City of Lights

Day two in Paris began with another delightful breakfast.  The croissants are so different from anything we have in the States.  (Always say "the States," not "America" to sound hip and cool.  Maybe that would just come natural for you, but I have to work at these things.)  They are so flaky and light.  Oh, and the nutella and strawberry preserves are the perfect accoutrement.  

After a long bus tour of the city, our British guide dropped us off at the Champs Elysees again.  Mme, Cindy and I made a beeline for Laduree.  I wish I could show you a picture of the inside of this place, but that would just be so gauche.  I'll describe it for you instead.  I ordered a club sandwich.  No, no, no.  Not like what you're thinking.  This club sandwich was made of spinach, sliced eggplant, tomato, mozzarella and pesto.  Oh my.  I'm building up a recipe arsenal to work on this summer!  I was shocked to realize that their chocolat chaud could compete with that of  Angelina.  

And this is just the entrance.  Imagine how ornate the interior is.

Their window displays entice you with their specialty - macaroons.  

I may have left with a couple or ten.

After lunch, I took several students to Roland Garros.  Correction - I tried to take them to Roland Garros.  When I went years ago and last year when Mme went, advanced tickets weren't necessary.  Apparently, now they are.  They were completely sold out.  Even the scalpers were holding signs looking for tickets.  When we finally found a few with tickets to sell, we had to refuse the 300 euro asking price (roughly 400 dollars).  The kids were really great about it, and we made the best of the afternoon while the rest of the group toured Versailles.  

Our Plan B was to go shopping, but all the shops are closed on Sunday, so Plan C was a leisurely snack at a local cafe.  For the first time on the trip, we were the only tourists in sight.  I ordered a baguette and butter (no surprises there!) and fresh squeezed orange juice.  It was so nice to see the kids get the real Parisian experience at a sidewalk table.  We even had time to get ready before dinner - a luxury on this fast-paced, action-packed trip.

The Parisians love their leisure time.

 I just couldn't pass by this stand without a photo.

Every stand has my favorite flowers - hydrangeas and peonies.  (Note to Andrew: Write that down.)

My room has this great window to let in the fresh air.

I found a supermarche to buy some of my favorite cookies. - Hey, who opened that box?

After dinner at a quaint French country-style restaurant, we metroed it to the Batueau-Mouches, one of my favorite activities in Paris.  We were trying to do it after dark, but since it's not dark until about 11:00 we ended up floating down the Seine as the sun was setting.  Like yesterday at the Arc de Triomphe, the timing couldn't have been better.

Parisians linger on the bridges and along the river in the evening.

My favorite part of Notre Dame is the intricate cross at the top.  You can barely make it out in the picture.  We will tour the interior tomorrow.

We sat along the side of the boat instead of on top as usual, so the water seemed so close.  It was terribly relaxing and serene.  (Postscript: Is it strange that I posted a picture of my feet.  Nevermind, don't answer that.)

Some observations about the French.  They walk quickly and purposefully so they might seem busy and snobby.  However, I have only seen three - count them, three - natives talking on their cell phone over the last two days.  They must prefer face-to-face conversation - at a cafe, along the Seine or walking down the Champs Elysees.  

Even though they surely are in a hurry and stressed like most Americans, they take the time to kiss each other on the cheek in greeting.  They always say hello, good evening, thank you, pardon me, etc. to everyone.  They spend hours lingering over a meal, lounging at the park and conversing with friends.  I hope to be as intentional with my relationships as most of the French seem to be.  

And a final photo for you.

I never tire of photographing la Tour Eiffel.

Tomorrow's schedule is packed full as we try to get everything in on our last day in this fabulous city.  I'll be surprised if we get it all in.  I'm taking a group to Moulin Rouge at 11:00 PM so no promises about a blog post.  Luckily I have turned into a night owl in the City of Lights!