Top: Cimetiere du Montparnasse. Very large tombs and some very famous people buried here including Guy du Maupassant and Jean Paul Sartre.
Middle: The Palais du Luxembourg - where the French Senat is located.
Bottom: The beautiful colored glass dome at the Brasserie Printemps in Paris. Lunch there was delicious.
Ah Paris!!!! I don't know what it is about this city that I love so.
I woke up at 2 am to see an almost full moon rising over the city. It peaked through the clouds and woke me up - it was magnificent.
Slept until 6:45 - went to the Executive Lounge for much-needed coffee and breakfast. Piddled around for a short while and then headed out to explore the 14th arrondisement where I'm staying. I have never explored here.
First stop was the Cimetiere du Montparnasse, near the tall Montparnasse Tower. Not as elaborate as the Cimetiere Per la Chaise but interesting. Many notables buried here including Guy de Maupassant and Jean Paul Sartre.
Then I took a stroll by the Observatoire de Paris, never had been there. Interesting building. On the way I passed a "patisserie" and just had to stop for one of the best "pain aux raisins" that I've ever had - it was so good.
Then I walked a short ways to the Jardin du Luxembourg and the Palais du Luxembourg. Many people sitting around the beautiful grounds. I went to the Orangerie (never had been there before) and they had a contemporary art exhibit that was really interesting. Spent some time there enjoying the unusual art.
Headed back by the Senat Building (part of the Palais du Luxembourg) and on the way stopped to watch a group of people doing tai chi - love that.
Then I used my subway pass to get across town to the 9th arrondisement near the Opera House. Took me 3 trains to get there. I went to Galeries Lafayette for lunch in their large restaurant that is under a huge multi-colored glass dome - only to realize that the multi-colored dome at Galeries Lafayette is in their main lobby - not their restaurant. I remembered the domed restaurant was at Printemps - next door - so I headed there.
I got a table under the dome - friendly service and delicious food. I had the best cold tomato soup I've ever had. Delicious ham and melon with a carafe of wine. Yummy!
Then took the train to Gare de Nord to find out about trains to Reims. I stopped at the Information Center and she thought I was saying "Rome". I finally wrote it down and she laughed and pronounced it for me - didn't sound like Reims to me. Nevertheless, I found out that the trains leave from the Gare de L'est. So I went there and used a ticket machine to get the schedules. A TGV (fast train) leaves a little before 9 am tomorrow and will return at 5:15. Since it is a direct fast train it is only 45 minutes to get there. So that is my Thursday in France - a visit to Reims (not Rome!). Excited about that.
Took 2 more trains to get back to the Marriott. Went to the lounge to get something cold to drink. By then it was almost 5 pm so I took a disco nap, showered, dressed and headed out again to visit Al Stewart in the Marais. Drinks at Al's flat and dinner at Les Trois Petit Cochons (The Three Little Pigs). I think I've had dinner there before and it should be excellent.
Stopped for a glass of wine in the lounge and left the hotel at 6 pm. I ended up going to Les Halles where there is a lot of construction started to update the structure - much needed change. Arrived at Al's about 6:45 and we had cocktails and enjoyed catching up. He's leaving Paris on Tuesday to return to Ft Lauderdale. We left about 8:15 and walked to Les Trois Petit Cochons - I hadn't been there before but it was wonderful. Only had 2 courses which filled me up and then coffee. Good. They served cherries in vodka at the end that were wonderful.
We walked around the area for a while but by the time we finished it was after 11 pm. I wanted to be sure I got a train back to the Marriott so we walked to Les Halles and I bid Al a good night and got my train back to the hotel. In bed by midnight so I can get some sleep before my adventure to Reims tomorrow.
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