Paris, the city of lights, is just magical. Despite being such a large city, it has a quaintness that is difficult to put into words, and I am completey enchanted.  I had the benefit in staying in two different neighborhoods, first in the Left Bank, then in the Rue Cler, which is just so lovely.  I didn’t photograph the neighborhoods, as I felt I couldn’t fully capture their essence, particularly Rue Cler, and it would have been awkward and very non-Parisian to be snapping photos in this neighborhood.  But you can do a web search and see plenty of photographs from this area.

I arrived  on Tuesday, for the last two days of a three week tour, and then two more days on my own.  I have fit a lot into four days, including:

– Louvre
– Orangerie Museum
– Champs Elysees
– Arc de Triomphe
– Ile de la Cite
– Sainte-Chapelle
– Notre-Dame Cathedral
– Latin Quarter
– Shakespeare and Company Bookstore
– Pont Neuf
– Orsay Museum
– Rodin Museum
– Montparnasse Tower
– Luxembourg Garden
– River cruise on the Seine
– Place du Trocadero
– Eiffel Tower
– Champs du Mars Garden
– Rue Cler markets & shops

After all that walking, including all the sightseeing to date, my feet are just broken.  I bought better shoes today in Paris, a pair of Mephisto walking shoes, and am throwing my other ones out.  Never buy shoes with a satiny type insole material, as this leads to awful blisters; lesson learned the hard way.

I’ve had great food during my time here, ordering in French as much as I can.  Service here is an art form, and it’s been a treat to sit in Parisian cafes and watch the dance during the lunch and dinner hours.  I started my day in a cafe with a soy latte and croissant, and was presented with a surprise gift of a sketch of me done by an older gentlemen from across the room.  I hadn’t even noticed he was sketching various people until then.  It wasn’t a ploy for money, it was just a simple and silent gift, from one person to another, and I loved it.  Later, I had a delicious lunch at Le Petit Cler, a croque monsieur and salad, followed by creme brulee and a cafe creme.  These are a few of my favorite French dishes, and it was such a treat to have them here.

Tomorrow I head to Ireland, to meet up with my friend Erin, for a magical two weeks, and am looking forward to seeing another beautiful place!