Sunday, May 31, 2009

Paris 2 of 2 READ Paris 1 of 2 FIRST! :)


The days went much too fast! Here I am on the Eurostar trying to remember what I did the last two days! Ahhh…I think I remember! My friend recommended I check out the markets, since as he says, “That’s what Paris is all about!” He recommended two or three that I should visit that day, and said we would go out today with his wife to see the one nearby their home. The markets were amazing!


I went to one that was much too busy for my taste, and I can’t seem to remember what it was called, but the one I really enjoyed was The Mouffetard market. It was just small enough that it was only about 3-people wide versus 6-people wide. It was also down a cobble street in a hilly neighborhood. It reminded me so much of San Francisco, so I was able to gather some familiar comfort from that. I hadn’t had a sweet crepe yet, (I had one with mozzarella, tomato and chicken the night before) so, once again in my best French, I said, “Bonjour, parlez-vous anglais?” The gentleman told me he did speak English, but remarked that my French was very good, I told him I would prove him wrong by continuing, so I replied, “S’il vous plait, une crepe (laughed while I said ‘WITH’ because I didn’t know the French word) beurre and sucre.” He laughed along with me, and served me the most delicious crepe!


I walked around the market and found a beautiful fountain in the center to sit while I enjoyed the rest and decided what I would do next. There was an English tour of Notre Dame at 2:30p, so I managed to make it there in plenty of time to spare! The tour was fantastic, and I even got to display my recent knowledge when the tour guide was discussing the animals at the feet of the stone sculptures above the coffins. She noted the lion at the foot of a man, and asked what animal was at the foot of most women. I responded that it was a dog. I was actually waiting for a good time to ask her about that, because I had been curious myself, after seeing so many examples of this at Westminster Abbey. (It’s always fun to know an answer in that kind of situation!)

After the tour, I still needed to see The Louvre, Musee d’Orsay, and the Eiffel Tower, so I decided I should head to the museums. I got to the Louvre 45 minutes before closing, and the line was about 45 minutes long.


So, I admired the lobby, and all the architecture and people around me, and decided to head for my friend’s street. (A good friend of mine had asked me to find the street with her name on it.) It was in the far Southwest of the city, but I enjoyed the ride there very much.

I took several pictures of any of the street signs I could find, and happily headed back to the Eiffel Tower.



I was completely overwhelmed by the crowds, and decided my main purpose was to see it…I didn’t necessarily need to go up it! (I KNOW, I KNOW! Go do it yourself then! I feel like I got the experience I was out for!) :) I took several pictures and decided to head home for the evening!



I had a wonderful, peaceful cruise on the Batobus from the Eiffell Tower to Jardin des Plantes, and a leisurely walk home. I checked in with my friends to confirm our plans for my last day in Paris, and I went to bed!

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