Living and leaving

Today was our last day in Paris, and I think five days is about all I want to take of it in a lump.  The city just hasn't captivated me (or Marc) the way that it has Michael.  It's certainly a nice city, with a lot of nice people, history, art, and architecture to it, but it just doesn't grab me by the face and pull me out of the hostel every morning like Amsterdam did.

That said, I certainly did enjoy it here.  I totally came expecting scary, hostile, arrogant Parisians, but have found no such thing.  Everyone was receptive, friendly, and accomodating.  Today's adventures included being loudly awakened by the sound of our bathroom being dismantled- there was an unexplained leak into the lobby, so the handyman working hacked through the tile under the shower to investigate the pipes and removed the toilet as well.  Needless to say, I didn't shower this morning... I soaked my head and washed my face in the kitchen and that was it.  Then we set out!  A very mellow, yet fun last day awaited.  It was warm too!

After attempting to get the remainder of our train tickets sorted out in the station, we found our way to the Arc de Triomphe.

Next we made our way down the very wide, very busy Champs Elysee to a nice fountain near the Louvre, where we sat on some comfy chairs, put our feet up on the rim of the fountain, and watched Paris, the clouds, and birds go by.  Eventually 6 PM rolled along, when entrance to the Louve became free for those under 26 years old.  We saw all the Louvre's greatest hits, and then some in a little over an hour. 

    

Then we wandered around for a while on the Ile de la Cite before winding up back in the Luxembourg Gardens area for dinner at the Cafe Luxembourg.  It was a delicious meal, and our first nice dinner since coming to Europe, as most of our meals have consisted of what we could scrounge from markets and eat on the fly.  I wound up paying roughly 40 Euros for a delicious meal of French Onion Soup done perfectly with plenty of cheese, "Chicken Supreme," with creamy rice and spring onions, washed down with a glass of Chardonnay from Chardonnay.  For dessert I enjoyed the "Cafe Gourmand," option, which consisted of an espresso with a sampling of mini desserts- a strawberry gazpacho, macaroons, and a chocolate brownie... thing.  Our waitress was great, forgiving of our poor French skills, and chatted with us when she had a chance (she'd worked in England for a while and thus spoke English well).  European dining out is great- there's no rush whatsoever, and we spent a good three hours in the restaurant.  It's an experience we'll have to repeat, though not frequently given the cost (I'll be scrimping in Bern to make up for it).

Before heading to the hostel, we strolled around the perimeter of the Luxembourg Gardens, where we caught snatches of Rigoletto through the fence.  Off to Bern tomorrow!