The title says it all. Today was another wild day.
We woke up, went to our usual little patisserie and got our croissants, and started walking.
We took to metro to Pere Lachaise. It was something I had never done, and I was very interested. Yes, it is a cemetery. While it is beautiful and full of character, it is still a graveyard. A sense of eeriness floated around, but it was thrilling in a way. Large sepulchres as far as you could see and then some. You see the ones in New Orleans from the interstate, but this one is certainly impressionable. Another neat thing, in a morbid way, is that a lot of famous people are buried there. Jim Morrisom from the Doors, Edith Pilaf, Gertrude Stein, Modigliani, Gericault, and Chopin. It was so interesting. We even got a map to make it easier to find their tombs. It really was helpful. If you go, a map is a must. Kelly and I have agreed--one essential French word to know is
"carte" (map). You'll need it.
After Pere Lachaise, we went to the Latin Quarter. We walked up Rue Mouffetard. It is a hip, trendy market street. As the road ends, it turns into rue Descartes, which is where Hemingway lived for a while. If any of this is sounding familiar, it is because I did it last summer on my adventure day. The day I set out to experience A Moveable Feast. And I did. We saw the Pantheon. For lunch, we ate in a little cafe that had crepes, pizza, kebabs, paninis, and fries. That's Paris for ya. Every restaurant has quite a variety. We also had ice cream at a place in front of the Pantheon. I suppose the waiters found us amusing with our American Southern French accents, and I somehow got 5 flavors. That's a good deal. A little drawl always comes in handy.
We visited the Jardin de Luxembourg. It is my favorite garden in Paris. It has a real neighborhood feel to it. Children can rent little boats. There are tennis courts and running trails. Makes me feel like I could really enjoy being a Parisian. Seth, pack your bags.
We strolled down rue des Fleurs and saw Gertrude Stein's salon. There is a tiny sign outside the building, and that's it. But we found it. I basically did the same thing as last summer but in half the time. It sure helps when you know where you are going. We walked around the Montparnasse tower and did a little shopping.
Something new I experienced today was le Bon Marche. It is Paris' first department store. It was great. It is not Galerie Lafayette or Harrods, but it is very Parisian and has a lot of locals. I can appreciate a place that is not super touristy. I actually often appreciate them more. I try to fit in, but then I open my mouth. And a "booonjoooour" comes out. Oops. I also tried to get my nails some (something I never do), but the lady was did not have anymore appointments. For a polish, it was 6 euros ($7). How great would that have been... Make me feel fancy. Next time...
We ate dinner at a cafe near our home. It may look familiar. Remember in the Tourist when Angelina eats breakfast at a cafe and they are watching her? Yup, that's where I had dinner. Anyways. I had a croque monsieur. A french favorite of mine. We walked around for a while and had some profiteroles at another cafe.
It was quite a busy day!
Tomorrow's plans are uncertain. I think we may go to Blois or Tours or Angers. Maybe see a chateau, and hopefully some countryside. I'll let ya know!
We woke up, went to our usual little patisserie and got our croissants, and started walking.
We took to metro to Pere Lachaise. It was something I had never done, and I was very interested. Yes, it is a cemetery. While it is beautiful and full of character, it is still a graveyard. A sense of eeriness floated around, but it was thrilling in a way. Large sepulchres as far as you could see and then some. You see the ones in New Orleans from the interstate, but this one is certainly impressionable. Another neat thing, in a morbid way, is that a lot of famous people are buried there. Jim Morrisom from the Doors, Edith Pilaf, Gertrude Stein, Modigliani, Gericault, and Chopin. It was so interesting. We even got a map to make it easier to find their tombs. It really was helpful. If you go, a map is a must. Kelly and I have agreed--one essential French word to know is
"carte" (map). You'll need it.
After Pere Lachaise, we went to the Latin Quarter. We walked up Rue Mouffetard. It is a hip, trendy market street. As the road ends, it turns into rue Descartes, which is where Hemingway lived for a while. If any of this is sounding familiar, it is because I did it last summer on my adventure day. The day I set out to experience A Moveable Feast. And I did. We saw the Pantheon. For lunch, we ate in a little cafe that had crepes, pizza, kebabs, paninis, and fries. That's Paris for ya. Every restaurant has quite a variety. We also had ice cream at a place in front of the Pantheon. I suppose the waiters found us amusing with our American Southern French accents, and I somehow got 5 flavors. That's a good deal. A little drawl always comes in handy.
We visited the Jardin de Luxembourg. It is my favorite garden in Paris. It has a real neighborhood feel to it. Children can rent little boats. There are tennis courts and running trails. Makes me feel like I could really enjoy being a Parisian. Seth, pack your bags.
We strolled down rue des Fleurs and saw Gertrude Stein's salon. There is a tiny sign outside the building, and that's it. But we found it. I basically did the same thing as last summer but in half the time. It sure helps when you know where you are going. We walked around the Montparnasse tower and did a little shopping.
Something new I experienced today was le Bon Marche. It is Paris' first department store. It was great. It is not Galerie Lafayette or Harrods, but it is very Parisian and has a lot of locals. I can appreciate a place that is not super touristy. I actually often appreciate them more. I try to fit in, but then I open my mouth. And a "booonjoooour" comes out. Oops. I also tried to get my nails some (something I never do), but the lady was did not have anymore appointments. For a polish, it was 6 euros ($7). How great would that have been... Make me feel fancy. Next time...
We ate dinner at a cafe near our home. It may look familiar. Remember in the Tourist when Angelina eats breakfast at a cafe and they are watching her? Yup, that's where I had dinner. Anyways. I had a croque monsieur. A french favorite of mine. We walked around for a while and had some profiteroles at another cafe.
It was quite a busy day!
Tomorrow's plans are uncertain. I think we may go to Blois or Tours or Angers. Maybe see a chateau, and hopefully some countryside. I'll let ya know!
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