Last Days always make me misty (9-16-23

Breakfast was a new item for me, because it reminded me of what we made in class. It was good, but what we made was better.

  We had to hit up the market one last time! It was full of richness from the flowers, leeks, tomatoes, and carrots to the stinky fish which their mouths open, or artfully arranged. 

 I always have to laugh, or cry or sob at the Americanization of France.  Last year was chicken nuggets, this year there are little pop up coffee bars and corn! 

We went back to the house, dropped off any purchasaes and off we went to stroll by the Grand and Petites Palais across the Pont Alexander III bridge and along the Seine to have a  last gander at my girlfriend.  (This little guy rode the metro like a champ!)

Weddings seem to abound in Paris and there were 222 wedding photo sessions going on on the bridge.  

And people dress up in very interesting ways to meet my girlfriend!

On the way we stopped to look at this restaurant but it was pricy, even the cute car did not lure us in.

Lunch was good, we stopped in a little place, it certainly was eclectic.  I ordered a daily special and it was not available, how does that work at 11:00?

I did not know of this approach to the Eiffel Tower until last year, so I had to share it with Claire.   

We wandered around and sat and chatted up a Irish and Philippine couple, they were charming. 

 I loved watching the people take their pictures, dressed up, sometimes like a what they think looks French, sometimes outlandish.  This lady was all dressed up, but her kind in the stroller was a MESS!

I wanted a last ride on the Merry Go Round so we went there and had a ride succumbed to the photo op, she did a great job.

We trecked back via the #86 bus from Champs du Marais to Nation, it was long, but had a lot of scenery! 

Dinner at Dilia was very fun.  It is a restaurant that you can only,, you must do 5, 7 or 9 courses.  Claire is not fond of SeafoodFish, so we claimed an allergy.

The amuse bouche was delish, some creamy stuff with anchois and  spinach on a cracker.  

Yum. Claire jokingly said hers was sort of a BLT on a cracker.  then a little arancini in a sauce, followed by tortellini ( fish) in a sauce that had little pieces of Fois Gras, and caviar in the sauce,

the tortellini  were pretty fishy, but the overall side was saved, for me, by the fois gras and the fun of the caviar.  Claire had gnocchi, which she said was good.  Next was Mullet Hollandaise with green pepper and  zucchini for me 

And a pasta with lamb ragu for Claire, she was not fond of hers, but mine was very good, and this was NOT fishy! The following course was pork with a sauce that made it over the top, it was accompanied by a roasted green and red bell pepper.

This was followed by a  bit of ice cream floating in a sauce that seemed to have (Claire thought they were grapes, I thought Mirabelles) a fruit and almost peanut brittle pieces in it.  Yum!

But wait there is more, that was pre desert.  Desert was also ice cream, but infused with oregano, with some subs of bread that had maybe somme caramalized sugar on them, and figs.  

I know it wounds a bit out there, but it was an interesting taste treat.   

The bathroom sink was pretty cool!
I would do this restaurant again, with the right company

.  The ride home seemed quicker than going and we are now in that process of packing in all in!

18336

Well I have.  managed to out do last years step count, and I felt it!  I had to come home and have a nap!

I sure enjoy the yogurt here, I am not sure why but it is different.

Regardless we took the Metro to Palais Royal/Musee de la Louvre and began our treck.  We walked around the Glass Pyramid

and Tuileries,

over to the left bank to visit Senellier (oh noooooo)

and back to the Tuileries to the Rue du Rivoli to have some Angelina Hot Chocolate only to find a line a mile (seriously a city block I think)  long, Mai Non! Which made me crabby but still.  We walked until we came to the Orangerie with some help from security.  Memory is a funny thing as I would have sworn it was on the right side of the Tuilieries. However I was wrong it is definitely on the left side. Speaking of which some Americans (they sounded American and they wanted Basket Ball Courts) asked for directions, little do they know……

The  Waterlillies were amazing! And it was nice to just sit and look at them, especially after. Just having been there

We strolled up the Champs Elysees and  dined at the ubiquitous tourist trap, though for all my cynicism, by Chicken Caesar was good. 

 Claire liked her ravioli.  The Arch d’Triumph loomed in the distance and the steps facing me loomed also.  We paid our admission and the lady said we could ride the elevator, we suspect it is because of Claires hair color, but who cares, I was dreading those steps.  It was lovely at the top and we moseyed around and took some pics.  

We took the metro back and I had to have the aforementioned nap, and then dressed for dinner, it is cool enough to contemplate that now,

Thank The LORD!  We had some wine and cheese before leaving for “Oh My God She’’s Parisian”, a comedy that was pretty funny.  

We both really enjoyed it.  We were s bit hungry and shared a pizza at a South American pint in the middle of place de La Republic.  

It was yummy and just right.  It was loud and Spanish.