We've been so on the go this whole trip that today we decided to relax a little. We slept in and then decided to spend most of the day looking around instead of hitting every sight. The metro took us to the Jardin des Tuileries where we ate some lunch.
So much for not too much walking. We walked up the Champs-Elysees from the Jardin Tuileries all the way to the Arc de Triomphe. Looking at our map, it doesn't seem that far. That may be because our map makes all big monuments and sights disproportionately big. The Champs-Elysees was very busy and it was very hot. I finally found the one souvenir I want, but I don't think paying 35 euros for a 6 inch statue is worth it.
Arc de Triomphe
line to get into Abercrombie and Fitch on the Champs-Elysees
We got to the Arc de Triomphe, admired it for a bit, and then turned around to walk back down the Champs Elysees. It was very hot and we figured seeing it was enough. On the way back though, we stopped at Laduree, a sort of dessert cafe with locations all over Paris. We got some of their famous macaroons while sitting at the bar that was decorated to look like a mermaid's grotto. I got some hot chocolate as well. The consistency of the hot chocolate was similar to mud. It was delicious pure chocolate, but I was unable to gulp down more than a few sips of the melted chocolate.
macaroons, eclair, hot chocolate, cappuchino
We managed to make it into the Musee D'Orsay before heading back home. We saw the Impressionist paintings of Monet, Manet, Cezanne, Matisse, Degas, and some Rodin sculptures. It's a lot smaller than the Louvre and it was nice how we were able to get in and out so quickly, especially since I didn't dig it as much as the Louvre.
After cruising the booksellers on the Seine, we found our way to Les Deux Magots. Les Deux Magots was the favorite cafe of Simone de Beauvoir and Jean-Paul Sartre and was visited by Picasso and Ernest Hemingway. The prices were high and the people were very fashionable--clearly wanting to be seen. I ordered hot chocolate and was brought what I learned is called "chocolat a l'ancienne" which I think translates to thick mud chocolate liquid. i don't understand how anyone could possibly have more than a few sips. I began to question whether you are supposed to mix in water, but I did it out of sight of the waiter who struck me as very traditional (he had already notified me that you don't order croissants in the afternoon--well excuse me!)
Continuing our restaurant-hopping day, we strolled through the alleys of St. Germain to find some dinner. There are so many small places all crammed together but you can find pretty much the same thing at any one: a baguette, a sandwich, couscous, crepes, or ice cream, and standard cafe fare.
There are lots of little streets in our area that look like this but are even narrower. I'll try to post more of these pictures.
Our last activity of the night was to go to the Eiffel Tower. We sat looking at it for a few minutes when it began to sparkle, as it does every hour on the hour for 5 minutes. It was really spectacular and everyone oohed and aahed. Once again I was struck by how many French tourists there seemed to be.
I have some more pictures for today but they are taking way too long to download so I will try again tonight. Anyhow, that's all for today! Versailles tomorrow!
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