When we were on vacation, after 3 days I was no longer able to include pictures in my blog posts. After 4 days I was no longer able to upload anything at all, but I still composed my posts to update later when I got home. After 8 days I got fed up of bothering to write up things I was not uploading so I gave up. Now that all the technical issue have been resolved, it’s time to go back in time and finish these diary entries.
Steps today: 31 693 / 21km
We had the whole day in Paris today with no day trips planed, therefore it was another day for exploring the city on foot and racking up lots of steps.
On the agenda for the last day of our vacation was: Having eggs for breakfast (because eggs in Europe are so much tastier than ours!), Having drinks at the Café by the Opréa House, Seeing that fountain I tried to find twice before once and for all, Indulging in a huge meal and soaking up as much as possible to hold us over until the day we visit Paris again.
It was mission accomplished on all fronts!
Our first stop was to visit the remains of the Ancient Roman Area – it’s the last item on most top 10 / top 25 sights to see lists that I have not seen. In general, I am done with Roman Ruins for life, but it was not a detour and close by so we figured why not.
annnnd it was closed. So much for that idea!
We snapped this picture through the gates
After breakfast, the next stop was visit the very tip of Ile de la Cité under the Pont Neuf: Square du Vert-Galant. The weather was rainy so the pictures are a little drab, but I was happy because FINALY crossed this sight off our list!
After, back up on the Pont Neuf we found a new “nest” of Love Locks! It’s no longer possible to “decorate” the Ponts des Arts anymore, so the barnacles just moved over one bridge. Some people think it’s vandalism, and it certainly did damage the Ponts des Arts, but I like it.
The plan after this was to walk along Boulevard Saint-Germain because Frank loves the vibe there, but rain was not letting up so we decided to wait it out with a coffee at the venerable Café des Flores.
The place was PACKED TO THE BRIM with tourists having breakfast (Saturday 10AM) and we had a fun time watching the waiters navigate the quagmire. Those guys are real professionals!! I have never seen a harder working bunch. Despite the early hour of the day, I treated myself to a glass of Sauternes. It was our last vacation day and so I decided early on I was going to treat myself to whatever I wanted WHENEVER I wanted it!
(It was great, but I have to say the one at Les Deux Magots was still the best – EVER! of my entire Sauternes-Drinking life!)
The rain let up after this pit stop, although the sun was far from shining. Still, it was a pleasant walk all the way to the Assemblée Nationale building.
From there, we walked around the gardens around Les Invalides.
Look at these plants! they look like upside-down pineapples!!!
Our final destination was that Fountain!!!! The reason I did not find it on Rue de Grenelle is because it turns out it’s not called the Fontaine de Grenelle, but rather: “Fontaine du puits de Grenelle” situated in the Place Georges Mulot. FAR FAR FAR from where I was previously searching!
On the way, we took some more pictures of the Invalides Dome:
And also discovered a monument to Louis Pasteur that we have never seen before:
Action-shot of me running across the street!
And FIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINALLY!!!! The Fountain!
It was noon by then, and therefore time to switch gears and think of lunch. We wanted a brasserie and it was easy to decide on which one: Montparnasse 1900.
YEARS AND YEARS ago, Frank and I saw pictures of it in an onboard airline magazine and couldn’t get over the over the top Art Nouveau décor; it’s been on our list ever since! Last fall, my mom and I came for lunch and loved it, so of course now it was Frank’s time to enjoy it.
I indulged in my favourites: Foie gras and Steak tartare.
The idea was to have lunch here and then coffee and desert at the Café de la Paix near the Opéra House, so we explored more of the city on our walk over, just enjoying Paris! It was roughly 2 hours.
Coffee and dessert on vacation for me really means a drink or a cocktail, and as I hoped, it was nice enough to sit outside with a view of the Opéra House (sadly no Sauternes like I was hoping for, so it was a Kir aux Pêches instead – service was TERRIBLE)
Cheers to Paris!
Next on the walking agenda was to make our way to the Marais and Bastille, neighbourhoods we neglected on this trip so far.
We ran in and out of the Galeries Lafayettes to see the dome…
… and then just more wandering.
Lots of construction around Place de la Bastille.
For supper, I wanted a cheese plate – non negotiable! We stopped in a café that I remembered from previous vacations as being a nice place to relax. This time, too many smokers outside so we sat inside and it was overall just ok. I was a little disappointed that this was my final dinner in Paris!! Even the cheese was nothing great. Ah well. Win some lose some I suppose.
And that was it! We has a nice walk back to the hotel – there was no way Frank was going to relent and have a farewell nightcap somewhere, he was fed up! ha!
p.s. we did see the Roman Arena on the way home before it closed!
