Paree: Part 2

Alternate title: The Liver is Evil and Must Be Punished

Monday we slept in again, and ate several more croissants before heading to the Marais district. We visited the Picasso museum (excellent) and rested at the Places des Vosges, a lovely square. Then we walked to the Ile St.-Louis and explored the narrow streets and sweet little shops. We stopped at a café for lunch and had salade nicquoise and an espresso before walking, once more, along the Seine, looking for souvenirs. I bought some posters and we found a woman on Pont Neuf painting wonderful café scenes. She was thrilled when we bought two and we didn’t bother trying to barter. We went back to the hotel to stow our goodies and nap before heading out for dinner. We went to the 8th looking for a restaurant my sister-in-law had recommended. We couldn’t find it, but instead found a nice looking place with Michelin star (and no english on the menu). My starter was scallops on a thin toast spread with a tapenade accompanied by a salad. My main was duck prepared three ways (breast, leg, and a sausage which McH overhead the waiter tell someone was duck brain—he wisely didn’t mention it until later). The duck was delish. For dessert I had a raspberry soufflé that was disappointing. It was a lovely evening though. There were more friendly Americans on either side of us, so we chatted and took each other’s pictures. Another fun night.




Tuesday, our last day in Paris, we were up early, devoured croissants, quaffed cafes, and headed directly to the Musee d’Orsay to be among the first in line when it opened. It was a good thing too, the line quickly grew long. Once inside, I consulted a map, and we immediately headed to the 5th floor, where the Impressionists are (my favourite, especially Renoir and Morisot). It was very emotional for me. I was practically alone with all of these great works of art and I loved it. After a couple of hours I rejoined McH (I need to go at my own pace in a gallery) and we went for an espresso and started to stroll back towards our hotel. We returned to our favourite café for a final leisurely lunch. We ordered wine, and I had steak frites (again!). We took our time and just soaked it all in. After lunch, we ordered two café au lait and loitered, not wanting to leave. We soaked up the sun, the sights and sounds, the hustle and bustle, the energy. It was sublime.

The whole trip was sublime.



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You can see the full set of pics here.