on the second floor of the tower but it was sold out for 12:30 and we didn’t want to stand around in the cold til 1:30 for the picnic at the restaurant “58”. As it turns out because we didn’t advance purchase tickets and we waited past the 1:30 in cue for the summit tickets so we could have done the picnic on the second level and it would have been less time waiting. At all the other attractions on this trip we purchased online tickets while we were en route with no problem but the picnic option was a bit confusing if it also guaranteed a seating so that was the deciding factor for us to pass.

The line was long but I’m glad we waited. The views were spectacular and the cart that brings you up was an experience in itself.

We were pretty hungry as it was about 2 PM when we finished up at the Tower and we hadn’t eaten so we started to make our way back to the neighborhood just south of Pont Neuf in Saint Germain Des Pres. That was one of our favorite neighborhoods -Rue de Buci on the left along with Rue Montorgruel on the right bank.

Along the way one of the many artists that particularly caught my eye was the gallery of Claude Boullé. His work reminded me of our friend Regina Piantedosi’s caustic work.

Late lunch was at Cafe De Paris, Kate got a salad and I got the fourth Entrecôte of the trip. Kate’s found a love for an Aperol spritz. I got to try a new bourbon that I read was a good one, “Monkey Shoulder” and it was great. I’ll be looking for it back home. People doing the no carb diets that are all the rage in the States should not come to Paris. The bread is just too good to resist and the incredible bakeries are on every street.

Cafe De Paris scene-

After lunch we walked across Ponte Neuf to the right bank so Kate could do some more shopping. She got another sorta retro jacket and we walked in and out of a bunch of shops along Rue Rivoli. I tried on a Stetson flat cap at one of the shops and passed on buying it because it was a little pricey and I’m regretting it. I could of course get something similar in the States but I liked the feel and color and material of this hat and it reminded me of the brown wide corduroy flat cap which was the only thing I took of my a Grandfather with the wharf (Captain Joe) when he died. I still have that cap and it still smells like him. I miss him and early this morning I woke up and was thinking about how great a man he and my grandmother Felicia were. How their house was so loving and welcoming even though he was such a larger than life guy. I shoulda got that Stetson flat cap and maybe somebody would have kept it after I die sometime down the road.

Anyway, after shopping we were close to 8 miles on our feet and we headed back to the apartment to freshen up before our last dinner in Paris.

Dinner was at Le Flores and looking across after dinner and laughing with my beautiful Kate I couldn’t believe how lucky I am to share this trip with her.

Day seven 9.1 miles walked.

Time to pack.