I returned from Paris and, a few days later, Claire and I were on our way to Key Largo. I’m still working on my final collection of Paris pictures. 

​in Key Largo, I’ve dived two days, with four to go. 

Malheureusement, my last day in Paris. Today is a holiday in France - Victory in Europe (WWII). As planned, I went to the Arc de Triomphe and, specifically, The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (WWI). It was a very French day. Also went out to lunch.

What a day! Sunny and in the high 60s. Today made up for the previous lousy days. I did what I do best in Paris…walking around (un flâneur). Took the Métro to Place de la Concord (Complete mess in preparation for the Olympics.), did a circuit around Place de la Madeleine and then headed east on rue Saint-Honoré. Stopped for a walk around Place Vendôme. Wanted to walk through Jardin des Tuileries but there were lots of Olympics preparations going on and I couldn’t get in. I’m sure most will be back to normal by mid-September when Claire and I will be in Paris.

I stopped in at  La Grand Épicerie - Le Bon Marché. Vraiment incroyable !  The image I’ve included, below, is of the yogurt section!

Met my friend Cyril for a crêpe and coffee midafternoon. Dinner was nearby at a nice brasserie.
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All in all, a very good day in Paris.

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This was a full day and the weather was nice. Finally! This morning I attended the exhibit at La Galerie Dior…it was stupendous. Early afternoon was eastern Paris and Parc des Buttes-Chaumont. At 5:00 PM, a wine tasting on the Left Bank. Finally, a late dinner at an Italian restaurant nearby.

Rain, again. Fortunately, it started after my walking tour when returning to the apartment.

I’ve mentioned, in the past, the great self-guided walking tour app VoiceMap. In addition to the great audio info, it integrates with your GPS location, knowing where you are along the tour. Today’s tour was, “Montmartre; More than Meets the Eye.”  The tour started outside of Abbesses Métro station. I had flashbacks to my day at Mont Saint Michel as I climbed the stairs to the street. Soon, on the app tour, I learned Abbesses is the deepest station in Paris with 178 steps to street level!

Dinner tonight was Bofinger Brasserie.

Today was uneventful, spending much of the day wandering around Paris; I’m good at that, with no particular destination.

This evening, though was special. My friend, Cyril D., invited me to his apartment for dinner. The other guest was Alain (?) who had been the chef, for fifteen years, of the Jules Verne Restaurant, in the Eiffel Tower. Dinner conversation was a combination of French and English. This was a special experience and the dinner was wonderful.

Cyril works for La Cuisine Paris and he leads walking tours and teaches classes. The first time we met, a few years ago, was on a walking tour. We started following each other on Instagram. After that, Kiki, Annie and I were on a food tour with Cyril. Then I attended a soufflé class. Last September, Claire and I took Cyril to dinner. He’s a super interesting person that was a TV journalist and a chef. 

This was a long day, visiting Mont Saint Michel on the Normandy coast. I left the apartment at about 6:00 AM, returning close to 10:00 PM. 

I’ve walked on The Great Wall of China and always considered it to be the benchmark for lack of accessibility. Such is no longer the case. Just reaching the Abbey, at the top of Mont Saint Michel, required the climbing of 300+ irregular stone steps. The Abbey itself is a warren of steps and winding staircases. Accessibility gets a firm zero.

Today was fun. I attended the special exhibit, “Paris 1874 Inventing Impressionism” at Musée d’ Orsay.” It was wonderful and represented the Impressionism that I love. After that, a bit of shopping at Maison Goyard.

Tonight was a super dinner at La Fontaine de Mars. A splendid Cassoulet!

I left home, yesterday, at 8:30 CDT. I arrived in Paris on Wednesday morning, at 9:20 CEST. It was a really long day. The flights were uneventful and on time. I had a six hour layover in Chicago and had lunch at Gibson’s, in Rosemont. The lunch was underwhelming and the bill was overwhelming. The apartment, in the 7ème, is perfect for me (Maybe not with Claire.) 1 May is a holiday in France so many stores were closed, dashing my shopping plans.

When planning a Paris trip, it’s now possible to make online dinner reservations. ALWAYS, my first to get on the calendar is Le P’tit Troquet. It’s always delightful, serving classic French faire that’s beautifully presented.