Paris Part 6

Day 8 in Paris was a big day... my hubby arrived! He arrived and hit the ground running, no jet lag whatsoever! I was amazed that he was so awake after spending most of the day before crammed into a tiny coach airline seat. My apartment mate left that morning, so Jeff & I had the apartment to ourselves. After unpacking, we took the metro to Clingancourt to join the other ladies who had arrived the day before. Sheryl & Gwynnie were a great addition to the group, they were so fun and friendly and we enjoyed getting to know them. Pictured below are Sheryl, Gwynnie & Gwen the tour hostess.

At the flea market we looked at lots of vintage goodies and Jeff bought me a pair of vintage (90's) double C Chanel earrings as a Paris trip souvenir!

After touring the flea and having a very expensive Quiche lunch we headed back to Montemarte to rest and then went walking around Montemarte. We were going to take the Funnicular on top of Sacre-Coeur, but it was out of order. So we walked up the 300 plus steps to the top. Wow, what a hike! We ate at a charming little outdoor cafe and then called it a night.

On Sunday, Jeff & I went to the Bastille Flea Market, a twice a year event held in the Bastille area. We saw lots of cool antiques, mostly out of our price range! The outdoor "toilette" facilities amazed us!

Here are more pictures from the Bastille area:

From the Bastille area, Jeff & I headed to Notre Dame for a tour of the cathedral. We enjoyed the strolling/walking and the beautiful weather.

From the Notre Dame area we headed across the Seine and along the Quai de la Tournelle looking at the little book and map vendors that line the streets. We headed in the St. Michel area looking for the little creperie that I had fallen in love with.

We found the creperie called "Little Breizh" . Its located on Rue Gregoire de Tours and we had a fabulous meal. Here is a pic of the cute brother and sister who run the place:

After lunch we wandered around the Saint Sulpice area and down to the Jardin du Luxembourg, to see the huge outdoor gardens. Since it was Sunday the park was filled with families enjoying the day off.

After a very busy day, we headed back to Montemarte for a quiet pizza & calzone dinner at a neighborhood cafe. We head to the Louvre in the morning!

Paris Adventures Part 5

Day 5 in Paris was spent just wandering.My apartment mate & I split up and spent the day touring different things. I think I walked 5 or 6 miles in total that day. I started by metro-ing to the St Paul stop and exploring the Marais area again. Just walking, shopping, looking and more walking. Taking pictures of street art....

Laduree the famous macaroon shop: (The window displays in Paris are divine!)

I also did a great deal of people watching:

After walking along the Rue de Rivoli all the way to the Louvre, I checked out the mall shops located under the museum. It was total tourist chaos down there, so I headed for home and a nice bath!

Day 6 was spent was spent wandering the St Germain district with several new ladies who joined our group. There is so much to see on the streets in Paris. Here are some things I saw:

I read somewhere that Cicadas are a symbol of good luck in France. I saw lots of cicada jewelry:

We found a little creperie that had just opened and was run by a sister and brother. They were from the Breton area and used fresh ingredients from that area in their crepes. I had the "Formula" lunch crepe, dessert crepe and Breton sparkling cider for 9 euros (tip included)! The buckwhest ham/egg/cheese crepe was so good. It was the best food eaten the whole trip! The salted caramel dessert crepe was so good that I think I was moaning while I ate it! The young woman who owned the shop spoke fluent English and told use that all her childhood vacations were spent in the US touring National Parks. She said her favorite foods were American hamburgers!! Here is a picture of lunch:

Paris Adventures Part 4

On Tuesday, I toured the Marais area. I started off with a Parisian breakfast of Cafe Creme and baguette with butter and jam at a cafe in the Place des Vosges. I strolled around the Vistor Hugo mansion grounds and then roamed the Marais retail district, popping in and out of various shops and boutiques. I found a great shop called COS, (Clothing of Style) that is an upscale branch of H & M stores. I found some great buys, the prices were so affordable. Lunch was at a falafel shop and then more strolling. I stepped into Repetto, a famous shoe shop, that had beautiful ballet inspired designs.

After the Marais I took a metro to the Madelaine area and visited the Arches shoe shop and got a pair of red and black suede sandals.

Wednesday, Day 5 was spent in the Opera District and included a tour of the fabulous Galeries Lafayette store. Below are some photos from inside this store with a most amazing stained glass domed ceiling.

The views above are of the Opera House and its facade. I toured a new Japanese shop with really low priced, but nice clothing. I loved the neon ticker tape effect on its steps!

Next, I went to the Fragonard Perfume Museum, where I learned about the history of perfume making and then got a personal sampling of all of the companies exclusive scents. I got a selection of small spray bottles of which my favorites are "juste un baiser and emilie".

Lunch was at a charming little sidewalk cafe called "Capucine". I had a delicious salmon dish with a terrine of potatoes and vegetables.

After lunch, more walking! I walked down Rue du Cambon, where I saw the Chanel shop, where Coco Chanel first opened shop and had an apartment above the shop. The window displays were just fab!

I walked down through the Jardin des Tuileries and toward the Louvre. The weather was just perfect the entire 2 weeks I was in Paris. Not one drop of rain, just sunshine!

After returning to my Montemarte apartment, I rested a bit and then took the Funnicular up to the top of Sacre Coeur and took in the breathtaking views of Paris from this vantage point. Then I wandered around the quaint artsy streets and shops. This area reminded me Germany. I ate dinner at an open air cafe and took in a great view of the Effiel Tower on my way back down the hill. Busy day!!!