We already miss having someone else think for us and guide us like we had in Italy...but we'll figure it out. As we walked the streets near the hotel last night we saw lots of open fruit and vegetable markets, SEVERAL beauty shops with folks getting hair done, many flower shops, pastry shops and one chocolatier....no, I didn't buy anything....but I will today. While eating dinner we watched a woman rolling her own cigarettes, she had this great gizmo that rolled the tobacco into a small roll, she had bought "empty" cigarettes and once rolled she "stuffed" them....ok, guess she had a particular taste in tobacco, or maybe that's cheaper....who knows, but it did entertain us. We actually managed to have a one course meal and no dessert. Susan said Paris will be our step-down program back to reality. We will not be perfect here, but we will do better than last week.
I just heard Susan holler from the shower...."is this all the warm you get??"...yep, it's chilly. Once out of the shower, she was hunting her pastry and cappucino.....ok, I can see her "step-down" program is going to take some work!!!
It looks like a gorgeous day. We have a small but adorable balcony. We walked out on it yesterday, but it is now blocked with a suitcase...there is NO OTHER room....so we will check the temps once we go out. At least it is not raining!!! We've only had one rainy day so far, not bad. That day actually added to the mystique of the crumbling city we visited that day.
So we're off....look out Paris...here we come!!!
Wow did we cover some ground today....left around 11a, got on a bus and headed for the Seine. We got off and right in front of us was Notre' Dame....and it was Sunday...bonus. We got in the long line to go in and services were going on...very cool. They had a rope around the outside of the seating and we were allowed to walk all the way around and see the service....and hear the organ, very cool. We saw communion, and someone waiting to take your confessions, no, we didn't stop and confess anything, perhaps we should have. After that tour, we left and decided to make a potty stop and get a fresh Nutella crepe. This turned out to be yet another potty lesson for me.....seems the lites in the stalls that are totally enclosed have motion sensored lights.....well, I was sitting and before I knew it, it was pitch black dark....so, if you can get a visual....I'm sitting and flapping my arms around to get the light back on...just as I was about to get out my phone for light it came back on.....wow...what will we learn next. And this time to flush it was a pedal on the floor, always an adventure when you have to go. OK...so we walked the bank of the Seine, watched people and boat tours and just loved being here, it was a gorgeous day. We walked to the Louvre and sat on a bench in amazement. The line to get in was very long....we took a few pictures outside, but we had already decided that we would need to come back to do museums. We needed to hit the highlights in our short visit. So...on we went....passing Museum d' Orsay, The Royal Bridge, Assemblee' Nationale and all the way to the Eiffel Tower.....it's unreal. And, the number of people there was also unreal. The lines to get tickets to go up were all 4 VERY long. Susan didn't want to go up anyway and I didn't want to wait in a line. So after sitting on a bench a while and taking photos...we walked on. We headed for Champs E'lysees'.....this is 4 lane, that is very busy and loud but has THE TOP stores on both sides....this is like Rodeo Drive or in Atlanta...maybe Buckhead or better. Let's just say...when Louis Vuitton has a 3 level one block store with a line outside to get in, you have hit "the shopping" district. We had to laugh when not far down the sidewalk was a Haggan Das Ice Cream that was 3 levels with a line also...too funny.
By this time our one crepe had run out and we were hungry....the menus in this area were very spendy as u can imagine, we finally found a place and were happy to sit for a while. We had chicken and pasta in a mushroom cream sauce. We didn't know the side was pasta, we are both a bit caught up on that but oh well, I had a coke and Susan had a glass of wine...both beverages cost the same. We each spent about $30 on dinner.....but we had to consider where we were.
By now, it was getting to be dusk and we needed to go see the Eiffel tower lit up. So we started walking...again. We passed Hediard shop...it is famous for it's sweets since 1854...you know we couldn't pass that up. We went in and got some chocolate mousse to go.
Not far down the street and we could see the Eiffel tower lit up....wow. It's something you just have to see. It was a lovely night and this was cool.
Now we had to find our way back to the hotel....we ask some folks, got on a bus and headed back. We got mis-guided a few times, but we made it.
Home before 10p....not bad.
We have decided that tomorrow will not be a long walking day....maybe a bus tour, or boat ride, but something easier....we walked PLENTY today.
We have one day left on vacation......then back to reality......
Good night from The city of Lights........
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