Americans in Paris

I walked over 17,000 steps yesterday...about 8 miles. A record?  John slightly less, because he didn’t make a side trip to H&M for a few light cheap things. He’s probably relieved I don’t have energy for any real Parisian clothes shopping.  Gosh, it was hot. How do you pack for such a trip? I was sweltering all day in a synthetic tunic top and pants. In London, I never went out without a coat. Travel packing is much harder for women. Although I don’t know why I worry about it- all the tourists at breakfast this morning looked pretty rumbled.

Enough about my clothing woes. You might remember that John spent several weeks in Paris long ago, on a work project for Boeing. He’s good at the logistics of travel anyway, but here he already has the Metro down, and said little has changed except you buy paper tickets instead of tokens. We set off early to the Musee Cluny near the Sorbonne to see the famous “Lady and the Unicorn” tapestries.  They are much bigger and more beautiful than you can imagine from any photograph or reproduction. For a few minutes, we actually had the silent room to ourselves before groups started arriving.  The first must see checked off the list.

I bought one day, hop on/hop off Seine boat passes, and then we boarded near Notre Dame Cathrdral.  It was a beautiful morning and we should just stayed put and enjoyed the round trip ride. Sometimes being impulsive works out, but often, it takes you down an unexpected path and time you might have spent otherwise is used up.  We got off a the Champ Elysee dock, as I wanted to see the iconic view of the Arch de Triumph from the famous boulevard.  This turned into about a mile walk one way from the river. London feels big, but Paris feels enormous. All those wide streets and plazas designed for conquering Army parades, going around the block can easily be a quarter mile.

We eventually got back on track and made stops at the Paris Opera House and the massive Church of the Madeline. Then we went out to dinner, which was quite an experience in itself for homebodies like us. An ordinary Monday night, and the restaurants and cafes were jammed with people eating out.  It was a much fancier meal than we’re accustomed to, in Seattle this place would be exceptional, but just one of thousands of restaurants just like it in Paris. I had oysters and steak, John had onion soup and lamb. And the best crime brûlée we’ve ever tasted. Our waiter said the Prime Minister had dined there the night before. Anything seems believable in Paris. Once agin, I slept like the dead.

This morning, after a a brief stop to see the stained glass windows at St. Chappell, we took the Metro to the Montmartre area for a 3 hour walking food tour.

Food is serious business in France, and we learned in great detail about the culture of eating, the lifestyle, the daily food shopping, the importance of seasonal food.  I lost count of how many shops we stopped at, everthing from chocolate and bakery to butcher and cheese and pastry.  Our guide was enthusiastic and funny, and eventually we found ourselves sampling all the things he bought and drinking wine in a small private restaurant.  At least 10 types of different cheeses and meats, along with many fresh baguettes and wine. The tour stretched on to 4 hours, so we certainly got our money’s worth.  It finally ended in the sidewalk with a freshly made jam crepe.  I loved the bohemian Montmartre neighborhood, home of the original starving artists and of course, Mimi.

No tummy problems (knock wood) despite all the unfamiliar foods. Tomorrow is our last full day in Paris.  How fast the time has gone.