April in Paris - our last day here

Another glorious day - cold, cloudless and everything sparkling! We assembled after breakfast and just walked at will …our first destination was the Jardin des Plantes, as this is Carole’s particular interest, and it is a beautiful place to wander. Sadly the huge greenhouses were closed on Tuesdays, but we had fun anyway. Then nearby we found an old Roman site that Amr had read about and we had never heard of…remains of an amphitheater…right in the heart of Paris!

From there we walked across to rue Mouffetard, always delightful with so many varied eateries and fromageries, patisseries, poissoneries, and every food you could imagine. We sat in a cafe there in the sun. Then on via the beautiful church St Étienne du Mont, the Pantheon, down rue St Jacques (with all the Camino markers in the pavement leading to Notre Dame) to Blvd St Germain to the square with the markets, and food shops where the winning croissant shop is, and surrounded by gorgeous apartment buildings. All bright and shining in the fabulous weather!

We had our lunch booking for 2pm, so we meandered along the river to the Point Neuf, via Place Dauphine, which so transformed from when Amr and I had a drink last week inside a bar because it was cold and wet and grey outside…today all the outside tables were occupied and people just sitting and relaxing on benches! Lunch at Chez Denise was as good as ever. Never has it let us down. Amr had beef tongue, John had calves liver, Carole had salmon with a mustard sauce and I had lamb with white beans which we have had before and I couldn’t resist. Was very tempted with the kidney dish, and also there were lamb brains which I love, but the man next to us had it and it just looked such a huge helping that I resisted, as I couldn’t count on anyone else to help me!! Very, very good, and we all shared an île flottante for dessert! So we have eaten for the day!

After lunch we parted company - J and C walked back to Bastille, and Amr and I walked further along, through the Tuileries, similarly transformed in the sunny day, with people enjoying sitting in the chairs round the ponds…got as far as Concorde and got the Metro back. Downtime now, and we meet up at 7 for maybe a drink, but not to eat…Read more