We were up again very early, still unable to sleep past 5am so we hung around the apartment a bit and then walked through one of the courtyards of the Louvre (which, so early on a Sunday morning, we had all to ourselves.) We crossed the Seine via the Pont des Arts pedestrian bridge, and stopped for cappucinos at the Cafe des Beaux Arts looking out at the Seine. We turned up Rue Bonaparte and came across a lovely little hotel on the way to Boulevard Saint-Germain:
On The Rue Bonaparte, Walking Towards Boulevard Saint-Germain
Lots of Naughty Things Here
Our next stop was the Jardin du Luxembourg, which exceeded all of my expectations. This English-style garden is crammed full of chestnut trees, flowers just about every conceivable color, a gorgeous fountain with a bizarre feature (see below) and an ornamental lake which is apparently popular with sailing enthusiasts. We spent quite a bit of time here, taking everything in and taking lots of pictures.
Weird Fountain in Jardin du Luxembourg
Lots of Gorgeous Flowers
Adorable Mama Duck, Keeping Her Babies Warm
Next up on the agenda was a visit to the Pantheon, just a short walk from the Jardin. We arrived just in time for a guided tour up to the dome, where we took some great photos.
I'm Not Sure What This Is, But It Looked Cool
The Eiffel As Seen From The Pantheon
After we descended the 200-some steps of the Pantheon, we were hungry. I wanted something fast and cheap, and told Michael I would be willing to eat at McDonald's, just so I could say that I had a "Royale With Cheese". (Those who have seen the movie "Pulp Fiction" will understand that reference.) Hardly believing that I was going to eat McDonald's (let alone McDonald's in Paris), I was blown away by the ultra-contemporary interior of the restaurant - it didn't look like any McD's I had ever seen. I asked for the Royale with Cheese, but was told that there were no Royale with Cheeses available. For some reason though, they didn't have a problem with the Royale with Bacon - which is just a Royale with Cheese with bacon on it. I have no idea why they would have Royale with Bacon but not Royale with Cheese, but when in France ... anyway, here's what our lunch looked like:
"Chez MacDo"
Funny Advertisement at Les Halles Train Station
Perhaps it was lack of sleep or the after-effects of fast food, but we were exhausted and went back to the apartment for an afternoon nap.
After resting up, we took the Metro over to Montmartre to see the Sacre-Couer. After riding the funicular up the steep hill (too tired to tackle yet more steps) we sat on the steps in front of Sacre-Couer and drank in the view along with about a gazillion other people from all over the world. While there, we saw some interesting wildlife:
I'm Surprised These Two Didn't Pass Out From Lack Of Oxygen
Sacre-Couer, From the Steps
While we were cooling our heels, we and everybody else were serenaded by a one man band, singing pop songs spanning the decades in a heavily accented voice of unknown origin. He gets an A for effort and a D for execution:
"Californee Dreamin', On Such De Weenters Dayeeeeeeeeee!"
We went inside the Sacre-Couer, where mass was being held. It was beautiful inside, but they didn't allow photographs or videos. After stopping at a couple of shops (I finally bought my first clothing in Paris! Yeah!), we made our way back to the train station. We enjoyed a quick pasta dinner and then headed for our final activity of the day, a cruise up and down the Seine. It was absolute magic, the weather was perfect, and proved to be a fitting end to another memorable day.
Next: still no sleep, Cheryle shops at Mango, the Galeries Lafayette, Tuileries, and a bus ride
¶ 1:38 PM 2 comments
