J'adore Paris......

Love these old style metro signs

Today was our last day in Paris and we realised that there were a couple of things on our list that we still wanted to do - visit the Louvre, and Notre Dame, shopping, eat crepes and have coffee in St Germain village - so off we went determined to check everything off.....

First stop - shopping ...... on the recommendation of the tres chic madame at reception we headed to Bon Marche - supposed to be all types of great shopping - we found it to be very expensive - and ended up spending quite a bit of time checking our the delicacies in the Epicurier - the fabulous Aladdin’s cave of French food and wine treasures - David Jones food hall on steroids!! - how can these Parisiennes use so much butter and cream in everything they cook and yet still be so thin and stylish.

Next stop - coffee in St Germain - we found a lovely cafe - with a cheerful smiling waiter - we love the way the tables and chairs all line up to face the street - the ultimate people watching venue - this is the true French experience - if you are not comfortable with your personal space being invaded - then these cafes are not for you - the tables are cramped and so close together - no private conversations - we watched the locals and they don’t seem to talk to each other - just watch everyone who walks by or read the newspaper solo.

Next stop - The Louvre - We were walking to the Louvre when Arnold spotted a Thai massage centre - so , of course he had to go in - I feel sorry for him - his achilles and ankle have been giving him a lot of trouble - and we walked for miles yesterday - he never complained once cause he was doing his best to give me the dream birthday experience  - so the least I could do was an hour of shopping while he had a massage - such sacrifice!! I wiled away a very happy hour browsing through the many interesting little shops around the square.

Next stop - Lunch at the Pont Neuf Bistro before the Louvre - a fabulous Salade Nicoise - and then the Louvre - it was very crowded - the middle of summer is the busiest -and there are large groups of young American teens everywhere in Paris - we were told by a waiter that many Americans have a European vacation in the summer before going off to college - must be their version of schoolies !

Paintings for sale along the Seine

Love locks on the Pont Neuf

Finally, to top off another day, we walked up to Notre Dame - we didn’t stay long - we are suffering from beautiful building overload - the senses can only take in so much - after a while you must become blasé about the centuries old buildings everywhere - come to think of we didn’t see much that was less that 200-300 years old -there is only one concrete and glass wonder - Tower Montparnasse - no other skyscrapers - in fact nothing over about six stories in the centre of Paris except the Eiffel Tower  - definitely the tallest landmark around - no wonder it can be seen from every direction.

And finally we came to the last item on the list - crepes - so we stopped at a street vendor and bought a delicious ham and cheese crepe - they are huge - and sat in a beautiful park behind Notre Dame to enjoy it - yummy!! It was getting late and we were so tired that we decided to miss dinner - not that we were hungry and headed back to the hotel - stopping to buy some luscious peaches on the way - for a late night snack. 

One last circuit of the fabulous Luxembourg Gardens  - stopped to join a crowd who were listening to some street musicians  - who were very good - then we reluctantly strolled back to the hotel where I had one last luxurious bubble bath before we get back on the ship tomorrow and our economy sized bathroom for the next fifty-something days. 

Tomorrow, we are up early to catch the train to Le Havre - and rejoin the ship after a wonderful interlude in Paris.... J’adore Paris!!