paris eats

Back on our bikes, we rode from the Marais towards Montparnasse. We’d planned to return our bikes then, but found the Velib stations all full. We checked several before deciding to just park and lock them so we could adventure on, joining a short line that would lead us into the Catacombs of Paris.

We descended into the catacombs, and I was immediately glad we’d gone home to change. Despite the nearly 80′ day, it was damp and chilly deep underground Paris- the catacombs are consistently 57′ and wet, regardless of  weather.

The sheer size of the catacombs was just astounding. It felt like we were walking around underneath Paris for hours,  party to an endless bone parade. I’m not easily spooked, and I didn’t find the catacombs all that creepy, but I was totally intrigued by the logistics of creation, and impressed by the design.

After communing with the dead, we needed to get the graveyard off us before supper.  Riding towards home, we finally found openings to return our bikes, so we walked the last little bit back to our apartment. It was a quick turnaround, and before we knew it we were off to dinner at le Relais De l’Entrecôte, as recommended by my good friend Dana.

They serve exactly one entrée, steak frites, and the line is always out the door (at several locations), because they do it incredibly.  The meal began with classic green salad with walnuts, and our dinner quickly followed.

And just when we’d polished off a plate of perfectly cooked steak, crispy fries, and the most delectable savory sauce, the adorably uniformed waitress whisked it away to refill it. I hadn’t realized it was AYCE, but promptly adjusted my thinking and made room for two more servings.

We were full and happy as we left dinner and headed to the Arc de Triomphe to gander at the city’s skyline. So it was a bit of a letdown when we found that they’d closed the ticket booths earlier than advertised, and we’d missed it by minutes.  As you can see, there was a good sized crowd of disappointed folks, but no drama materialized.

We admired the Arc from underneath, and decided to find the silver lining. After such a long and busy day, a little low key time was welcome, so we snagged a bottle of wine and spot by the Seine to indulge in an after dinner drink.

We sat and talked and laughed and smooched- I swear Paris brings out public displays of affection in people!  The romance is real, and I was seriously smitten with my sweet husband as we strolled along the banks of the Seine and headed home for the night.

loveRavayna 

We couldn’t start our first full day of museums without securing our transportation, so once caffeinated we headed to pick up our wheels. I was super excited for us to get Velib day passes and bike around Paris!

I pink puffy heart love museums, so I wanted to go go go to them all, but David not so much. So we compromised on a two day pass, with daily agendas of musts and maybes,  and intermittent snack and sightsee breaks.  It was a positively dreamy experience to ride down streets like these.

We purchased our museum passes at the Rodin Museum, our first stop. The gardens were so stunning and sunshiny, with the statues gleaming and glinting in the sunlight, I couldn’t help but thank Mother Nature. I’ve seen Rodin’s sculpturework before, but the collection all together and the atmosphere were really beautiful.

I cracked up when I saw this picture David snuck- totally unposed! Even though it’s a little blurry, it’s too funny not to share. #bootylicious

Riding all through Paris was so exhilarating! I loved exploring the city in the sunshine, and my body appreciated moving differently from all the walking we had been doing. That said, I wear a helmet at home, so riding through traffic bareheaded was more than a little terrifying. We shared lanes with buses and taxis, so I was just super cautious as not to become Regina George 2.0. We rode to Pierre Herme for some snacks and sweets (more on that later), and then to the Musee d’Orsay.

It was absolutely striking in there, from the arching glass ceilings to that glorious golden clock.  Strike me down and call me gaudy, but I love me some ornate antique gold. And the light streaming everywhere was just heavenly.

I had researched exhibition lists while selecting museums to visit, and really did want to see it all- I love Impressionism. So I went from area to area, inspecting displays and reading every informational card- I’m nerdy like that, but I was loving it!

Looking out through the giant clock gave us gorgeous views of Paris. I would have loved to enjoy it longer and see if I could pick out places,  while David snapped away. But the area was crowded with rude tourists and unattended children, and I couldn’t handle the fracas for very long. I sound like I’m turning into my granny, but it’s so true!

We escaped to the relative quiet of the the rooftop for a little bit, and enjoyed the birds-eye view, before heading back down and wandering through the museum once more before heading out to our bikes and back into the boulevards of Paris.

We rode across the Seine, just having the best time! We couldn’t help but pull over for a few minutes to admire the river, attempt our typically awful selfies, people watch, and assess the map and agenda. (For the record, this phone charger was clutch on days like this.)

We arrived at this beautiful courthouse, where we parked our bikes and walked around to enter Sainte Chappelle. I was glad for the cut-the-line privileges of our museum passes, because the line was crazy long. Once we walked in, though, I totally understood why.

Pictures really cannot capture the magical quality of Sainte Chappelle. The light through all that brightly colored glass was just incredible, and I nearly broke my neck admiring the gorgeous ceilings. I inched around the perimeter looking at the statues and admiring the gilt work, and marveling at the sheer volume- the architecture amplified the tourist hubbub.

I knew our next activity would be chilly, and wanted to change into something warmer. So we rode our bikes back towards the Marais,  grabbing falafel (again) on Rue de Roisers before stopping at our apartment. It was nice to recharge and refresh briefly, but we had one more attraction to see that afternoon, so were on our way again soon…

loveRavayna