Getting around Paris

From our apartment in the Latin Quarter we detour through beautiful Luxembourg Gardens en route to lunch. The streets of Paris are lined with Cafés, Boulangeries and Patisseries. At Café Orangina, Monica orders a mushroom (girolle) omelet et salad and I have Farmer’s poulet et tagliatelle in lemon sauce. My bonjour and merci are dead giveaways that the language is foreign to me. They amuse us by exclaiming ‘Your French is excellent!’

We decide to take an open bus tour. Our ear buds convey tidbits of information as we pass L’ Opéra, Notre-Dame, Musée du Louvre, Musée d’Orsay, and Tour Eiffel. We exit the bus at Champs-Ėlysées and stroll past the many shops, stands, and street scams. The famous street leads us to the Arc de Triomphe, a monumental arch conceived by Napoleon Bonaparte to honour those who dedicated themselves to defending France in times of strife.

There are 284 steps to the top of the Arc, from which there is a spectacular panoramic view of the city. The Eiffel Tour looms large in the distant haze. A couple asks if we can take their picture; we oblige.

Descending the spiral steps was easier than climbing. However, we still worked up an appetite for the deli and fruit stands that characterized the Latin Quarter and provided us with a substantial evening meal.