Day 1 in Paris, France

Luxembourg Palace overlooking Luxembourg Gardens in Saint-Germain-des-Prés, Paris.

We have been to Paris before. This is actually my third trip, though neither of the previous two were very long, nor is this one. Our first visit was five days, our second was two, and this one is even shorter. Between the first two trips we've managed to see a lot. Our first stop, of course, was the Eiffel Tower. Then in no particular order, the Champs-Élysées, Musée d'Orsay, the Louvre, Notre-Dame Cathedral, Île de la Cité, Île Saint-Louis, Sainte-Chapelle (home to Europe's most beautiful stained glass windows), Sacré-Cœur in Montmarte (best views of Paris by a landslide), Les Invalides (where Napoleon's tomb resides), the Marais neighborhood (artsy), the Palace of Versailles (opulent) as well as the interiors of numerous bistros, bar du vin, and restaurants. We have logged countless miles walking up and down the Seine. What can I say? I'm a planner. But I've not really planned today. I've a list of places I have not seen and would like to, but today I would like to relax and enjoy the city at a more leisurely pace, as opposed to running around like a nut. After all, relaxing is a skill that Parisians have perfected, as witnessed by the countless cafes that line the street, seats facing the sidewalk as to best observe the theater passing by.

The seating in a properly-arranged cafe, set up for people watching.  All chairs face the street.

I decide to start my day in a cafe, luxuriate over a French breakfast somewhere in the St. Germain district and then stroll to Luxembourg Palace, Luxembourg Museum and Luxembourg Gardens. It is a beautiful sunny day, not too hot. Springtime in Paris. I grab a cab at the hotel and we pull over at Cafe de Flore, which I found in some guidebook or article somewhere. It is crowded but I find myself a seat in the front row and settle in. My waiter is efficient and promptly takes my order for a caffè latte while I peruse the menu. The omelettes are calling my name, so I order a ham and gruyere omelette with a green salad and of course, baguette. I throw in a glass of champage for kicks. It is my last and only full day in town, after all. Time to look all self-satisfied and blasé while drinking coffee and checking people out. After a reasonable period of time, my champagne arrives, followed by breakfast. It looks perfect! Here is a link to their menu.

The Cafe de Flore where a guy, who dresses like a proper French waiter should, serves the perfect ham and gruyere omelet with a crisp glass of French champagne and a cafe latte.   An ideal late breakfast/early lunch to enjoy in a Parisian cafe.  Or anywhere, really.

Brunch is finally over. It is a short walk to Luxembourg Palace. Originally built to be the home of Marie de' Medici, wife of Henry IV and mother of Louis XIII of France, it became a public/legislative building after the French Revolution, and is currently in use as the seat of the French Senate. Attached to the Palace is the Musée du Luxembourg, hosting nearly 40 exhibitions per year espousing themes which tie into the Palace history and integrate with both the Palais and surrounding gardens. As much as I love a good museum, I choose to skip it and head to the Jardin du Luxembourg. Museum'ed out. I'm feeling the outside, and while the sun is still shining (rain forecasted for 2pm), I'm going to enjoy it. Below is a little slideshow for your viewing pleasure.

Luxembourg Palace, which houses the French Senate; Luxembourg Museum with close to 40 exhibits relating to French history each year; and Luxembourg Gardens, where people congregate and children sail wooden sailboats in the fountain.

I walk around the side of the museum towards the garden. Tree lined walkways stretch out into the distance leading to the garden. There are tennis courts on one side, and a group of people are doing tai-chi in the shade. At the end of the walkway the trees recede and open up to the Medici Fountain, which is surrounded by structured gardens, statuary and hardscape. Children run around the fountain with wooden sailboats and give them a gentle nudge with a long stick until the wind takes the sails and the boats speed across to the other side. It is a lovely tradition and the fountain is strangely quiet for having so many kids running about. Past the fountain there are stairs leading up to another tree-filled area with gravel walkways and statuary. I spend some time here taking photos and... relaxing. Moms are chatting in circles, office workers eat their lunch and older folks enjoy the shade and the activity. It is finally time to head. But where? I am ridiculously close to one of my favorite parts of the city, the Île de la Cité and Île Saint-Louis.

Sailboats gently move across the Medici Fountain in Luxembourg Gardens, an oasis in a bustling city.

It is a leisurely stroll down Boulevard Saint-Michel, across the Seine and onto Île de la Cité. Being lunchtime, the cafes and street food vendors are busy. I've complied a little slide show of French fast food. It looks very different from what we see in the States. This makes me sad. But the photos will make you happy.

French fast food.  Sandwiches, baguette, salads, crepes and more, ready to go and reasonably priced.  Oh, and pastry.

I walk through the University district past the Sorbonne. Lots of students milling around (duh). At the end of Boulevard Saint-Michel, there is a large statue of Saint-Michel. Go figure. Past Saint-Michel you cross the bridge over the River Seine and are on the Île de la Cité (Island of the City). A short walk takes you past Saint-Chapelle (stained glass), then round the corner to the right and there she is: Notre-Dame. Iconic.

Top to bottom, left to right:  Sorbonne University, cafe in the University district, statue of August Comte, famous French philosopher, the Fontaine Saint-Michel, Saint-Chapelle with its illustrious stained glass windows, and Notre-Dame cathedral.  All within a 20 minute walk.

Believe it or not, in two trips I have never been inside Notre-Dame and I am sure it is spectacular, but the lines are KILLER! If anyone has a travel tip, let me know. The exterior of the building is enough for me, especially today. Here are a few shots.

A few angles and details of Notre-Dame cathedral.  A must-see in Paris, for sure.  If you know how to beat the crowds, please leave me a comment below!

Moving right along, I pass Notre-Dame, soaking in the details as I go, and soon come across a bridge to my favorite shopping street in Paris (so far). I am now on the Île St. Louis (Island of St. Louis) and staring at the Rue St. Louis en l'Île. Though it measures maybe 1/8 of a mile, there is a delightful collection of shops selling everything gifty, trendy and/or delicious. When I go in a shop I always ask permission to take a photo. If I get it, I do. Another slideshow, bear with me!

Jewelry, clothing, foodstuffs, silk scarves, hats, artwork, gifts and children’s toys, flowers.. it’s all here.  And it is visually beautiful.  Rue St. Louis en l'Île on the Île St. Louis, Paris, France.

All this walking around has got me a little hungry. And then I see people with beautiful cones of gelato that look like rose blossoms. I must have one. I follow the trail and come across Amorino. In I go. I ask if I can take a picture and the young man behind the counter coyly says only if I buy a cone! Since I had every intention of doing so, I agree. He scoops me up a gelato blossom cone. Check this guy out, he is smooth!

The man at Amorino was ready for his close-up.  Check out that expression!  He also makes a lovely gelato blossom cone.

I'm feeling pretty lucky, as it is well past 4pm and it has not yet started to rain. I should be getting back to the hotel, though, so I decide to take the Batobus, which is basically a water taxi. One day pass will take you up and down the Seine as many times as you like. It's fast and scenic! I wish it went further, but you can't have everything. I pick up the water taxi at Île St. Louis and take it to the end of the line, the Pont Alexandre III - my favorite bridge in the world! I know this sounds odd, but it is a work of art. The last slideshow for this post -- my trip on the Batobus to the Alexandre III Bridge.

Taking the water taxi (Batobus) down the Seine is a relaxing and beautiful way to get where you want to go and take in the sights.

I need to get back to the hotel and get ready for dinner and the walk remaining is significant, so I call an Uber and am on my way. This post is long. I will sign off here and my final post, before we head back to Boston, will be dinner at L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon Etoile (this evening), and then our morning walk down the Avenue des Champs-Élysées to the Grand Palais, then climbing the Arc di Triomphe and enjoying a 360 degree view of Paris. Don't miss it!