August 2, 2018

Another 90 plus day in Paris!! We are told that it’s unseasonably “warm” this summer and oui oui it is! So we filled our tourist itinerary with garden visits – always one of my favorite avenues of exploration!!

After a carbohydrate/sugar laden breakfast at our Airbnb, we proceeded to amble and eventually plod through the statues, flowers, art installments and landscaped gardens of Jardin Ann Frank, Jardin de Tuileries and along the Musée D’Orsay and Le Carrousel Du Louvre. Disappointingly, we didn’t quite make it to the Jardin Champs-Elysees or Jardin du Luxembourg – we were just too tuckered out, sweltering and hungry!

Finally at 2:30 Darrell led us to the highly (Google) rated La Calèche (the carriage), which turned out to be a delightful restaurant in a historical (and cool) building! There was only one other diner for much of our meal and the service lavished on us was attentive yet far from overbearing. We were welcomed as warmly as had we been family! Proprietor, Phillip, had owned an antique store in years past and being quite the collector, has created an extremely inviting ambiance – right down to the beautiful silverware! He prepared our dishes of Caprese salad (but in a French way with delicious greens dressed perfectly to accompany the sweetly ripened tomatoes and delicate buffalo mozzarella), grilled sea bream with splendidly seasoned vegetables and a melt in your mouth bacon cheese burger like no other made from beef farmed in mid France and accompanied by handmade frites!! And as if that were not enough, our meals came with desserts of a pear custard cake that was not too sweet and a creamy raspberry custard! We enjoyed ourselves and Philip so much that we didn’t wish to leave – and in actuality were almost unable given how full we became!!! Those few blocks back to our place were helpful to ease this state of discomfort yet felt more like a mile as we waddled along in the heat!

Our Airbnb is actually a joined room in the historic Louisiane Hotel built in 1823. So many famous actors, writers, artists and musicians have stayed here over the years! The streets below are quite lively with street side cafes, an open air market and a variety of shops.

We took a considerably long rest and then embarked upon a dusk viewing of the Eiffel Tower! We were a tad late for quality photos with we humans in them but we truly enjoyed The immensity of this incredibly Amazing structure!! And, being a part of the appreciative crowd and to hear the collective gasps as the tower started twinkling – priceless