A Panoramic Tour of Paris, April 15, 2023

Panoramic Tour of Paris, April 15, 2023

Today was our last Viking day - even though technically tomorrow is "debarkation day." The weather is grey, rainy, and COLD - not at all great for touring. The hotel is ginormous and full of people. The included breakfast buffet was difficult to navigate, and after getting annoyed with lines of people and a lot of confusion, I just took my coffee and sat down. Not a great way to start the day ... but I quickly laughed off my grumpiness as we boarded our coach for a Panoramic Paris tour, which began with a drive along the Seine River, past Notre Dame Cathedral, the Louvre, and the Musée d’Orsay. We rode along the Champs-Élysées past the Arc de Triomphe. So many wonderful sights and reminders of past Parisian visits.

Our Guide Karina

Some rainy photos to give you a sense of the drive:

A View of the Conciergerie

Eiffel Tower in the Clouds

Eiffel Tower Through the Trees

Arc de Triomphe

Obelisk

Flower Shop

Place de la Révolution (Now Place de la Concorde)
Marie Antoinette was beheaded here on October 16, 1793

We got off the bus near Notre Dame for a bit of a walking tour. Fortunately, the rain had abated, and although we had to beware of puddles, we did not get wet.

Notre Dame is not yet open to the public, but a great deal of progress is being made toward her reconstruction. How different it looks from the last time we visited. It is surrounded by plywood panels with photographs depicting the work that is taking place. Some photos:

We meandered a bit further until we reached a little park-like square - Le Square René Viviani.

Saint Julien Fountain

There is an odd-looking fountain (Jeff called it "The Ugly Sculpture") known as the Saint Julien fountain, that was erected in 1995. It is the work of the French sculptor, Georges Jeanclos (1933–1997), and it is emblematic of the legend of St. Julien the Hospitaller, a tale, now largely discounted, involving a curse by witches, a talking deer, a case of mistaken identity, a horrific crime, several improbable coincidences, and a supernatural intervention. The story was told and retold during the Middle Ages, and it became a favorite. Consequently, hospitals, hospices, and churches all over Europe adopted Julien as their patron. He was also a patron saint of hunters, innkeepers, and ferrymen; traveling pilgrims often prayed for his help in finding comfortable lodgings.

Vizslas in the Park

I took the photo above in honor of the vizslas we have known and loved. There was a young one on the left and an older one (with the tell-tale white muzzle) on the right. The young one kept trying to chase the pigeons!

We were given some "free time," so Jeff and I went over to a little cafe - I didn't catch the name of it - for some tea and a snack.

Tarte au Chevre (Tomato Tarte with Goat Cheese)

The tea was warm and wonderful. Because I had not had breakfast, I chose the Tarte au Chevre; Jeff chose a chocolate chip cookie. My tarte was mostly slices of roma tomatoes with perhaps a bit of parmesan cheese sprinkled on the crust before adding the tomatoes. The crust was a savory cruse with just a hint of oregano and/or basil mixed in. The creamy goat cheese on top was just enough to make it a truly satisfying dish. Loved every bite (and have been contemplating a recipe for it ever since).

We walked back to the park to gather with our coach-mates and continued onward past some very old houses - dating to the 12th or 13th century - and back to the bus for a ride back to the hotel.

Shakespeare and Company

12th or 13th Century Homes

We had made arrangements to meet our "greeter" at the apartment at 3:30 pm, so we had a bit of time after arriving back at the hotel at about 12:30. We weren't ready for lunch, so ... Jeff opted for a nap!

Just a bit before three, we grabbed our bags, went down to the Viking desk in the hotel, and bid farewell to our Program Director, Tara.

This truly has been a lovely cruise with built-in pre- and post-extensions. The people have been lovely all along the way. I can honestly say I did not meet a single obnoxious person on the boat!

BUT ... now we are anxious to get to the next part of the adventure ... a week in our own Paris apartment. We easily located a taxi to take us to our St. Germane apartment - just a block away from the Musée d’Orsay.

I loved the description of this apartment - booked through Paris Vacation Apartments, which we used back in 2012 when we went to Paris to celebrate our 40th anniversary with Peter and Betty Lou and stayed in a fantastic 2-bedroom place in the Place des Vosges. The listing for this apartment billed as a Saint-Germain Chic One-Bedroom Apartment reads as follows: "An incredible location in the heart of the Saint Germain neighborhood known as the “soul of Paris” just steps away from the Seine River. Saint Germain will forever be the “soul of Paris” and home of the Arts. An ideal location to wander through this neighborhood’s tiny crooked streets and passage-ways and travel back in time and have a café at Café de Flore and Deux Magots in the footsteps of the Lost Generation and New Wave artists, such as Hemingway, Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir, Gertrude Stein, Truffaut, Godard…

This chic, bright, and quiet apartment is located in a classic building built in 1700, a short away from the famous Musée d’Orsay, the Louvre, the Tuileries, and the Luxembourg Gardens. An elevator takes you up to this chic one-bedroom apartment with a splittable king-size bed and en suite bathroom. This apartment has been entirely and elegantly renovated to create the perfect space to make your stay “très chic”.

And "chic" it is!

When we met our greeter, he knew that we had stayed at the apartment they had owned in the Place des Voges and mentioned that they had sold that apartment "because of the neighborhood." We did not inquire what he meant but talked about how much we had enjoyed the place.

Frédéric showed us around the apartment and gave us instructions on how to use the different appliances.

We put the washing machine to good use as soon as he left us since we were just about out of clean clothes after 12 days of travel with just two carry-on bags! We did one load of wash and put it into the dryer before venturing out for an early dinner at Les Antiquaires, a restaurant recommended by Frédéric.

Jeff shot this photo from the taxi on our way to the apartment!

Inside Les Antiquaires

We did not have a reservation, and it was Saturday night, so we were out of luck in terms of eating inside. However, they did have tables outside and blankets as well if you felt cold. It had been a lovely day, and we decided to enjoy the meal outside.