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Published: July 22nd 2023
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We've been busy these past 2 days in Paris taking the metro, ubering and of course walking a lot. We've had delicious meals and snacks and a few drinks. Paris is a beautiful city, with very crowded streets and roads.
People we've met, especially asked questions of, were very friendly. Cafes seem always busy and people are sitting in them taking their time and enjoying.
Terry and I had a plan for our time. While we wanted to relax and take it slow, the draw of things that Rick Steves said we should see, was strong. We had museum reservations each morning. On Wednesday it was the Orsay where we had a date with Rick and the Impressionists. It was beautiful...just seeing the highlights we spent a couple of hours with Monet, Renoir, and Van Gogh. We heard about their loves and the lives they led. On Thursday we had a morning in the Louvre, also just following Rick's directions and narration. We saw Venus de Milo and of course Mona, and a few other classic works of art. The crowds in Mona's room were incredible. Everyone wants a selfie with her! See my photos to find out if I gave
in to peer pressure on that. You could spend a day at either museum but a couple of hours was my limit.
We stopped to eat and rest after each museum adventure...one day at a stand outside the Tullerie Gardens for a fromage panini and the other for a crepe suzette, which was awesome.
In the afternoons we saw the sights. On Tuesday it was the Champs de Elyeses and the Arc de Triumphe. Once we got through the construction that was everywhere...maybe preparing for the Olympics next year or the Tour de France coming soon...we got to a version of Fifth Avenue or Rodeo Drive or the Chicago Mile. Upscale shops with McDonald's scattered around....the Champs
We walked and walked with the Arc as our final goal. We got there but never figured out how to cross the street in front of it. We saw it. It was enough.
On Wednesday afternoon my goal was to follow Rick's historic tour on the Ile de la Cite. We started off at Notre Dame to see what was left and what the construction looks like after the fire of 2019 and walked to the end of the island to see
the monument to the deportation of 200,000 French by the Nazis. I cut off the left Bank portion of the walk to shorten it but we did go to Saint Chapelle, a chapel made of all stained glass. At some point I realized that this was our last full day in Paris, and I hadn't seen the Eiffel Tower up close. Texts from Mark confirmed that a picture with the Eiffel Tower was essential. So another Uber ride and there we were up close and personal, not inside, because the lift tickets were sold out for weeks and walking up 700 steps just to get to the second level did not seem like a good use of our limited energy so we took some pictures and headed to get something to eat and go back to the hotel.
Roberta, Cheryl and Naomi have seen the basic sights of Paris so they walked around the Marais one day and went to the Jewish museum there and took a trip to Giverny the other day. Each day for them was an adventure as well.
Bet you've been wondering about the food in France..you'll have to read the next post to find out.
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