Pont Marie

Part I: On our first full day in Paris, we started with a fresh yogurt, fruit, and granola breakfast drizzled with honey we had saved from Aunty Jane's hives back in London. Delicious! Well-fueled, we began a big day by walking on Île Saint-Louis, one of the two natural islands in Paris along the Seine. I had listened to a few episodes of the "Earful Tower" podcast in which the host recommended a walking route down the centre of Île Saint-Louis, which turned out to be a great suggestion. We first stopped at Noir, a café with a spiral staircase leading down to a cave cellar, and wandered past boutiques, bars, and 17th-century architecture. One of the old buildings there had been converted from what was a royal tennis or 'jeu de paume' court built under Louis XIII (the King who defended France against the Habsburgs) into a hotel. Interestingly, the island used to be split down the middle where we were walking as two islands, but these were merged, by Louis XIII's father, to create a new district.

From here, we walked along the Seine and into Le Marais, the 4th arrondissement, to enjoy the beautiful parks and art galleries. I thought about how Mum always described how 'the light felt different in Paris,' and I now agreed after seeing all the light-colored pathways, bridges, and buildings that reflected the sun so prettily. I agree with Mom now; Paris is very beautiful in the sun!

After days of eating mostly different forms of bread and cheese (no complaints), we were once again craving some Asian food and found a place with decent lunch deals and rice, praise be! Returning immediately to Catholic France, we headed next door to the Parish Church of Saint-Paul of Saint-Louis. Highly adorned, with sculpture, painting, and stained-glass that let a lot of light into the church. There was also a really amazing large seashell, merged into the wall, being used as a holy water font that I loved.

From here, we wandered through more streets and parks in the sun, which worked up a bit of sweat, so we took the tram back to refresh at the Airbnb before heading out again for the evening. A long 'picnic bar crawl' was planned, where we were going to pick up picnic bites from different boulangeries and charcutiers, ending at the Eiffel Tower for a picnic dinner...Read more