Street Walking

July 30th

Our jet lag caught up with us a little and we slept in until 10am so the plan for the day changed a bit. After my cup of coffee I went down the street to the boulangerie and purchased lunch so we were fortified to start exploring this part of town.  Our first stop was the local Monoprix, a little grocery on two floors, for breakfast items and more Nespresso coffee pods.  

Once we accomplished that chore we headed out to locate the Shakespeare and Company Bookstore.  The line to get in was ridiculous so maybe we’ll try during the week earlier in the day?  Next on the list was the newly refurbished department store, Sanmaritaine.  This is not the place to shop unless you can afford to purchase designer items.  The building is very beautiful and worth a stop just to admire it.  We strolled by Notre Dame and the pyramid in front of the Louvre and just had time for a break before dinner.  We stopped at a little park where people were playing bocci ball and I enjoyed a glass of Rose while Jay had a local beer.  The surprising thing at the park was one of the players had on an Alaska Airlines T-shirt and when I asked him about it he gave me a very quick answer in French which I think meant he purchased it in Italy, but I could be completely wrong.

We had dinner at Le Souffle Restaurant which always closes in August and in recent years we have not been in Paris soon enough to get a reservation.  I remember going years ago and it still has the same charm and cosy atmosphere as well as delicious food.  Jay decided on the escargot for a starter and I had a small salad. Next up was my goat cheese soufflé (big surprise) and Jay opted for the chicken and mushroom.  Both were tres fantastique! They only offer a few beverage choices so we settled on a Chardonnay from Burgundy which was a wonderful accompaniment to our soufflés.  For dessert we shared the raspberry with rhubarb sauce soufflé and were very happy with our choice.  A quick trip in the metro back to our little French sanctuary and off to bed to finish off day 2 in gay Paris! 

Ah...Paris! 💕

July 29th

Our 9am flight to Paris was a little delayed but we finally made it and after an hour at baggage claim all of our bags were collected.  Our driver from Intershuttle Prestige was there to pick us up and transfer us to our new home for a week…42 Rue de Varenne. We didn’t realize when we booked that this is quite the neighborhood with lots of restaurants, shops and the local gendarme at the end of the street keeping guard for the Italian Embassy and the French Prime Minister’s house just down a few doors. Our 1 bedroom apartment  is nicely appointed with a comfortable bed, great air-conditioning, well stocked kitchen and washer/dryer.  It is in a quiet courtyard on the ground floor and has all we need for our week in Paris.

We spent the afternoon getting settled and just walked around the area until it was time for dinner at one of our favorite restaurants in the Marais, Chez Mademoiselle.  We were happy to sit outside and ordered a lovely meal and dessert of chocolate mousse as well as a nice Rose wine.  The chocolate mousse is served with a cute little clay pot full of whipped cream and marzipan.  To top off the meal Limoncello is offered as a complimentary treat and they usually leave the bottle at your table.  Of course to be polite we only consumed 2 very small glasses.

It is so great to be back in Paris!!!

    Off to France...After a 2 year delay we are finally on our way!

London

A London Layover 

July 28th

We arrived in London, after a smooth and enjoyable flight, at 6:30am (10:30pm Seattle time) and passed through the arrival process quickly.  There were machines to scan our passports and then we picked up our bags.  We headed for the exit and passed by the customs counter which was basically abandoned and were not asked for any extra documents upon entering the country.

Since we arrived so early in the morning I paid for an early check-in at the Sofitel Hotel that is located at the south end of Terminal 5.  This is a great location for us because we can put all our luggage on carts and walk to the hotel without hassling a shuttle. This hotel is not cheap but is very convenient if you need to stay at the airport.  It is quiet, has great bedding and air-conditioning.  Because we had little to no sleep on the flight we took a 3 hour nap before catching the train into the city.  

There are 3 ways to get into London.  The fastest and most expensive is the Heathrow express that cost 25£ each one-way.  The cheapest and slowest is the Tube (underground metro) with multiple stops and crowded with people.  We chose the Elizabeth line that took about 40 min and cost 14£ each round-trip. It’s a very nice, clean and fairly uncrowded train that takes you into Paddington Station.  We had a quick snack and coffee before leaving Heathrow and were ready to hit the ground running.  

We decided a walking excursion would be a good idea to combat our jet lag so off we went toward Buckingham Palace via Hyde Park.  (Little did we know that Queen Elizabeth would pass away in just a little over a month).  Next we strolled through St James Park just in time to see a couple of Mute Swans fighting over their territory.  It was such a beautiful day in London we continued on a loop that included Westminster Abbey, the tower of Big Ben, Parliament Buildings and the London Eye.  Passing along the Thames we reached Trafalgar Square where a big celebration was taking place for Euro Women’s Soccer. Finally, in need of an adult beverage we found a corner pub in the Covent Garden neighborhood.  After walking 5 miles we badly needed to sit and just people watch.  On our return path to Paddington we found a little Italian restaurant and had an authentic meal of pasta, bruschetta and wine. A perfect ending to a fun day in London Town!!!  Next stop...Paris!