Jour deux (Day two): Essentielle Paris
"A walk about Paris will provide lessons in history, beauty, and in the point of Life." -- Thomas Jefferson
K: The rain was gone for good, and would not hamper our travel for the rest of the trip. The morning was on foot all over the city, following a quick Metro ride to our starting point for the day. On tape: climbing the spiral steps of the Arc de Triomphe for the panoramic views, strolling the Champs Elysees from the Arc to the Place de la Concorde, shopping for the latest fashion in shoes (hit pay dirt at Texto with a chic pair of leather ankle boots for Elizabeth), and detouring down a small side street to discover a delicious crepe lunch awaiting us at Les Ecuries!. First the savory crepe with eggs, then the dessert crepe with chocolate -- all prepared as we watched on. After lunch brought the disappointment that Daniel Buren's "Monumenta" exhibit at the Grand Palais was closed, even though I had checked ahead of time to make sure the museum was open (it’s just the exhibit that was closed.) Win a few, lose a few! Back to the hotel to await our next exciting installment -- visiting with a local who also happened to be a friend of Elizabeth's!
E: The late afternoon brought a special treat; we were reuniting with a friend of mine, a native Parisian, who had lived in Little Rock for a few years, having returned to Paris. We unsuspecting travelers hopped into my friend’s car only to discover that her driving was frightfully Parisian. As we weaved in and out of the traffic, her mother, who had lived in the city for 30 years and should have been a tour guide in her own right, gave us an education. She recounted French History, both classic and contemporary, from Victor Hugo to Jim Morrison, as naturally as she used her car horn. Dinner was a family affair, with both parents joining us at one of their favorite restaurants, Melrose. Flaming dessert is what I remember most about that meal, besides the great conversation. Even though it was late, we continued our up-close-and-personal tour of Paris, driving through Montmartre, viewing Paris from Sacre Coeur and then from Trocadero. Do we really have to leave tomorrow?
|
Our Favorites:
K: Viewing the city from so many vantage points: from top of the Arc, to screeching around in a car, then from Sacre Coeur and Trocadero by night.
|
E: The nighttime tour of the lit-up city by car, Paris was so alive!
|