So, after our first day in Paris, where we walked the Avenue des Champs-Elysees, had a drink in a cafe and then went up in the Arc de Triomphe; we were done! It was such a beautiful view from the top of the Arc, I didn't think it would get better. Oh and the first people on the street that spoke to me asked if I spoke English, and they asked in French! Turns out they were from New Jersey there to run in the Paris Marathon!!! Too funny. When we got down from the top they were having the evening ceremony preformed each night at 6:30 PM by retired vetrans honoring those that have fallen and keeping the eternal flame burning. It was really impressive.
Day 2 started out with us walking into a fabulous neighborhood where our cousin Ryan and Catherine lived for a while, we went to their favorite bakery and did our best to order crossiants and coffee and Brad managed to even get cold milk for Piper. After that it was onto the Eiffel Tower and WOW it is impressive! They have vendors at the bottom that sell mini towers, scarves and postcards it is crazy, and all the ques to get up into the tower! We had reservations for lunch on the second level at Jules Verne an exspensive and totally delicious restaurant by Alain Ducasse, worth every euro we spent and we spent A LOT there!
http://www.lejulesverne-paris.com
After that we decided to skip the Louvre and instead go to the Musee d'Orsay, it was the old train station that was originally inagurated in 1900 and operated for 39 years until electric trains started running. It is the site of one of the largest collections of impressionist art and I loved it all! I think I walked around with my mouth hanging open seeing all these truely beautiful works of art. It was my favorite museum in all of Europe...so far. Piper totally fell asleep so Brad and I enjoyed a wonderful walk across the bridge and up to see the Louvre and then down through the Jardin du Tulleries and past the Place de la Concorde, where Marie Antoinette was beheaded. (advice here, don't start a revolution, uprising or large scale protest with the French, they get pissed). We had delicious crepes as we walked back along the Champs. And after such a wonderful meal (the best I have had in Europe on this trip), we were done!
Day three, it was Sunday, so we went to church of course! We rode the subway (really easy and incredibley efficient) over to Notre Dame. We have been in beautiful churches but none compare to Notre Dame. It is huge and amazing. We walked all the way around the inside and just stared at the stained glass and listened to the organs play and enjoyed the mass in French.
From there we went to the Conceiergerie, which was basically the prision where if you were well off you could spend your last days in a cot, or if you were poor, you slept on the floor with straw and a bunch of other guys, not washing or anything like that. Marie Antionette also spent her last days there before she was taken over to the Concorde. It's a facinating place, Piper did not like it. Then we went to the Sainte-Chapelle which is where the famous Rose window is, and is currently covered being cleaned. The place is quite beautiful and there are chairs all around the room to sit and wait for light to shine through and see the colors dazzle. Brad said it gave him the creeps, so we were off to a boat tour of the Seine River. That was pretty cool and a nice chance to sit for the adults, Princess Piper has enjoyed seeing Paris and Berlin via a stroller with a cover, such the life. The river tour took us up and down and highlighted all the fabulous sites and a great history of the bridges, my favorite being Alexandre the III. It is ornate and gold and very distinctive. Then we started shopping. We had spent the day in the Latin Quarter and Island, so we walked up to Rue de Rivoli and picked up a few things along the way back to the hotel, including more yummy crepes.
Day four and Brad is off to work, Piper and I take the subway back down to the Latin Quarter and St. Germain des Pres, where we went to the Musee National du Moyen-Age-Thermes de Cluny.
It was a fancinating medieval collection spanning Paris history for 15 centuries, including works from the Chapel of the monks de Cluny. There was stained glass, the Lady and the Unicorn Tapestry that tells of the 5 senses and then a sixth, Love. It was beautiful, there were all sorts of bits and pieces of Roman and Greek artifacts and a 16th century alter depicting three carved scenes including one of the Last Supper. Oh and two of the Pope's rings, they were HUGE, try double the size of a Super Bowl Champion ring. Piper and I went down St. Germain from there, just walking andlooking and admiring the architechure and stores, until we got to Cafe Les Flores next to Cafe Les Deux Magots both famous for the writers, painters and artists that used to hang out there.
We had a little coffee and sweets then walked more streets and had a great time. We stopped at the Grand Palace, which was grandly empty as it under goes restoration, walked up George V street and then we took the afternoon off and had cheese, wine (for me, she got ginger ale) and some quiet time in the hotel lobby.
Day Five, Brad is off to work at the airport and we are free to GO SHOPPING!! We started by walking down Rue de St. Honore, it was a great street with designers stores at every corner and when we got to our destination, it was just like we had imagined Paris to be, there was a flower shop, the Opera and the little square was called Place de la Madeleine, with the church in the middle. We ate at Fauchon's a beautiful food market that also serves pasteries and coffee, yummy! After that off to the largest Department Store in all of Paris, the Galeries Lafeyette.
The food market was good, but did not rival Harrods and even after seeing KaDeWa in Berlin, Harrods is still tops and over the top! This is the store where we 1. had lunch at McDonalds and 2. bought Piper her first pair of heels. So, all in all a great trip of shopping. I recommend both Fauchon's and the Galeries Lafeyette. Walking back we took Blvd. Haussmann, and saw a wonderful church St. Augustine and walked through it. Then it was off to the airport and onto Berlin...whew what a trip through Paris!
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