This was it – our last full day! It’s hard to believe that just six weeks ago we were waking up to a sunny morning in Paris – that view and that weather and those 10 am sleep-ins feel almost like a dream now… That said, RISE AND SHINE, KIDDO! Time to carpe diem.
We actually had very little on our set agenda for the day – we’d done our major sight-seeing and were looking forward to a day of wandering, park-sitting, and Coke-drinking. First though, breakfast!
We ordered up a spread at Au Rocher de Cancale on Rue Montorgueil. Croissants and an an omelet and orange juice and a cappuccino and tea and a side of baguette with jam, because it’s Paris.
Since we were in the neighborhood, we walked through Eglise Saint-Eustache – this is one of those cathedrals that seemed to perpetually be under construction during my previous times in Paris, so I’m not sure I’d ever been in before.
It was worth the pop-in.
We picked up some market fare and then Metro’d over to Jardin de Luxembourg for a picnic lunch.
This girl…the Metro was completely overwhelming to her on our first couple of days in the city. She had a faulty ticket upon our arrival and had trouble with the turnstiles; it made her skittish about navigating transit. But a few days in and she was breezing through the Metro tunnels, telling me when the next train would arrive and acting like she owned that platform. Urban life ain’t got nothing on Juliette.
We parked ourselves at a couple of green chairs at the Jardin de Luxembourg and pulled out our sunglasses and books.
I’m going to refrain from calling this park “my favorite” because I have a tendency to over-use the words “my favorite” when speaking of all things Paris, but…IT’S THE BEST.
And…let’s eat!
We polished off our lunch and snapped a few photos in the gardens before setting off in search of gifts to take home to the family.
We picked up a handful of goodies for Shane and for my parents, who would be in Seattle when we arrived home, took a spin through Saint Sulpice, and then decided it was Happy Hour.
Cafe time! I soaked it up. Juliette told a friend of ours at dinner tonight about how much she liked just hanging out at the cafes in Paris and the friend remarked, “Wow! Sounds so grown-up!”. And it really was. But also, it wasn’t? We played cards and told silly stories and it still felt very sweet in a mother-kiddo kind of way.
We ambled back toward the Marais, opting to hang by the Seine for a bit on the way to watch the boats go by. I can’t emphasize enough how luxurious it was to just stop and sit whenever we felt like it.
Pastel hour…
And then back to our tried-and-true Pizza Sant Antonio, for pasta and one last Spritz. I know, we coulda shoulda woulda ventured out and tried something new, but there was something special about already feeling like we had “our place” after just a few days in the neighborhood.
I awoke with mixed emotions on Saturday. Leaving this place always hurts, but we were both missing our guys something fierce and felt more than satisfied with the gifts Paris had lavished upon us. We had time for one last walk through the Place des Vosges…
One last croissant…
And one last cafe visit, this time on Ile Saint Louis.
Properly carbed and caffeinated, we headed back to the apartment, me freeze-framing every last memory along the way.
And then..au revoir Paris! And maybe a bientot? I don’t know…the jury is out on if and when Juliette and I will go back. Right now I’m just eternally grateful for that dream of a week in my favorite place with my favorite girl.
And extra-super-duper-eternally grateful for the guy that made it all happen. For Shane, who pushed us out the door when I wavered, who never spoke of the hard moments he had with Isaac that week, though I’m sure they existed. Watching Juliette fly into his arms at SeaTac, my heart fluttered a bit. He loves us both so damn much.
And Buddy! Mama’s home. I’ve got something to show you, in about eight years…
