We were dropped on Rue Bac, in the 7th Neighborhood (I'm no longer attempting to say or spell the Arrondisement or whatever the hell it is word), and we checked into the Pont Royal Hotel. We loved it immediately --boutique place, literary themed. In fact, it reminded me of the Library Hotel in NY.
We unpacked and strolled to a cafe on St. Germain Boulevard. For me, PAris was love at first sight. Every vista is gorgeous. The feel of the place was magic. I was smitten.
Our dinner was to set the tone for our entire stay --no fancy restaurants, just cafes. We had a delicious chicken dinner, and D1 introduced D2 to her favorite food from the previous Summer --nutella crepes!
Over dinner, I told the girls that I had ZERO itinerary for PAris --they were in charge. I would simply go along and pay for whatever they wanted to do, but I was emancipating myself from the stress of planning and being in charge. Maybe this is why I loved the city so much.
The next morning, I awoke early and visited one of 4 bakeries on our block. I brought back croissants and tarts for my little tarts! Ha. We strolled to the Tulerie Gardens, and watched a famiy of ducks play in one of the fountains. D1 then took us to a famous hot chocolate cafe, where we indulged (for about $12 apiece!). The prices in PAris, especially given the weak dollar, were absurd. Still, we didn't let it dampen our mood (especially since Dad was paying!).
We rode the Metro to the Eiffel Tower, and rode to the top. The view is indescribable. After we fantasized about the other exotic places we'd like to visit (fueled by the guide arrows on the observation deck, like Tahiti 15,000 miles, we rode back down.
That evening, we took a bus to the Odeon Theatre, in the LAtin Quarter, but found the movie times were too late. We walked back to the hotel on St. Germaine, and D1 pointed out the Cafe Deux MAgots, where Sartre wooed DeBeouvoir, and Trotsky plotted.
I fell asleep dreaming I was Hemingway.
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