And finally…… Part 3 of this European adventure. From Barcelona, we hoped on a plane and flew to Paris. After a few warmer days in Spain, we were back to chilly May in France. We stayed in a really cute hotel, Hotel Atmospheres – and being on the top floor we had our own tiny balcony.
We were staying really close to the Notre Dame, so we walked there right away! We must have come at the right time because we didn’t have to wait in any line – at then as we were leaving one was startng to form again.
Beautiful Gothic architecture.
That evening for dinner we went back across the river to Le Tournebievre. Once again Google was on target with it’s reviews. Absolutely delicious! For a starter I ordered buratta, because well by this point along the trip I was obsessed with it. It came fresh and smoked… don’t worry I shared some with C after coudn’t eat anymore.
For the main meal we both order the duck with Hoisin sauce, scalloped potatoes with sweet potatoes, and carrot puree. The wine was delicious as well.
For dessert in predictable fashion I ordered the profiteroles.
They were tasty. I also concluded that we both didn’t need to order a starter and dessert, but by almost the last day didn’t really mind a whole lot.
Paris at night is when you can definitely fall n love with this city.
As we wandered back, we just happened to stumble across the Shakespeare and Company bookstore! I was so excited we found this on accident!
Lots of cozy little rooms with shelves to the ceilings with books. I picked up two for my little nephew, but wish I would have bought somehting for my self as well!
The view from our room balcony at night – gorgeous.
The next morning we left bright and early to wait in line at the Louvre. This was the man item on my “To See” list in Paris.
A little bummed I couldn’t get a shot of the two pyramids without 10 other people in the way, but such is life I guess.
To say this museum is overwhelming with the number of piece it houses would be an understatement. I’m just happy we went to the Renaissance secton first. I snapped a quck picture of the Mona Lisa, which somewhat underwhelming in size and then almost missed the Caravaggio – my favorite Ren artist. Another recent installation I can’t seem to remember the name of or artist reminds me of the sayng we are all just dust of the stars.
That night we wandered to another gem of a restaurant – Boucherie Rouliere. I started with a Pea and Mint soup while C ordered a large slab of Foie Gras.
For a main I opted for a trufle ravioli, which would have been great if it wasn’t so overpowering with trufle. C ordered Lamb Sweet Bread which tured out to be really good.
Dessert was naturally Tiramisu. 🙂
The next day we headed over to the Musee de l’ Orangerie. The sun managed to poke out for just a moment.
The museum’s top floor housed two rooms of eight giant works by Monet – They cured along the walls!
The lower level held the rest of the art dealer’s collections with works by Renoir, Manet, and Picasso to name drop a few.
For the remainder of the morning, we walked over to the Eiffel Tower to get our “Yes I was in Paris” photos. It was really chilly that day, so we snapped a few then hurried on our way to find lunch and get C some pants instead of shorts. 
For our last evening in Paris we wandered down a random stree and found it lined with shops for bakery, wine, cheese, and chocolate. Needless to say, we bought a few things. Then found a well reviewed restaurant – Lilane for dinner. I actually listened to my brain and ordered one main and a dessert to share. Lion’s fish over whipped roots vegetables (or at least that is the translation from French) and poached apple with home made ice cream. Another tasty meal. 🙂 
The next morning we found our way to a nearby cafe since flights didnt leave until early afternoon. The decision was made for savory crepes and tasty beverages.
What a fantastic trip! I’m so excited to find more adventures with this guy. Great food and better company. 🙂
Until next time Europe!
Less Sugar, More Spice 