Thursday, May 5th - Paris day 9

 Today was our day to try to cross a few of the last minute things off the list. 

We weren't in any rush this morning so some folks slept in. Once we were all up, showered and sufficiently caffeinated, we headed out to the metro. Our first stop was Arc du Triomphe. 

From there we strolled along the Champs-Élysées. Our next stop was the metro over to the Gallery Lafayette, a masive shopping complex with the most beautiful stained glass dome in the centre, and incredible views of the city.

The gallery somewhat caters to the high end shopper. I came across a small booth that I naively thought might have something I could take home as a souvenir.

The least expensive item on the rack was a t-shirt style top that was a mere 349 euros. Needless to say I left empty handed. For that kind of money I can go and see her father in concert! 

On our way around we found two famous macarons. One is Hermes and the other is Laduree. We chose 3 from each location. We want to do a taste test and see which is better, as they both claim to be the best in the city.

In our travels we noticed a couple of McDonald's restaurants and they have macarons. So our plan is to pick up three of those as well so we can do the test with all 3. I think I can already guess which ones will come in last!

While walking along we came upon a Maille store. They had several assorted mustards to try and we all chose our favorites to take home.

Today seems to have been a lot of stops with small purchases. Good thing cause they were easier to carry home.  We took a walk along the street I had discovered on Sunday with all the high end stores. I had noticed on one corner there was Cartier jewellery store with a guard armed with a machine gun standing on the corner  blocking off the street. 

I had thought at first it was because of the jewellry store but that didn't make much sense as there are a lot of very high end stores along that street. When we were passing, someone asked the guard why they were there and he replied that the American Embassy is on that street. Seems they aren't the most popular people in the city.

From there we headed back to our place to rest up a little bit and have something to eat before heading out for the evening.

Patti had booked a night time bus tour of the sights. We took the metro back over to the Louvre and met up with our tour.

 It started at 8:00 so it really wasn't even close to being dark but we did have a nice tour with some comentary.  It's such a great way to see neighbourhoods of the city you might never get to experience.

It was quite an experience for Meghan to witness the traffic first hand on the round about at the Arc. From there we headed out to the Eiffel tower, which lit up just as we got there. 

We thought our tour was almost over but we headed over to Montmartre area to visit the famous Moulin Rouge. We're planning to spend some time in that area tomorrow touring around but for now it was quite a sight in the dark.

By now it was well after 10:00 before we headed back over to our starting point at the Louvre. A quick metro ride and were were back home, ready to get rested up for our last day in this amazing city!

Wednesday, May 4th - Paris day 8

 Another very full day.

We were headed to Verseilles so we packed up some food and caught the train. It's about a 40 minute trip all in, by the time you walk to the metro station and then get the regional train.

Taking the train with Meghan is just like it was taking the train with her brother in Scotland. Just like when they were babies, as soon as it started moving, they fell asleep. 

Our entry time was scheduled for 10:30 and we arrived promptly at 10:20. The line to get in wasn't very long as we already had our tickets. Once through the security check we were in.

What an amazing sight. The pictures really do not do it justice. The opulance and decadence is unbelievable. 

And that's just the outside.

Once inside you are greeted by room after room of amazing works of art and ornate architecture.

Then you reach the hall of mirrors.

Once you've been thoroughly dazzled by the inside, you head out to the gardens. We had brought a picnic lunch with us so we sat on the steps outside to eat our food. (Do you sense a theme here?)

The grounds outside are spectacular but we can only imagine what they look like in the summer once all the flowers are planted and in bloom. The ponds are amazing and the water features must surely be spectacular.

Once we had seen enough, we ventured into the little town of Verseilles. It's a lovely little town with multiple outdoor cafe's.  There's a beautiful cathedral that we toured, although the outside is currently undergoing restoration. 

After touring the cathedral, we were feeling a little parched. So it was a stop at one of the little cafe's before heading back into Paris.

The train ride back was uneventful but Meghan decided she was going to venture off on her own when we got to town. They have bicycle and scooter rentals that you can pick up anywhere. She wanted to try that and search out some crystal shops she was eager to visit. 

On our way back Patti I and got off the metro at Les Halles. I wanted to stop by E. Dehillerin's, an ancient cookery store that was where Julia Child purchased her equipment. In fact there's a photo of Julia behind the cash there. I was looking for european tart rings, something I've not been able to find in Canada. I was here in December and I could have done some serious damage in there but I tried to control myself. I found what I was looking for and then left. 

I was now a very happy camper so we headed home. A quick stop at the grocery store to pick up a couple of things for our supper. Along with a new bottle of wine. It's actually quite tasty and cost a whopping 1.5 Euros. 

Meghan texted to let us know that 

a) she was okay and 

b) that she lasted 12 minutes of a bicycle before she fell off. 

That ended her adventure and she took the metro home. Once she arrived, we put together a makeshift dinner with stuff in our fridge, and a couple of things picked up at the store.

Now we are all sufficiently fed, and will soon be ready for bed. Today I didn't do as many steps as yesterday, only slightly over 17,000 but not a bad day at all.

No real plans for tomorrow, just head out to see the few major sights Meghan hasn't yet seen. Our trip will soon be coming to an end so we have to make the best of the time we have left!