I think our 4th day in Paris ended up being my favorite. We were really starting to feel at home, and at the same time we were also starting to let go, relax and really feel like we were on vacation. I’m not even sure if that makes sense, but I’m going with it! We began the day with a stop at the Jardin du Palais-Royal, another beautiful garden near the Louvre in the 1st Arrondissement. When we arrived, there was a group of elderly men playing what looked like American bocce ball, but other than than those dapper gentiles we were just about the only others in the gardens. It was so fun and unusual to photograph this urban oasis without the flow of people we were used to encountering.
From Jardin du Palais-Royal we hopped on the Metro over to Musee d’Orsay. Prior to our trip, I had several people tell me that if I was going to check out one museum while in Paris, it had to be Musee d’Orsay. Beside the grandeur and beauty of the main hall of this former train station, Musee d’Orsay houses all the great Impressionist pieces from the 19th and 20th centuries. And it’s the perfect size, as you can get through it within an hour or two.
When I was little I received a poster of Degas’ Dancers in Blue as a gift, and I fell in love with the dancers’ poufy blue tutus and the moodiness of the painting, like it was hiding a story just begging to be told. And so began my interest in impressionist painting, especially the works of Degas. Needless to say, it was so much fun to see his pieces–the originals–up close and personal. They don’t allow cameras in the gallery spaces. Otherwise, I would have been all over those babies!
Ahh, La Tour Eiffel, probably the most iconic symbol of the City of Light, never fails to charm me each and every time I see it. The tower seems to spring up out of nowhere and effortlessly take your breath away. We spent some time on the lawn in front of the tower that afternoon enjoying the milieu and snapping pictures (including selfies of us and the Eiffel Tower–don’t judge!), before catching the Metro up to Montmartre for dinner at Les Refuge des Fondues, an incredibly quirky fondue restaurant where they’ve served wine in baby bottles, complete with the nipple, for decades as a way to avoid the outrageous tax the City charges for serving wine to patrons in open glasses. Check back tomorrow for all the juicy details on our hilariously memorable dinner!
The rain set in as we left the restaurant, so we scampered down the cobblestone Rue des Trois Freres in search of a place to duck into for dessert. As we arrived at the first square, we spotted a a quintessential Parisian sidewalk cafe and knew we’d probably be able to find some good creme brulee there. I wish I’d taken note of the name, but I must’ve officially slipped into vacation mode at that moment and forgotten to take note! The creme brulee was delicious, and the ambiance was just what we were looking for after the quirky dinner experience at Le Refuge des Fondues.
