Geoff and I took took the Eurostar to Paris and arrived on Thursday evening. We made our way to Mary and Les's apartment at Denfert-Rochereau in the 14th arrondissement. This would be our home for the next four nights. Denfert-Rochereau is a charming little place just outside of main tourist hub of Paris. It has a handful of wonderful cafes, a street food market and some excellent local shops such as the Zara on the ground floor of the apartment building.
Our first full day in Paris was spent having a big brunch at a local cafe down the road and visiting the gardens of Musée Auguste Rodin. Our local cafe and its owner had such a sunny disposition and served wonderful home made quiches and desserts.
It was then off on a quick metro ride to the Musée Auguste Rodin gardens. The garden is a charming place. For just a few euros, one can enjoy its design, greenery, water features and most of all Rodin's famous sculptures including his most famous, The Thinker.
The garden's residence, Hotel Biron, houses even more of Rodin's sculptures. But the garden has such an extensive collection of Rodin's work, we didn't feel the need to venture indoors.
A short hop across the road, one can reach Hotel de Invalides. Its grounds are home to the comprehensive military museum, the Musée de l'Armée, and the church, Eglise du Dôme, which houses Napoleaan's tomb among much grandeur.
Easter Sunday was spent at the Sacre Coeur. We went early to nab a seat in the lofty church and spent 2 hours at mass- all in French!
A special Easter dinner was celebrated at Le Jardin D'Ivy. A restaurant with a sweet garden out the back and traditional French dishes. Herlina introduced us to this gem one of the very first times we visited Paris.
Most stores on Sundays are closed in Paris, so we always make our way to the chic Marais district, the Jewish quarter of Paris. While the Marais is small, there is always so much to do there. One can choose to people watch over a cafe au lait, browse little boutiques, consume delicious treats from one of the boulangeries, reflect and relax among the trees in the Place des Vosges and/or visit the Picasso Museum, a place we have been meaning to go every time we have been in Paris. We are glad to say we finally made it!
The museum, a former mansion residence built in the 1600's, houses a wonderful collection of Picasso's work. While museums like the Lourve are impressive, information overload is something we having been coming to experience a lot after so many museums and galleries in Europe. But the Picasso Museum has just the right number of works dotted around the mansion and its elaborate staircase. For a short break after viewing (and before one hits the Marais shops) there is a tiny garden out the back to rest and grab a drink.
We left Paris two nights before Mary and Les. They were due in London then for more exciting adventures ahead!
