Paris

 Not so "Petit" Palais(s)

August 3rd

The weather forecast is for a very hot day...98 degrees F...so we headed out early to check out the Palais Garnier which is the beautiful building that houses the Opera National de Paris.  We did the self-guided tour which includes a mini-screen and headphones and takes you through the building pointing out interesting facts.  One that I can actually remember is that box #5 is the box that inspired the Phantom of the Opera. Opera, ballet and orchestra performances take place in this incredible place.  It is a must see!

After finishing our tour we scooted across the street to the Galeries Lafayette to admire the

dome and maybe shop a little.  We accomplished the viewing of the dome and the sites from the rooftop but the shopping didn't go as well.  Instead we had a refreshing lunch at the asian restaurant inside the building with a view of the Eiffel Tower.

The next palace we visited actually was the Petit Palais and holds a wonderful collection of sculptures and works of art and is free to the public.  We stumbled on this as an alternative to hanging out in the 98 degree weather.  The air-conditioning was quite enjoyable and we spent more time than we usually do perusing the artwork.😏

On our way back to our apartment we took the metro over to the Rue Cler neighborhood where we will spend 3 days the end of the month with two of my college friends.  We stayed here several years ago and loved the pedestrian street and the many restaurants to choose from as well as the peek-a-boo view of the Eiffel Tower.

Our last night in Paris this go around will include a walk down the Boulevard Saint Germain to the little bistro, Le Pre aux Clercs, recommended by our Wenatchee friends, the Foremans.  It looks like I will need to do a bit of packing before we head out since we leave in the morning for Burgundy where we will spend the next month in the lovely village of Beaune.