Friday the 13th's are supposed to be unlucky, but not for us! We're having a terrific day!
We find that 1:00 p.m. is a great meeting time for us. We're winding down and starting later each day. We want to slow down and enjoy the Parisian lifestyle. So we head down Rue Cler and start our shopping. A baguette from the boulangerie. Some cheese from the fromagerie. Some recommended wine from the wine shop. Some cured meats and olives from the deli. Yes, we having a picnic!
gotta love Rue Cler!
I've confiscated a towel from our room to be our tablecloth (don't worry...I'm going to return it!) and a corkscrew. I ask at the desk if I can borrow four wine glasses for a picnic. "Picnic???" the gent at the desk repeats with a confused expression. Have I committed some faux pas? Am I being a rude American tourist to ask? Non. He just wants to clarify what sort of wine glasses...and he returns with plastic stemware for our fete.
And off we go. We're headed to the Tulieres garden to enjoy our picnic. It's so fun and so relaxing. We see some old gents playing boules (bocce). We watch workers on their breaks relaxing on the recliner style green chairs. A child launches a sailboat in the fountain. Several groups of children walk by on their end-of-the-year field trips. And here we are...in Paris...sipping our wine and enjoying the wares of the French markets. (And in case you're wondering...it is legal to drink alcoholic beverages in the parks here.)
We hate to move, but I have one more personal goal for Paris and the hour is getting late. I want to visit the Opera Garnier. No, I don't want to watch an opera (but I certainly would if I could!), I just want to see this famous opera house that is now primarily used for ballets. This is THE opera house, with the immense chandelier, that was the inspiration for Phantom of the Opera. We find it at 4:30 and it closes for viewing at 5:00, but I am determined. We purchase tickets, enter, and our jaws drop. What a building!! We walk up the Grand Entrance and enter the Grand Foyer (yes, that's what these areas are called...."Grand"!) and I imagine myself as a member of the 1900 Paris Society entering in gown extraordinaire, fan in one hand and opera glasses in the other.
This building is noted for its opulence and no expense was spared, no detail left undone. An amazing piece of architecture!
Also, in various hallways, you'll find costumes from some of the most famous operas encased in glass...costumes from operas written by Verdi and Wagner...just to name drop a bit. The costumes are fabulous, the building is opulent, and I am giddy!
While out and about we ran across some other sights worth seeing.
We top off the day with a dinner at a small restaurant that is close to our hotel. An American lady had highly recommended it while we were eating at a nearby creperie the other day. She said she was a professor at a culinary school in Wisconsin, and that this restaurant's food was beyond amazing. Now I must say....I'm a bit of a cynic when it comes to listening to recommendations. First of all, is a teacher at a culinary institute really called a professor?? But she certainly was passionate about the place. Let's give it a try.
7eVin is a cute, small, very French restaurant. Most of us enjoy our meal, but Jacque's steak was a disaster. Aside from the steak misstep...which was a big one...we enjoyed the ambience, location, semi-outdoor seating, and each others' company. Another day that ends with an "a good day...good day" comment from all. Yes, it was Friday the 13th, but it was a very lucky day for us!
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