We got off to a bit of a slow start today. We got downstairs around 9:00 am and enjoyed a lovely breakfast.

After breakfast we headed out along Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré and on to Place Vendôme, where we did a bit of shopping.

Looking across the Place Vendôme from inside Louis Vuitton.
Looking across the Place Vendôme from inside Louis Vuitton.

We then wandered through the Jardin des Tuileries, which is always beautiful, even in winter.

Andrea in the Jardin des Tuileries.
Andrea in the Jardin des Tuileries.

Next, we decided to head down to Notre-Dame. Even though we had seen news footage of the damage caused by the fire, we were still shocked by the scale of the damage.

Keith at Place de la Concorde.
Keith at Place de la Concorde.
La Tour Eiffel.
La Tour Eiffel.
Andrea at Place de la Concorde.
Andrea at Place de la Concorde.
Keith with Île de la Cité in the background.
Keith with Île de la Cité in the background.
Looking across the Seine.
Looking across the Seine.
Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris, in ruins after the fire of 15 April 2019.
Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris, in ruins after the fire of 15 April 2019.

From the cathedral we headed to Shakespeare and Co. for a browse.

Andrea outside Shakespeare and Co.
Andrea outside Shakespeare and Co.

From Notre-Dame we walked to Saint-Germain-des-Prés, where the first order of business was to buy crêpes filled with Nutella and banana! We ate as we walked, noting how much more vibrant the area seemed to be than we were last here a few years ago.

Andrea in Saint-Germain-des-Prés.
Andrea in Saint-Germain-des-Prés.
Keith about to enjoy a crêpe.
Keith about to enjoy a crêpe.
Andrea showing the French how to maske crêpes!
Andrea showing the French how to maske crêpes!
Andrea walking down Boulevard Saint-Germain.
Andrea walking down Boulevard Saint-Germain.

Every time we come to Paris we eat at the same restaurant we first ate when we first came to Paris together in 2005. And this trip was to be no exception! So, we headed for Le Pré aux Clercs on the corner of Rue Jacob and Rue Bonaparte (in the 6th arrondissement) and had a nice meal. It’s certainly not the fanciest dining in Paris but it’s always nostalgic for us.

After dinner we walked along Boulevard Saint-Germain, stopping frequently to look in the shop windows. We crossed the river and walked through Place de la Concorde to get back to Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré.

The Seine.
The Seine.
La Tour Eiffel.
La Tour Eiffel.

We were surprised by how many police were on the street and further surprised as they kept directing us away from where we were trying to go. Eventually we managed to explain that we were headed for Le Bristol and we were allowed to walk through. When we got back to the hotel, we were told by the concierge that the president (whose residence is just down the street from our hotel) is in town and, given his current level of popularity (very low!) the police are taking no chances.

Once back inside the hotel we went to visit the hotel’s resident cat, Fa-raon (which is French for “pharaoh”). He was very sleepy and not interested in posing for a photo! So, we ended up chatting to the concierge for a while instead and then headed upstairs for bed.

The quaint old elevator in Le Bristol.
The quaint old elevator in Le Bristol.

Tomorrow we will be in Paris in the morning and then we’re flying to Berlin in the afternoon.