I am unsatisfied with my Field Reports. Years from now, when I look back and want to recall my adventures, they will not do the job… so here I go again using maps, our pictures (including the ones I posted on Facebook), and my memories before they fade!
We started our day picking up the plans we dumped yesterday: La Défense. The renovation on the 7 metro stops that interrupted our ride yesterday were open so it was a direct ride from our stop. In 2004, we walked to La Défense – this time the plan was to take the metro there and walk back (or back at least as far as the Arc de Triomphe).
We did not stay long, there is not much to do other than admire the buildings. The Grande Arche is really amazing, it’s gargantuan! Check out the people on the bottom steps to help give you context… really cool.
We gawked around at the various structures and then started the trek back.
I got bored with the walk after about 30 minutes – I started feeling like we had seen the best parts and if all we wanted to do is walk, we’ll be doing that all day anyway so let’s move on with our day: take the metro (by now we were at Les Sablons) and go see the Basilique Sacré-Coeur and walk around there.
The closest metro to Sacré-Coeur is Abbesses and from there it’s an uphill walk staircases uphill. PLUS we took the stairs in the metro instead of the elevator so all in all, it was about 200 steps! Priority one before sightseeing was resting with a cold drink!
It was a little after noon by then, time to walk down the hill and find a place to have lunch. About 30 minutes later, we found Terminus Nord (facing the Gare du Nord) – it was terrific!! A typical old-timey French Brasserie… I had the best meal of my trip… I’m still dreaming about it. Man it was good.
I started with Foie Gras de Canard, then Steak Tartare (prepared exactly the way I like it) and of course cheese for dessert. Perfection.
After lunch, it was over to Cimetière Père-Lachaise. Some people may think that’s morbid… those people have never seen Père-Lachaise! It’s not gruesome, it’s beautiful.
By 4PM, it was time to have a drink at a nearby café and try to get in touch with Lou to see where we’d meet for dinner.
We were not able to get in touch with him, so we decided to pick up an abandoned project from our trip in 2012: Searching for the Vel' d'Hiv Monument. If you don’t know about the Vel' d'Hiv Roundup, take a moment to read about it. (If you’d like to read a novel about it to humanize it a bit more, I highly recommend the Book Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay – it’s one of my favourite books.)
In 2012 when we tried searching for it, all we found was a plaque. We searched on maps and Google Earth and Street View but could not find this elusive monument!!! We became very acquainted with the Quai de Grenelle on that trip but the monument was nowhere to be found!
This time: success!!! Moments before we decided to give up the search again, we spotted a sign directing us to it! We found it! YEAH! I felt like I won a prize. (it took almost an hour!!)
After this we managed to connect with Lou, met him under the Eiffel Tower just after 6:30 and headed off for supper at Café le Dôme.
Still gloriously full from lunch, I took it easy with a sandwich…
After supper I managed to convince the guys to cross the street and hang out at the bistro “Le Champs de Mars” to have coffee and dessert and a night cap while waiting for the sun to set in order to get some night shots of the Eiffel Tower and catch the twinkle show. (Sadly my IPhone does not take great twilight shots - or perhaps I just don’t know how to use the proper settings??)
We hung around until 9:45 but the twinkle show had not started! Lou and I were willing to wait until at least 10PM, but my husband was fed up. We should have let him leave! ha!
It was a late night (for us) but still a great full day!
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