Paris, part deux

Rrrrrriiinnnnngggggg … the alarm! … still programmed to 5:00 a.m. as per usual Monday mornings … how did I forget to turn that off? Rule number one of vacations, and I blew it.

And yet, it only took me thirty seconds to remember that I wasn’t waking up to go to work. I was waking up in Paris. Oh, j’ai de la chance! Lucky me! My heart was full, and my body was awake.

First stop, petit-dejeuner at the hotel. What a spread! It was mostly a buffet of carbohydrates, which I immensely appreciated. Mom and I lingered over strong coffee and delicious pastries until we were fueled and eager. It was a rainy morning in Paris, but we were prepared. We brought our umbrellas and wore our wellies as we queued up by the Louvre.

In theory, it was the perfect time to duck into an art museum (and I love me an art museum), but unfortunately, half of the city also thought so. The Louvre itself is magnificent. Its grand foyers, brilliant ceilings, and ornate columns and arches could suffice for the art. I wanted to return for this, in addition to the classics, and we did enjoy them. But sadly, it was loud and overcrowded. I prefer chances to linger and be quiet. If I had to do over, I would have revisited the l’Orangerie. Nonetheless, I still had the moments of awe, and the pauses of deep appreciation, and the wonderings about how any human all those many, many years ago, could produce such artistry.

By late morning, the rain cleared out and welcomed us back outside. We walked up and through the Tuileries Christmas Market. It smelled of mulled wine and raclette and was bustling with Parisians. Families strolled with their littles, professionals were meeting for drinks and a lunch bite, and tourists shopped along. This particular market was obviously geared toward children, for it had games and bumper cars, and of course, the big Ferris wheel. When Jason saw pictures, he commented: “Oh, it looks like the Boulder County Fair!” Ha! This was not far from the truth in aesthetics, though the last time I visited my local fairgrounds, I couldn’t buy escargot. The booths sold trinkets and foods, and the whole thing felt festive.

From there, we continued to walk up the lovely Champs Elysee. The lights were strung on all the trees, and the shops were bustling with people. Only in Paris are there lines outside of nearly all of the luxury stores (I did not really think normal people bought Louis Vuitton on the regular?). We decided that we were ready for a little warm-up and popped into Luduree for what would be one of the most enjoyable memories of our trip.

Luduree, best known for its macarons, also happens to be an intimate full service restaurant, beautifully decorated for the holiday, complete with fireplaces and trees. We sat and chatted, caught up on life, sipped tea, and ate the best lemon tart ever. My mom’s smile, our ease of conversation, and gratitude for where we were (this was never lost on us) made this an afternoon break to remember and one I wish I could relive. I also caught my family on Facetime, too – the perfect time to wish them well before a day of school back home.

From here, we crossed the Seine and made our way to the Eiffel Tower for a late afternoon look. I am with everyone else on this: the Eiffel is magnificent. I still vote the Sacre Coeur as my favorite iconic Paris sight, but this one is pretty close.

We wrapped up this lovely day with dinner at the Cafe Marly, which happens to be the neighbor of where we began the day. This is the place to enjoy the Louvre’s pyramid. In the spring and summer, the patio is packed and flowered. This time of year, it was much too cold to sit out, though the candles were lit and red blankets were draped over each chair. The view was equally as pleasing. We opted for inside seats and dined on pumpkin soup, crusty bread, French salad, and fish. Yum.

We had to make one last stop before calling this day fini … a ride on the Roue de Paris. Why not?

Day two, done and dusted.