Last Post from Paris

Our wonderful sojourn in Paris is coming to an end.  Today is our last full day in Paris.  We leave tomorrow morning for Copenhagen and then back to Toronto on July 5.  The heat wave has broken, which has made it easier to clean and pack for tomorrow.

Yesterday, we wandered to a number of our favourite haunts on the right bank; Rue Montorgeuil, and Rue St. Honoré and the Palais Royal.  We passed a great plaque on the apartment building (129 Rue St. Honoré), where Louis Hebert, a settler in Acadie and Quebec was born in 1575.

We had our last apéro at the Restaurant du Palais Royal.

Alain with his kir

Toby with her campari

We then went to Au Duc des Lombards, our favourite of the three jazz clubs we have gone to in Paris this spring.  The decor was done in black, brown and beige after the famous Duke Ellington composition "Black, Brown and Beige." It was an intimate club and we had great seats.  We saw the Terence Blanchard Quintet with Brian Winston (sax), Fabian Almazan (piano), Kendrick Scott (drums) and a 19 year old phenom, Joshua Crumbly on bass.  It was a great set.  Then home for dinner.

Outside the jazz club

Inside the club

Terence Blanchard and Brice Winston

On Wednesday June 29, we packed and cleaned in the morning.  After lunch, we checked out our neighbourhood one more time and then we walked over to St. Germain for some goodbyes and for some more sightings of "The Bag".

Another "It bag" 

One more Bag

We stopped at home and took one more picture of Felix, the courtyard cat.  I also caught Alain waving from our apartment.

Felix the cat

Alain in our window

Our side of the courtyard- 4th etage

We then headed out to see a dance performance at the Opera-Bastille.  We got there and found that the show had been cancelled due to a strike!!  The technicians were on strike because of pension issues.  No problem getting a refund - the person behind us in line, noted that strikes are common - ah, WTF.

L'anatomie de la sensation pour Francis Bacon by Wayne McGregor

Ushers explaining the strike

All dressed up ...

...and nowhere to go

We regrouped and went for a late dinner at Glou down the street.

For our last post from Paris, we wanted to set out some of the things we are going to miss most and a few things we won't miss.  These are not in any particular order.

We will miss:

- the Cafe life (because apartments are so small, social life is conducted in the cafes- all day and night)

- our jogs by the Seine and Jardin des Plantes

- apéro time (anytime from 5-7, which is the best time to unwind- it can be alcoholic or non (coca lite or diablo mente will do fine) and one can sit as long as one wants

- the wonderful markets- the Sunday Bastille market is still our favourite 

- the baguettes (yum) and Alain's favourite pain de chocolat pastiche and my favourite dark chocolate with orange from A La Mere de la Famille

- marshmallows from Pain de Sucre on Rue Rambateau

- all the wonderful museums, large and small and the appreciation of culture and history in this city

- the way all the salespeople say bon jour when you enter and au revoir, bon journee when you leave a store

- Felix, the courtyard cat

- the beautiful seasonal fruit and vegetables (apricots and melons this year were amazing)

- the unexpected- what we call accidental history (all those plaques) and amazing passageways and new areas to explore

- the parks and gardens: Palais Royal, Luxembourg gardens, Place des Vosges

- all the walking--- it is true -  there is a French Paradox- one can eat and drink well and still lose weight, as we have done! Walking 10-20 km a day and going up and down 4 flights of stairs works wonders

-the amazing weather that we have had during our three months in Paris

We won't miss:

- all the smokers on the cafe terraces
- dog poo everywhere

- pollution (air and some noise)

- drivers and motorcyclists who don't respect lights and turn when you are in the crosswalk

It has been an amazing adventure and we are already planning our next one.  Stay tuned.  Where ever we head off to next, we will still keep coming back to Paris.

Our final dinner in Paris.  A toast to this trip and next year in Paris!

We will do one more blog after our 5 days in Copenhagen.

Hope to see everyone following this blog soon.