Waking up in the land of culinary tradition, croissants, and even more wine, what a delicious treat. Today was going to be a day of walking, but with the beautiful weather how could we resist. We started from our hotel towards the Arch de Triomphe. This was an Arch that Napoleon had built after winning a battle, and there was an unmarked grave and lists of soldiers names that were lost during battles. It is caught right in the middle of a giant traffic roundabout. All this history smack in the middle of modern day. It was a beautiful site!
We then headed down the Champs de Elyssee, one of the busiest streets in Paris. This street dead ends at the gardens of the Louve. The walk was lovely and there were plenty of shops and restaurants. Our lunch happened here and I had a tasty Croque Monsieur. While mom had a rather tasty Caesar Salad. Then we headed toward the gardens of the Louve.
We found a lovely bench on the way that we sat on and I took a 15 minute nap, my mom even snapped a photo, silly lady. The gardens in front of the Louve were brilliant. In full bloom, green, and lush. All the trees are shaped like squares or rectangles, even circles. The statures were pristine and even with all the people, it was rather peaceful. We decided upon entering the Louve through the glass pyramid.
There were a number of people inside and viewing the great art, such as the Mona Lisa. It was wonderful to see such beautiful and meaningful artwork all in one giant place. We ambled around through room after room, viewing the works and masterpieces. It was the perfect end to such a lovely afternoon. Back to our hotel via the metro and a quick rest before dinner.
We decided to head towards the Eiffel Tower to see it all lit up at night. What a beautiful spectacle. We could see it well before we were there and it was nothing short of beautiful. Once in the presence of it, the ironwork and lights take your breath away. The grandeur is hard to explain, but the feeling is rather overwhelming and emotional. We took some fun photos and sat in the park for a bit, in all of the tower’s wonder. Then we set out to find a meal fit for a Frenchmen.
What a treat to find a restaurant with a set menu for $25 euro a person. Mom had the rabbit terrine, veal with mushroom sauce, and chocolate cake. I had the foie gras, steak tartar, and apple tartine. Wow! Fabulousness all over the place. The flavors were perfect and presentation was divine. Give me some mo’!
To bed now, more Paris in the morning.
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