Last Post from Paris

Sunday June 29 was our last full day in Paris.  It rained in the morning but luckily cleared as we headed out in the early afternoon after having lunch in the apartment.  It rained on and off during the afternoon, but was much nicer than yesterday.  We had blue skies again by about 6:00 p.m.

We didn't really have a plan for our last day-- just wanted to wander around town.  Being un flaneur (stroller) is the perfect way to enjoy Paris.  We walked down Rue Monge through the 5th arrondissement into Saint - Germain (the 6th), then crossed over to the right bank and wandered into the Marais before heading back to the left bank and arriving back at the apartment at around
8:30 p.m..  Here are some of the places we passed.

Wonderful flowers on Rue Monge leading up to another street

So many enticing shops - Rue Monge

A lovely building with great statutes on Rue Monge

Park at turn at Rue Monge- lots of flowers

We stopped at Eric Kayser's Boulangerie to pick up another baguette.  This is the store we got the "Alain" coke bottle earlier this week.

Alain at Eric Kayser

There is another pastry store on Rue Monge that makes amazing confections-- Aux Merveilleux de Fred..... absolutely delicious looking.

Aux Merveilleux de Fred

We turned at Blvd. Saint Germain and passed Le Bar a Huitres--- there are a number of these restaurants in Paris-- the seafood always looks so delectable.

Le Bar a Huitres

There is also a branch of Patrick Roger chocolates on Blvd. Saint Germain.  The green character in the window matched some green bonbons in the chocolate box.

We walked down Rue de Seine, another one of our favourite streets with a lot of art galleries (most unfortunately closed on Sunday).  We stopped at my favourite Italian ice cream and sorbet store- Grom - where I had a non-dairy Chocolate Extranoir and Alain had pistachio.

My new Epice scarf and Grom sorbet/ice cream

There was a film being shot next store to Grom.  We got a few shots of the production and actresses.

On the set- filming in a bistro on Rue de Seine

We also passed a corner street band playing American soul/ R and B tunes.

Corner street band

We walked over Pont Des Arts- still lots of locks on the bridge.  Who knows if they will be there the next time we are in Paris.

Fading plaque on the bridge

Alain on Pont des Arts

Moi aussi

We walked along Saint-Honore and then headed into the Marais.  We passed a wonderful coffee and pastry shop called Comme a Lisbonne, on Rue du Roi de Sicile.  The woman working there said the pastries are baked fresh every day and are always hot out of the oven.  They were totally amazing-even better than Portugal.

With our coffee and tarts

We then wandered down some streets we hadn't been on in the Haut Marais.  There were a number of showrooms in art galleries for Men's Fashion week which ended on Sunday.  Lots of folks wearing black wandering about as well.  We took a photo of the signage for one of the showrooms (Six Lee) and peered inside. Unfortunately, folks can not wander into these showrooms off the street.  On Monday, they will all revert to being art galleries again.

We also passed another commemorative plaque on Rue Sainte Anastase.  There are so many of these plaques indicating people shot by the Germans during the war.

Another plaque- so many in Paris

We stopped at Le Sancerre on Rue Bretagne for a glass of wine (moi) and a Coca light (Alain).  Lots of cool folks in the bar from Men's fashion week. 

Le Sancerre-- folks from Men's fashion week

We passed a great jewelry store that unfortunately was closed on Sundays.

We headed back down Rue Vieille du Temple and crossed the bridge to the left bank.  Headed back up Rue Monge,  passing yet another electronic cigarette store.  They are springing up all over Paris.  There are still a considerable number of smokers in Paris-- a slow shift to electronic cigarettes (the new cool) seems to be on the horizon.

Electronic cigarettes are slowly taking over Paris

We had a late fish dinner at the apartment and did our pack.  It was a wonderful two weeks in Paris-great exhibits, wonderful weather for 12 /14 days and lots of walking, good food and fashion.

We will end with a quote by French poet Baudelaire about Paris:  "We are enveloped and steeped as though in an atmosphere of the marvellous, but we do not notice it."  In contrast, we constantly notice the marvellous and always consider Paris to be truly a moveable feast to enjoy again and again.

Thank you for joining us on our 2014 trip to Morocco and France.  It is now Monday June 30 and we are about to head out to the airport to catch our 2:00 p.m. flight back home to Toronto.