Le Beau Jardin (the beautiful garden)
August 8th
We have decided we want to store our bike suitcases so we have more room in our little Renault and then to leave a few things in Paris so we don't have to keep purchasing the same items each year. I searched the web for a reasonable storage place but most were too expensive to rent long term. However, I stumbled upon StoragePal which only charges 5 Euros/month per item which is quite a bargain. I contacted the company online, made a reservation and found their location fairly close to our hotel so off we went to deliver our big red bike suitcases. The company has rented locked units inside a private garage and a warehouse outside of Paris. We were met by Craig, the owner, at the time arranged online and he was a very cool guy. He grew up in San Francisco, worked in finance in New York before transferring to Paris 30 years ago. He met a beautiful French girl, got married and raised his family there. The business is highly organized and efficient and we feel extremely confident in leaving our items with him.
Since it was getting close to lunchtime we hopped on the Metro and found a wonderful cafe inside the Luxembourg Gardens. Our quiche was excellent as was the side caprese salad and Cote de Provence Rose. The gardens are a beautiful place to walk through and there are a plethora of chairs scattered around for visitors to just enjoy the ambiance. Flowers galore and places of interest make this a fantastic place to spend an afternoon. One of the hidden gems in the garden is the fountain of Catherine de Medici. It was built in about 1630 but moved to the Luxembourg Garden and rebuilt between 1864 and 1866. Be sure to follow the map as it is a little tucked away.
After leaving the gardens we could see the Pantheon just down the street so after stopping for un cafe we headed up to the entrance. We hadn't booked ahead so had to wait in line a while before getting inside. The pre-purchased ticket line was fast so we will be sure to book ahead for any of our further excursions. The Pantheon was originally built as a church in the 18th century but now is the secular mausoleum for many famous French citizens including Victor Hugo and Marie Curie.
To finish off a perfect second day in Paris we walked to nearby Leon of Brussels for a delicious dinner of Moules et Frites. We were introduced to this place by Wenatchee friends, Dale and Gail Foreman, a few years ago and it never disappoints.
Tomorrow we are off to Brittany for a week...A bientot Paris!
