Paris - 6/9

This is my first time in Paris where I am not compelled to do something every minute, be somewhere all the time. To just amble down the streets and let it all soak in on a truly spectacular day is so memorable. At its heart, Paris is ambiance.

After a nice petit dejeuner, I created a walk around our area that took us down side streets to special places. 1. Hôtel de Sens, where a cannonball remains lodged in the wall from the “revolution” of 1830. “Hotel” is a French word for town house. This hotel has a beautiful garden. 2. Saint Paul’s Village. This secret “village” is a collection of connected courtyards surrounded by apartments and could not be more cozy in a busy area. 3. The Place des Vosges. This and the Jardin des Luxembourg are my two favorite locations in Paris. The Place des Vosges, surrounded by “Hotels” is intimate and beautiful. At the corner is a secret path leading to the Hotel Sully’s garden, and that is what we took today.

A brief cafe stop, and off to lunch with Richard’s cousin Janice and her daughter Christine, husband Martin and 3 year old granddaughter Katie. The lunch was long and very convivial hosted by Richard at Bofinger, a classic Alsatian restaurant. I had the sea bass; Richard had the choucroute (which I had the other day and loved). After, with a little prodding, we all went to the Jardin des Luxembourg for a long awaited opportunity for Richard to sail a bateau in the garden’s large fountain. He was joyous. Katie and her parents also got a boat. Hardly a person in the part did not have a smile for such a beautiful day.

Wiped out, we stopped for a quick boisson and onto our hotel for rest. Having had a big lunch we went to a top rated local pizza place for a fine but lighter dinner. A leisurely stroll to Notre Dame capped a perfect day.Read more