Paris - Tuesday, September 30 and Wednesday. October 30, 2014

Tuesday September 30, 2014

 

After breakfast at the hotel it was off to meet for our Eiffel Tower tour.  Yes we bought tickets in advance because we didn’t want to stand in line to get them.  Took the Metro and then walked a few blocks to the office of the tour company.  Then once everyone was assembled the guide led us to the Eiffel Tower.  As we walked the couple of blocks to the Tower she had us introduce ourselves and tell where we were from.  Then she stopped just behind the Tower to give us a history lesson, when it was built, why it was built and why it still remains in Paris.  It was suppose to be disassembled a few years after it was built in 1889.   So we passed through security and took the elevator to the 2^nd landing.  We were suppose to immediately take the elevator to the summit.  Oops there is a problem.  The elevator to the summit isn’t working.  They have no idea how long it is going to take to repair it.  So first we stand around in a line waiting to get on the elevator to the summit.  We probably stand there for a good half hour and still no word on when the elevator will be repaired.  Se  we walk around the second level and take some pictures.   Buy a few post cards and then take the elevator down to the first level and take some more pictures.  The elevator was still not working so we decided to leave.  It was a shame because poor Bob has never been able to get good pictures from the summit, in two other visits before, because of the weather.  Today would have been a perfect day.

 

So we left the Eiffel Tower and walked around the corner and up the street for a bit of lunch.  We went to Restaurant Ribe, a place we had eaten lunch in at least twice when we were in Paris in 2008.  The onion soup is the best.

 

Lunch

Restaurant Ribe

Bob and I both had a bowl of Soupe Gratinee aux Oigon

We shared an order of Foie Gras de Canard

Our wine was Pouilly Fume

And for dessert we shared Café Liegiois (it was like a coffee ice cream sundae)

 

Absolutely wonderful lunch

 

After lunch I sat on a bench down the street from the restaurant while Bob walked up the street to a wine shop he had visited in 2008.  He did pick up a couple of bottles of wine to bring home.

 

Then it was back to the hotel.  I spent the afternoon packing and Bob walked down the street to a little candy shop we had visited a couple of days before to buy some more candy. 

 

Then we got ready to go to our last dinner in Paris.

 

We took a taxi to the restaurant but we were a little early.  So we decided to walk around a little bit.  As we were walking down the street I saw a little jewelry store and stopped to window shop.  I saw a couple of watches in the window that I liked to Bob suggested that we go inside and see if there was anything I liked.  I picked out a watch and several pairs of earrings that I liked.  Bob told me to go ahead and get the watch and then he made me leave the shop while he bought me some Christmas presents.  Can’t wait to see which earrings he actually bought me.

 

Dinner

Au Trou Gascon

Entrée:

Bob – Steamed Cooked Brittanh Lobster, Coral Custard Perfumed Infused with Fresh Herbs

Iris – Duck Foie Gras Paste Pie – Bitter Sweet Fruits

Plats:  We  both had Cassoulet, a dish of white beans, duck confit, veal chop and saussage

Dessert:

Bob – Postachio Cream cake, Raspberries and Pistachio Ice Cream

Iris – Instant Dainty Chocolate Ice Cream, Vanilla Meringue, Mango Chutney

 

After dinner we took a taxi back to the hotel and finished packing.

 

The Eiffel Tower

One of the many views from the 2nd level of the
Eiffel Tower

e

Champs de Pars from he Eiffel Tower

A wonky view of the tower

Me on the Eiffel Tower

Bob on the Eiffel Tower

Café Ribe

Bob, me and bowls of Onion Soup
Oh it was so good

Me and the Onion Soup

 

Wednesday October 1, 2014

 

Up early to get the shuttle to the airport.  We had no problems getting our boarding passes and finding our gate for departure.  We flew from Paris to Frankfurt, Germany with a short layover in Frankfurt.  Then flew from Frankfurt to Philadelphia.  Our flight was uneventful.  Arrived in Philadelphia and went through customs, retrieved our luggage and found the ground transportation desk.  We only waited a few minutes for the shuttle and then off to Collegeville.  We were the last passengers to be dropped off.  We packed our luggage in the trunk and then Bob tried to start our car.  It wouldn’t start.  He tried several times but no luck.  Luckily for us the shuttle driver hadn’t left the parking lot and he saw we were having problems.  He came back and jumped our car and it started right away.

 

It was wonderful to get home.