Group walk through the Latin quarter with LOTS of yummy tastings
Orangerie Museum
Walk down the Champ Elysees
Macarons at Lauderee
Climb the Arc de Triomphe
Eiffel Tower photos from the Tracodaro Square
Grocery Store Picnic at the Hotel
Strawberries, Cheese, and Bread! Our walking tour with the group was YUMMY!
We loved how helpful Virginie's daily itineraries were!
Our Morning With the Group
A Marais Walking Tour
At first I was surprised that this tour didn't include any guided museum tours. I wasn't upset, as we had gotten to experience a fabulous Louvre tour on the 7 Days in Paris tour. (I later found out that part of the reason there aren't guided Louvre tours on this itinerary is because of a change in how the Louvre handles group reservations now.) I found the walking tour of the Marais to be an even better use of our time! And the funny thing was the local guide, Elisabeth, was the SAME woman that we had toured the Louvre with years ago. The morning included a fair amount of walking, fascinating history, and LOTS of yummy food tastings! Elisabeth and Virginie had the timing of the walk and treats choreographed perfectly. The rest of the day was free time!
My Free Afternoon
Water Lilies, Macarons, and the Eiffel Tower Oh MY!
My mom decided to stay back at the hotel to rest today. We had a lot of traveling in the next few weeks and today was an easy day for her to relax. So I was on my own. I had thoroughly enjoyed the morning with the group, but now the decisions were ALL UP TO ME! It was a little scary, but really exciting too as I don't often get time to myself. I was looking forward to gazing at the huge Monet paintings, strolling the Champs Elysees, climbing the Arc de Triomphe, AND seeing the Eiffel Tower. We had been in Paris for several days now, but I had only seen the tower from afar! Other times our tour hotel has been REALLY close to the Eiffel Tower, but this tour we were staying in the Montmartre neighborhood. So getting to the tower was a few Metro stops away. Which isn't a big deal EXCEPT there were HUGE football games going on and the Eiffel Tower was the FAN ZONE. The area around the tower was CRAZY most evenings. I decided get some photos from the Trocadero Square area before heading back to the hotel to check on my mom. Whew! What a fun day.
The Water Lilies at the Orangerie. I might have had to wait a while to get a photo without any people.
My pathetic picnic lunch in a perfect spot!
Laudree Macarons
I finally got to the Eiffel Tower
With the museum pass I bypassed the lines to climb the Arc de Triomphe!
Dear Friends:
"Today was a fantastic day! Yes, I was in Paris, but it was fantastic because for the first time in decades I had a day to myself. My mom, sadly, was feeling a bit under the weather which left me free to explore Paris on my own! Armed with my museum pass and metro map I hit the streets. I explored the Marais district before making my way to the Orangerie museum. This museum is where Monet's huge water lilies live. Words just aren't enough to explain how amazing these paintings are. Next I strolled the Champ Elysees stopping for a picnic with the locals in the gardens. Now don't judge, but my picnic was a granola bar, Minion gummies, and Biscoff cookies left over from the plane flight. It's what would fit in my bag. I made up for the picnic when I stopped in Laduree for macarons. Don't ask, it was a ludicrous price for cookies. It's the experience you're paying for. Then to work off all those calories I climbed the Arc de Triomphe before taking the metro to the Trocadero Square for views of the Eiffel Tower. Some might have taken me for a Parisian except for the fact I was sweating. Today was in the 80's and sunny, one of the first summer days that Paris has enjoyed. By the end of my journey on the metro I was dripping in sweat, and as I looked around the train car, not a single person was perspiring. Some were even in jackets. How do the Parisians stay so cool and stylish? The day was fantastic...I might just be taking my next trip all by myself. Tomorrow we head out to Burgundy. New adventures, as I've never been outside of Paris in France."