Paris 2022 - Day 8

As my vacation went on, I had no will to work on my blog nightly. 

I completed the entries after I got home.

Steps today: 26 475 / 17.21km

The plans for the start of the day today was to explore the "Passages" I wanted to do this in the morning when fewer people were out and about so I could get pictures of the structures and not a bunch of people in the structures!

Success!

We stopped for breakfast...

And then continued to the next batch!

After this, I wanted to bring Frank to Basilica of Notre-Dame des Victoires. I discovered it on one of my solo visits and wanted to go back ever since. The outside is not much to look at, and I can see why tourists would just walk right by, but the entire interior is covered with Thank You plaques, it's really amazing!

We then walked along Rue St Honoré, but were detoured when we got close to Élysée Palace (Residence of the President). Police with machine guns on guard everywhere and media waiting around. It was the date of the debate between Macron and Le Pen, I am sure that was why.

We walked though the Place Vendome

Then stopped at a café for Kir aux Pêches o'clock

We then swung by the Alexandre Nevsky Cathedral. No pictures allowed inside, but it was so dark and smoky in there I am sure they would not have come out anyway. Reminded me of every Russian church I've ever seen, so it was nice but I don't need more pictures of the same.

Next, on to our goal: lunch a l'Aligot. I first learned of this dish for which the restaurant is named something like 5 years ago and only ever had it once, when I was in Paris in 2018. Frank was curious to try it too and this restaurant seemed like the most obvious choice!  It was delicious.

After lunch, we took the metro back to the Luxembourg Garden area of town because I was on a hunt to find the "Mètre-Etalon" that I searched for and could not find on a previous trip. I found it this time...  turns out it was across the street from where I had been previously hunting.

We did some more wandering...

Then break time! Aligot is yummy, but FILLING, especially with sausage, and since our last supper was coming up and I knew I didn't want a light snack as a meal, I needed help to push down and digest lunch!

A little more wandering....

And finally, my goal was in sight: A cheese plate at Les Deux Magots. 

It's a must for me on almost every trip to Paris!

Frank called it quits after supper and took the metro back to the hotel, but since this was the last evening in Paris, I wanted to squeeze in every last moment so I decided to walk back to soak in the final moments.

I stopped for a drink at a café in view of the Opera House that I remembered has Montbazillac on the menu from a previous trip. Too good to resist.

I captured some final images of the Opera House, including the back side which I don't think I've even done before...

Then, reluctantly, decided it was over and walked back to the hotel to meet up with Frank. We had a last drink near the hotel and then I went in to start packing our bags.