Wednesday: June 10
Dinner & Seine Cruise
We trotted around the corner to board a tour bus which took us for an early evening drive around some of the more picturesque parts of Paris. We passed St. Chappelle, the Bastille, Louvre, Orsay Museum, Concorde Square, the Arc de Triomphe, then President Chirac's home and the National Assembly. Throngs of police in flak jackets lined the streets. Finally, we passed through the tunnel where Lady Di was killed and entered a very upscale area of Paris. Here we stopped at Chez Clement for a fancy dinner.
The decor was unique: braided strands of antique spoons that formed light fixtures, candle sconces, mirror frames, and door handles.
As you can see, Ollie is having no difficulty adjusting to the Parisian nightlife and cafe scene.
After our feast of salat, roast poullet, mashed potatoes and wine, we nibbled goblets of mint, mimosa and berry ice cream, then boarded the bus for a short trip to the pier. Here we boarded a long, flat open boat which took us for an evening tour of Paris, from the far end of the Seine, down past Notre Dame Cathedral and back up again.
Once again, the river scenes were incredible--massive carvings, monuments, mansions and museums, plus people having picnics on every island and the banks of the Seine.
The rising moon overhead added to the festive evening mood.
Our romantic evening concluded with a lovely apertif at a nearby outdoor cafe, then a leisurely stroll down Sebastopol Boulevard, back to our hotel at around 1 a.m.