Paris - Day Two

Day two: Well, almost. I woke up at 11:49 a.m. feeling like I had a full night's sleep. I was convinced that my phone hadn't adjusted to the new time zone. I woke again at 3:00 a.m. At 4:00 a.m. we watched an amazing thunder and lightning storm and watched a video my brother Dan sent us. I'm sure our hotel neighbors wondered why we were giggling in the wee hours of the morning.

At 6:00 a.m. I finally gave up on sleep, got up, showered, and went for a walk. I just couldn't look at the ceiling any longer--no matter how pretty it was.

We stayed in a quiet little area near the Sorbonne so it felt safe to wander rather aimlessly. The nighttime rain had washed the sidewalk clean, and the quiet morning offered a good chance to begin to get my bearings. Here and there, I was able to notice fun little details that I didn't expect like this color wheel on the pavement.

We grabbed a quick croissant and cappuccino at Parisienne, 52 bd Saint-Germain, 75005, and decided to get our bearings in this big city by taking the Big Bus Hop-on Hop-off Tour. We started by taking the Red Line. A good way to cover a lot of territory for just €38. We caught the bus at a stop near Notre Dame but on the other side of the river (it was hard to find due to construction). Stops on the Red Line include the: Orsay Museum, Place de las Concorde, Avenue de l’Champ Elysees, Arc de Triomphe, Grand Palais, Trocadéro, Tour Eiffel, Hôtel des Invalides, Opéra Musée Fragonard, and the Louvre.

Eventually we hopped off to have lunch at the charming Café de Flore, 172 bd Saint-Germain, 75006. If you go there, be sure to have some coins in your pocket for the bathroom attendant or you'll get the French stink eye.

Our timing was not great because after lunch it started pouring...so we made our way to Lauduree, 21 rue Bonaparte, 75006, for a few macarons.

Hoping the rain would subside, we decided to get back on the Hop-on Hop-off to explore the Blue Route. That route highlights: Place Clichy, Moulin Rouge, Montmartre, Sacre-Coeur, Gare du Nord, and Musee Brevin. By the end of that route, we were wrapped in plastic ponchos, our hair was wild, and we were freezing. Luckily, we found a fun place for dinner near our hotel: L’Elica alimentary and aperitivo, 28 rue des Ecoles, 75005.

A little pizza and wine was all we needed before we headed back for bedtime. Bonne nuit!