Paris - Day 4

  Paris, Île-de-France, France
Sunday, September 21, 2008

This was the day of Jay's departure from Paris.  The night before, I found it difficult to fight back my tears as we walked back to the apartment.  I half-joked that I should try to book an early flight home, but he reminded me that it was my decision to stick around for a few days without him and that it would be a good experience for me. 

We left our apartment at a quarter to seven to hop on the short Metro ride from Cite to Les Halles to catch the RER B to CDG.  We tried purchasing RER tickets on one of the machines but soon realized that (1) we did not have €16 in coins and (2) none of our credit cards would work. Luckily, a clerk was working the ticket counter and I politely asked for two RER B tickets to CDG and one 1-day Mobilis.  He asked me whether I resided in Paris and I shook my head no.  He said I could not purchase the Mobilis.  I wasn't about to argue with him, so I asked for a carnet instead, even though we've purchased the Mobilis every single prior trip.

The ride to CDG was uneventful.  Jay spent quite some time in line at the Delta counter. After his check-in, we grabbed a bite to eat at the Paul bakery.  And then it was off to the gates.  I didn't want to prolong our good-byes, so we embraced and kissed quickly.  As I walked away, I had to fight the urge to run back to him.  I didn't want him to worry about me more than he had to, which is what he would've done had I run back to him with tears running down my face, begging him not to leave me. With my chin up, I retraced my steps back to the train terminal. 






Sunday Tai chi at Place Dauphine

That weekend, an exhibition of vintage police vehicles occupied the massive space adjacent to Marche de Fleurs.  I checked it out for a few minutes before I headed back to Place Dauphine, where I spied a group of adults engaged in the art of tai chi.  At the apartment, I proceeded to climb back into bed. After a short nap, I tidied up around the apartment and planned my itinerary for the day.  I decided to hit the Marche Bastille and then make use of Chefhat's ticket for the Animal Expo at Parc Floral. 


L'Eglise Saint-Germain l'Auxerrois

On the way to the Metro (Louvre Rivoli), I stopped at L'Eglise Saint-Germain l'Auxerrois, which I immediately recognized as the church where Eva Longoria and Tony Parker exchanged their vows on 7/7/07 (sorry, celebrity tabloids and gossip are my vices).


Fromage at Bastille Market


Paella - Delicious but full of shell pieces 


Les Chapeaux


Doggy Slumbering Amongst the Carpet

The Bastille market was a sight to behold.  Rows and rows of fresh produce, fromage, wine, bread, and meat; vendors selling everything from carpet, toys, underwear, and kitchen utensils; and people milling about like busy bees. I got busy immediately...with a heaping serving of paella.  It was delicious, but too many shell remnants got in the way of being able to enjoy it completely.  One spanakopita, two egg rolls, and one Coca Cola Lite later, my stomach had reached its breaking point. It was time to get to the Animal Expo. 


The sign that caught my attention in the Metro tunnels


Colorful Directions!

I took the #1 line to its other terminus, Chateau de Vincennes.  The walk from the Metro stop to Parc Floral was longer than I'd anticipated.  The streets were a virtual parking lot, with cars rolling at a snail's pace, bumper to bumper.  At the entrance to the park, I imposed upon a group of fellow tourists and offered up one of my tickets, gratuit.  After a few seconds of disbelief, one of them said she'd be more than happy to pay for the ticket, but I simply handed her the ticket and told her to have a good time.



As I made my way to the exhibition, I felt a few twinges of loneliness as I passed by lovers holding hands, couples pushing strollers, and friends sitting on picnic blankets on the grass.  I cheered up considerably as soon as I entered the exhibition area. How could you not with these furry creatures in sight?!



Cute and Furry Alpaca

I spent the next hour and a half wandering through the halls, checking out an array of pet products, from pet food to harnesses and doggie beds. The best part was visiting the different breeds represented at the exhibition. Of course, at the Yorkshire Terrier booth, I made it known that I had two Yorkies and showed off their photos on my iPhone.


Lala's French Twin


A Chinese Crested hairless pup atop its owner's shoulder


A Shy Schnauzer


I'd been trying to get this Lhasa Apso's attention for minutes!


Coton du Tulear 

I was starting to feel a sore throat coming on. I then realized that I was surrounded by rows and rows of chats (I'm allergic) and hightailed it out of there.



Since I was in the area, I decided to visit Chateau des Vincennes. What a sight to behold. As I gazed down at the grass covering the floor of what used to be a massive moat, I could get a sense of the chateau's once formidable presence. The lines at every entrance were far too long to outweigh my interest in taking a closer look at the interiors, but Jay and I will definitely return another time.





I was feeling exhausted at this point.  I made my way back to Ile de la Cite and rested my weary feet for a bit.  I set off toward the Right Bank and found myself strolling along Rue Rivoli.  I turned a corner and suddenly saw an interesting spectacle - policemen moving rather quickly in my direction, some on foot and some on rollerblades.  At first, I thought that they were conducting some sort of training drill, but no, it became readily apparent that they were searching for someone. 


The policemen on a manhunt on Rue Rivoli 



A few steps further, I realized that I was at Les Halles.  I must say that I found Forum Des Halles architecturally intriguing and can imagine it (and the Pompidou, come to think of it) as part of Tomorrowland at Disneyland. 



I found the Eglise de St. Eustache and immediately recognized it as the church I frequently misidentify as Notre Dame from afar. I stepped inside and sat down for several minutes during the mass, taking in the beauty of the sky-high ceilings and stained glass masterpieces. 
I continued on my pedestrian journey, finding my way back to Rue Rivoli. I wanted to stop by Angelina's again for a pot of chocolate, but alas, it was closed by the time I got there. 



Although I had Montmartre on the itinerary for that night, I made a GTD (game-time decision) to visit the Arc de Triomphe, as I'd not been since our first trip to Paris.  Admission was free that night and just like our recent ascent to the gargoyles at Notre Dame, the climb to the top of the Arc did not seem as arduous as I'd remembered.  The new media displays were amazing and provided a captivating look into the history of the grand 
monument. 


Model of Arc de Triomphe at the newly renovated attic

I picked up a few souvenirs at the gift shop (pens with pull-out Metro maps, anybody) and found the print of an old map of Paris that Jay wanted.  When I got to the top of the Arc, I made my way to the side facing the Tour Eiffel and immediately gasped - it-was-blue!!!  How could I have forgotten?! How could we have missed seeing this sight together?!  How could we have strolled along the Seine late at night without seeing a blue tip in the horizon? Big sigh. It was hard not to miss Jay at this very moment.




These photos are from my iPhone, which took better night photos than my Nikon from atop the Arc.

After the Arc was a stop at Drugstore Publicis, where I picked up a few macarons and responded to the clerk's "Arigato" with "Bon soir, monsieur!" And then it was back to Place Dauphine, where I caught a late dinner at La Rose.  The waiter greeted me and said I looked tired (at least I heard "fatigue" in his sentence).  "Oui, je suis fatigue."  (Yes, I am tired.)  I went on to explain, in my butchered French, that I was on vacation and that my husband had left for Des Etats-Unit that morning. 


After I inhaled my salad, steak tartare, and pommes frites, it was time to call it a night.