July 28th - Paris Part 2

Hey all! I had another jam-packed day that began bright and early around 6:30am. I woke up, got myself ready, then walked for a while around the city before going to the meeting point for a full "Paris in a Day" tour. I met my tour guide, Alberto, and off we went!

Our first stop was the Sacré-Cœur Basilica in Montmartre, a catholic church on one of the seven hills of Paris. The view, building, and interior were incredible. 

Then, we continued traveling around Montmartre, looking at famous buildings and local legends along the way. Local legends of the area include Dalida, Pablo Picasso, and the man who could walk through walls.

After exploring the neighborhood, Alberto led us to a cafe for some breakfast. I ordered their formule petit-déjeuner (breakfast combo), which included a pastry, a hot drink, and a freshly squeezed fruit or vegetable juice of my choice, so I went with a hot chocolate, a croissant, and orange juice. The croissant was the best I've ever had; it was so light, flaky, and buttery.

Once we finished breakfast, we went onto the metro and traveled over to the Louvre. I looked at a lot of amazing famous works, such as the Venus de Milo, the Mona Lisa, and Nike, goddess of victory. 

 

We were given free reign for lunch today, so I chose this bakery near the Louvre called Boulangerie Kayser, where I had a quiche lorraine, a soda, and a tigré almond cake. Very good!

After lunch, we went back into the metro and traveled to Notre Dame and l'Hôtel de Ville (city hall). 

Then, we traveled via the metro to la Place du Trocadero, where we got incredible views of the Eiffel Tower.  

To conclude the tour, we went on a beautiful Seine river cruise, which took us under a whole bunch of bridges and taught us about each one. The boat guide also pointed out famous landmarks.

After the cruise, I was getting hungry so I went to a restaurant called Le Coup de Torchon (in English: The Wipe). My starter was the medallion of duck liver served with bread and salad. Excellent, especially when you spread the liver out on the bread. The main course: Normandy-style veal paupiette with cream, mushrooms, potatoes, and carrots. The meat was so tender, I didn't need to chew it. Absolutely delicious. Dessert tonight was fresh cheese with a red fruit coulis. A perfect way to end the meal!

After dinner, I walked back to my hotel. See you tomorrow!