Thursday, May 10, 2018

Au Revoir for Now, Paris!

Pages From Jan's Travel Journal: Monday, June 26 2017


We all slept in a bit and woke to a lovely, cool morning. We were in for another rather warm day, but as it was our last day in Paris, we were determined to make the most of it. Craig and Des went out to the nearby bakery, where they picked up some delicious pastries for breakfast. We all shared the fresh beignets and Tropezienne. 


Craig and Des return
 with pastries for breakfast.
After breakfast, we walked toward the Eiffel Tower and then took the stone steps down to river level. We had decided that a good way to show more of Paris to Janey would be to ride on the Batobus. The water taxi was a fun and convenient way to visit many of the attractions along the Seine. We cruised slowly down the busy river, enjoying the architecture and other lovely sights along the famous waterway. 


A pretty view down the Seine.

The Orsay Museum,
which is still on my bucket list.

Yes, I could live there!
The four of us disembarked at the stop for the Louvre. We weren't planning to visit that iconic museum on this trip, but instead were heading for the Japanese neighborhood not far from the grounds of the Louvre. Desmond led us to a restaurant where he had previously enjoyed a meal. We perused the extensive menu and each of us chose a different ramen noodle bowl for lunch. It was very authentic and quite delicious.


A freshly made ramen noodle bowl in Paris.
Leaving the restaurant after that delightful meal, we ambled slowly along the picturesque street, window shopping. We stepped into a Japanese market, where Janey especially enjoyed browsing. She purchased some treats for herself and also bought items for her friends at home. Soon, we were headed back toward the landing on the Seine to wait for the Batobus.

The sun warmed the interior of the boat, and we were all beginning to feel the heat. We looked forward to cooling off with a dish of ice cream at Berthillion, but soon realized that we would have to backtrack quite a bit to get there. 

Janey cools off on the stern of the boat.
We remained on our little boat until we reached the Trocadero, and as we walked back toward our apartment, we knew we would find a shop which sold ice cream. It turned out to be more difficult than we anticipated, but we eventually located a bar which sold ice cream. When the waiter placed the frosty dishes on the table, Desmond thanked him in with a cheerful "merci, monsieur". He replied in a slightly mocking tone, "Oh, you speak French very well, I see.", at which point Des answered back with a long stream of French, telling the waiter that of course he had better speak French well as he had lived in the country for ten years and taught at the university of Orleans. The look on that waiters face was priceless, and he actually apologized! We chuckled all the way back to the apartment.

So tasty on a hot day in Paris!
And then it was time to pack. Desmond and I struggled with our bags, trying to decide which items to take with us to Florida, and which to stuff into our larger suitcases for Craig to take back to Kansas. Craig went to bed early, but Desmond, Janey, and I decided that our visit to Paris would not be complete without a goodbye to the Eiffel tower. We walked back to the Trocadero, where there was a festive atmosphere. Lively music filled the air and there were small groups of people dancing. Some had spread blankets on the grass and were enjoying a light meal or a bottle of wine. Many other tourists were scrambling around, looking for the best vantage point from which to view the iconic Iron Lady as she lit up the evening sky. The three of us sat on the concrete edge of one of the fountains and watched the sun begin to set behind the Eiffel Tower. The coolness in the air was refreshing, and as the Eiffel Tower lit up and began to sparkle, a cheer arose from the waiting crowd. Janey threw her hands in the air and yelled "I can't believe I'm in Paris!"  


The camera just couldn't capture
 the beautiful spectacle of the glittering lights.