It was much colder and very windy, so walking just wasn't all too fun. We did stop into a cafe along the route and got hot drinks. Patrick enjoyed hot chocolate and I got a pot of tea. If you stand at the bar and drink or eat, it's much cheaper - so we did that. We really enjoyed St. Chapelle. It was built to house the supposed "crown of thorns", as in the one that Jesus wore, by King Louis XV. This crown is now kept at Notre Dame and only showed on the Fridays during Lent, which means we did not see it.
While touring St Chapelle, we saw the concerige that was used as a prison during the French Revolution. We even saw Marie Antoinette's cell, very impressive. We also walked over Pont Neuf, which is the oldest bridge in Paris. I loved being in the midst of such old, historical things!
We walked to the Arc de Triumph and, therefore, passed Avenue Champ Elysees. We went into a few stores, but we weren't in Paris to shop! We went all the way to the top of the Arc and it was a beautiful site! It was cold and cloudy, but we made the best of it and admired the view. Even in the rain, Paris is a gorgeous city!
We headed back to our room, but not before stopping at a chocolate shop and getting an "appetizer". We shared a dessert layered with vanilla custard and a flaky toffee crust. Oh, we were so sad that we only got one! Dinner was in a couple of hours, so we took a thirty minute nap to freshen up and rest :)
Dinner was at a very nice restaurant. We got a"fixed" meal and enjoyed three courses. It was a little too much, but the food was incredible. I ordered (and ate ALL of..) the stuffed cabbage. Oh my soul... it was so delicious! AND my wine choice was a wonderful accompaniment to my meal. Patrick said his meal of chicken with shrimp and veggies was a little bold for this taste, but still very good.
Last day in Paris: With only the morning to enjoy in Paris, we used our time wisely. We got up and got ready, then headed to our favorite cafe for breakfast. We shared an omelet and it was wonderful. We sat and talked and enjoyed our last few hours in Paris. We went back to the hotel, got packed up and left our bags there so we could take one last walk. We strolled around the block and admired the eiffle tower one last time. It's hard to get over that thing!
We got on the train and headed to the airport. We were on our way to Scotland!
Inside Notre Dame, looking up...it was beautiful inside and out!
Our picnic lunch! Too bad I didn't get the picture before we started :)
Notre Dame in it's entirety
The concerige of St Chapelle
The Arc de Triumph..
Patrick and I giving a shout out to the movie French Kiss, when Meg Ryan is by the Arc and says, "I will....triumph!" Good times. Patrick is so sweet for knowing that scene as well as I do...
Us on top of the arc with the eiffle tower behind us!
Me looking at the river Sine, thinking about how sad it is that we're leaving Paris...
The entertaining "don't walk" man at every intersection!
Rue Cler... what a wonderful street!
And a few last things (just to make this post even longer and less likely to be read):
*The hardest people to deal with on our trip were NOT the French, but Asians (no offense if you are Asian and reading this...). They cut in line, they jump in your picture to get their own, the run into you and don't say sorry, they are bad tourists!
*The guy working at our hotel said we were unusal Americans because we worked out, ate at home and didn't "live to work". I thought that was pretty cool, until I realized how sad their perspective is of us.
*Our shower head was awesome in Paris. So awesome, in fact, that I drew a picture in my journal! Ha!
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