france - day 12

When I first saw Paris, I was 16 and traveling with my parents and younger brother. My memories of that trip are like images flashed on a screen for only a few seconds. This time around I wanted to savor every minute and when I saw this lightpost near Notre-Dame, I knew I was truly back in Paris.

Our first morning in Paris we were taken on a bus ride to see the main tourist stops of the city: the Opera House, where we had a group photo taken, Notre-Dame Cathedral, the Place de la Concorde, the Champs-Elysees, the Eiffel Tower and many sites in between. It was a whirlwind, but it gave us a good overview.

Notre-Dame is perhaps the building that epitomizes the history of Paris more than any other. Construction was begun in 1163 and continued for two centuries. A favorite of visitors to Paris, there had been recent terrorist threats, and we saw soldiers in the vicinity with rifles. Our guide said that soldiers had been stationed near all the main tourist stops for the last 3 weeks. Not a very comfortable feeling.


The bus stopped at the Place du Trocadero for a photo shot of the Eiffel Tower. The place was crawling with tourists and those out to rip them off. Street vendors were everywhere, as were young women claiming to be mute, who wanted you to read a petition they had. We just said no, but I imagine others would fall prey to the scam and while reading the petition, the girl's partner would swoop in, bump against the tourist and grab a wallet. That's the part of Paris I don't like!

In the afternoon we took a guided walking tour of St. Germain des Pres, the area on the Left Bank where our hotel was located. This is where the writers, artists, and intelligentsia of past generations lived and worked. Today it still is home to many art galleries and unique shops. Since many of the streets are old and narrow, FedEx has adapted their trucks to conform. Here is a unique pedi-truck, out for delivery:

It appears that Canandaigua's wonderful new shop, F. Oliver's, is doing so well that Penelope has expanded internationally, with her first European location. Even the window sign is in English:

If you want to "eat American" you can always get Le Big One, a hamburger of enormous proportions and enormous cost. When we were there, 15 euros was about $22. We didn't stop.

Where we did stop, later that evening, was at "A La Petite Chaise", a charming bistro which claims to be the oldest restaurant in Paris. At the suggestion of the hotel's concierge, we walked to the nearby restaurant to have dinner with another couple on the tour. I was seated on the banquette against the wall, with a good view of the small dining room.

I was startled and delighted to see an elegant, older couple enter the room. The lady took a seat on the banquette opposite me and I had an excellent view of her face. I knew immediately that it was Leslie Caron, the adorable "Gigi".

Now almost 80 years old, she is still beautiful and was quite animated during dinner. Another of our traveling acquaintances confirmed for me that it truly was Leslie Caron, and I heard snipets of Maurice Chevalier singing "Thank Heavens for Little Girls" in my head. It was the quintessential Parisian moment!

Continuing our quest, we both ordered the onion soup and both determined that it was THE BEST ONION SOUP WE HAVE EVER HAD. How could this day get any better?