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Published: August 8th 2007
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Hotel Champ du Mars
Our hotel, a few steps from Rue Cler. Good Morning,
It’s a beautiful Wednesday afternoon on July 18, and California is just waking up. It is our last day here in Paris. We’ve checked out of our hotel, and did our laundry and the local laundromat this morning. I’ve let the girls go off on their own to do some shopping. I much rather sit outside at my favorite café, Caffe Vergnano, located next door to our hotel. I’ve order my half bottle of Chianti - this is a French café serving Italian dishes the French way - and I started out with the carpaccio (sp?).
We got really lucky with our hotel. It is located near Rue Cler. Rue Cler is a famous avenue lined with shops that Parisians go to for groceries. The area is not touristy at all. You get a feel of how the Parisians live here near Rue Cler. You will not find a Safeway on Rue Cler, but shops that specialize in food and drinks: there’s a shop that sells only cheese - I feel in love with the blue cheese that is as soft as brie; there’s a shop that sells only wine - I love that they sell half
Rue Cler
You won't find a Safeway on this street! bottles; there’s a shop that sells only bread - we purchased a baguette everyday; and if you feel romantic, there’s a shop that sells flowers and chocolates. This is a great place to people watch. The one thing that I noticed with the Parisian woman is that they are well put together. They dress in style. A mother just passed me in heels, hair pulled back, jewelry, pushing a baby carriage. The women here are fit. This may be a result of all the walking they do. Nobody really drives. I love Paris. The city of love.
Back at our hotel last night, I asked the girls what was the best memory here in Paris. They both said Versailles’s garden. And I must admit too, Versailles’s garden was my best memory. We went to Versailles yesterday, early to beat the crowds. Unfortunately everyone else had the same idea, and we had to wait in line for 1 hour. Because the line was long to get into the Château, we decided to visit the garden. I wanted to get away from the crowds, so took the girls to the right of the Château and discovered so many hidden gems. The
Rue Cler
This is the shop where I bought my half bottle of wine each day for only 5 euros! gardens are adorned with statues of Greek Gods, heroes and heroines. There are also beautiful fountains. The garden is vast, and we decided to rent bikes, so that we could see more in such a short time. What a great idea. We rode to Marie Antoinette’s private château. Candi really wanted to visit Hamlet, but we could not take the bikes there. We then raced to the grand canal - both girls’ beat me, but the ride was thrilling for me. I have not been on a bike since my early 20s. The girl’s rode around the entire canal as I rode my bike, slowly near the canal bank and Château. As I was riding, I tried to imagine the Queens and Kings that walked on the very ground that I was on. I took many pictures. Too many. But in my lifetime, I do not think I have ever seen anything so stunning as yesterday at Versailles.
We did finally leave the gardens and venture into the Château, aka Palace. The Hall of Mirrors, Marie Antoinette’s bed, and anything Napoleon was the highlight. I was so happy to see the painting of The Crowning of Napoleon at Notre
Versailles
A hidden gem...nobody was here. I bet this was make-out point back in the day. Dame. The painting gives me the chills, as though I was there. I’m so glad we visited Versailles on the last full day. We had a wonderful time there.
Before we headed home last night, we did go to the Eiffel Tower. The third floor was closed, due to crowds, so we could only go to the second floor. We arrived to the second floor near 10pm. The Tower twinkled on us, and the crowd went wild. The fun came, when we walked back to our hotel through Champ De Mars. This is a large park at the base of the Eiffel Tower. They have vendors that sell wine! There were so many people, many in love, sitting on the lawn, drinking wine, kissing each other below the Eiffel Tower. There were also people celebrating life, as some were playing the bongos and dancing, and others were enjoying the food they brought, hugging each other with deep affection. I wanted to stay there and celebrate with them. I love Paris!
Well, time to end this blog, as we have to catch a bus to the airport. We will blog again tomorrow from Venice.
Renee
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Jamile
non-member comment
Thanks for sharing
It sounds and looks like such a wonderful trip. Renee, you're such a fun writer. I feel like I'm on an adventure just reading your blog! Thanks for sharing Jamile