Was It Inevitable?

Pages From Jan's Travel Journal: Friday, 04-22-22

Our first morning in France since December 2018! It was a lovely morning, too. Sunshine and a gentle breeze got us off to a great start. Desmond went to a nearby bakery where he picked up several pastries. I enjoyed a coffee éclair, some REAL strawberries, and part of a pain au chocolate. Then we were out the door to explore. 

THIS is what a strawberry should look like!
And it tasted as good as it looked.

We had planned to visit a museum. Desmond suggested the Rodin Museum because many of the sculptures are outdoors in the beautifully landscaped grounds and we wanted to be outside as much as possible. After exiting the metro, the walk to the museum was very pleasant, with the sights and sounds of a bustling morning in Paris. We arrived just as the museum opened and had a wonderful time strolling through the sculpture gardens. There were many fascinating works to view and learn about. Of course, we couldn’t miss the displays inside the beautiful building which housed many treasures and was once where Rodin lived and maintained his studio. 

Musée Rodin, with the golden dome
 of Invalides in the background

                                 

The Thinker

The Kiss

It was nearing lunchtime when we left the museum. The three of us decided to hop aboard a Batobus to get to our next destination. We disembarked at the stop for the Louvre and headed past it to find a certain restaurant in which we had lunched on a previous visit. Kadoya is a Japanese restaurant which serves amazing ramen. We found it to be as good as we had remembered. 

Delicious ramen at Kadoya

A short stroll later brought us back to the Seine where we boarded another Batobus to the Eiffel Tower stop. We went past the long lines of tourists waiting to gain entrance to the grounds beneath the tower and found a shady spot on the grassy Champs de Mars. Many people were resting there, or taking photos. Some of the visitors were picnicking, while children ran around kicking a soccer ball. A few people were napping in the shade or sunning themselves on the grass. It was a welcome break and a good time for us to put in a call to Marjorie.  

A lovely view along the Seine

There is a lot of work taking place
 in and around the Tour Eiffel.

After a while, we returned to the Batobus where we waited in a long line beside the Seine. At our next stop, we arrived at Notre Dame. The cathedral was a sad sight, still undergoing reconstruction from the tragic fire three years previously. We didn’t go near the site, but instead headed in the opposite direction. 

The restoration of Notre Dame is ongoing.

Desmond led us toward Odette, pausing along the way to show us the oldest tree in Paris.  This hardy acacia was brought from America and planted in 1601 and is said to be the mother of all the black locust trees in France. She's rather beat up from the shelling in WWII and relies on support to remain standing. We paid our respects to her and then in moments we had arrived at Odette. 

The oldest tree in Paris

Our visit to Odette was a delight!

This charming patisserie, located in a picturesque 17th century building at the end of a little cobbled lane, sells only cream puffs. They are said to be the best cream puffs in Paris, and I’m inclined to agree. They come in a variety of flavors, so we each chose two different ones and ordered coffee and hot chocolate to accompany them. There were only a few tables outside and we were happy to find a vacant one where we could enjoy our delightful treats. The building has an upper floor tearoom from which you would have a view of Notre Dame, and I believe they offer other types of pastries, too. We were happy to be outside on that gorgeous spring day.

Wish you were here?

Just a one-minute walk from Odette, you will find Shakespeare and Company. Craig and I had wanted to visit this iconic shop for many years. Desmond had been there many times and was thrilled to show us the place, and though we could not take photos inside it was a wonderful and unique experience. The legendary bookshop is a magical place and has a fascinating history. It's a must-see in Paris. 

It was a long line, but worth the wait.

We began to work our way back toward Montmartre, with the intention of picking up goodies for a picnic at Parc des Buttes-Chaumont. We boarded the metro and were halfway to Montmartre when Craig’s wallet was lifted from his front jeans pocket by a thief! All three of us had felt uneasy about the two young men who were standing so close to Des and Craig. I was seated near them as they held onto a pole on the crowded subway. As the cars began to slow, one of the men dropped his phone at Craig’s feet (as a distraction) while the other went for my husband’s wallet. Craig realized what was happening and clamped his hand over his pocket a split second too late. The subway doors opened and the two men jumped out, followed closely by Craig and Desmond. There was no time for me to hop out, but just as the doors were closing, one of the thieves jumped back in. All of that happened in about 4 seconds! I decided to follow the crook when he left the metro at the next stop. I figured that I could at least see where he met up with his buddy. He was walking quickly, and as he was about to head up the stairs to street level I realized how foolish it would be to follow the crook. All it would take was one hard shove and I’d be out of commission before our vacation had even begun. 

I turned to find a bench and wait for my husband and son. Within just a few minutes, they appeared. I knew they’d find me, as we have always had a plan that if ever any one of us missed a stop, we would all meet up at the next one. They had caught up with the first thief, who told him that it was the other guy who had the wallet. Of course he would say that, but what could Craig and Desmond have done? We set about contacting our bank and credit card companies to lock the cards. Then we walked to the nearest police station to file a report. We had a long wait, followed by the lengthy process of actually writing down all the details. Desmond was a huge help, inputting everything in French. As I waited, I noticed a distraught young man nearby filing the same kind of report with another officer. In the coming days when we shared this story, nearly every one of Desmond’s friends would nod sympathetically and say that the same thing had happened to them in Paris. They said that a pickpocket or purse-snatching is almost inevitable if you are a frequent visitor to Paris. In the end, all was well. The cards were locked in time and all Craig lost aside from the debit and credit cards were his Covid vaccine card, drivers license, and insurance cards. Those things were replaceable. The thieves didn’t even make off with any cash, as Craig always keeps his cash in another pocket. And since I had my debit card and a credit card, we were just fine. By the time we returned to Montmartre, it was too late for a picnic, so Craig and Des picked up items for another indoor feast. We played a game after dinner and then went to bed early. All things considered, it was a wonderful day.

Our lovely AirBnB was in
this building in Montmartre.

Tip: I always wear my purse cross-body, which helps prevent theft. I have heard that some thieves cut straps or cut into a shoulder bag, but I don't know of anyone who has experienced that. You could invest in a costly "theft-proof" bag, I suppose. There are many types of anti-theft clothing for men and women, and even a wallet that clips to a belt loop. My husband has arthritis in both hands which makes it difficult for him to manipulate clips, security zippers and the like. That is why he has always just carried his wallet in the usual way. Even so, I might order something for him to try on our next journey to France.