After a somewhat strenuous experience at Versailles, we decided to spend the next day at one of the market streets for which Paris is famous and then to wrap things up by going on a cruise on the Seine. Rain was in the forecast so we chose Rue Mouffetard, a market street fairly close to the apartment. It is so close, in fact, that it made more sense to take the bus than the train. Other than mistakenly exiting from the entrance, we found the bus to be a pleasant experience.
The bus does not go directly to Rue Mouffetard, however. Instead, Google maps took us through a few winding, twisty streets until, at last:
It did not take long to find the markets! We started out with a few small shops:
Then we got down to some fabulous treats. First, the fromagerie:
While we never exactly finished cutting the cheese, the next stop was one of the many open markets:
Yes, morels were abundant!
You get chicken and a nice back scratcher at no extra cost!
Looking for a nice seafood dinner?
Have a sweet tooth?
Or, even better:
Now, what to wash all this stuff down with?
Well, after a pleasant experience in the various markets, our next stop was to take the train down to the Eiffel Tower. We had no intention of going up into it. The idea was just to get close. I’m sure you know what the tower looks like, so here are some views that you might not see:
There are 72 names of French scientists, engineers, and mathematicians engraved on the tower. So many people hated the tower at the time it was built that Gustave Eiffel hoped adding them as a memorial would quiet people down.
By the time we had finished our visit to the Eiffel Tower it was time for our sunset cruise of the Seine. Unfortunately the rain clouds had moved back in and we were not permitted to sit on the upper deck. Instead we were confined below:
You still get a good view, but not like being outside. First, the Musee d’ Orsay:
Pont de Invalides:
The Statue of Liberty at the Pont de Grenelle:
By the time we got home it was just after midnight and we hadn’t had dinner. But, once again Butte aux Cailles was most accommodating. We quickly found a restaurant with a staff that was surprisingly jovial for that time of night. All’s well that ends well.
oldcapehorner 