We headed through several parts of London, seeing some of the wealthiest parts as well as the dirty outskirts before driving through lots of fields and pastures. After about an hour, we got to Dover for our ferry crossing across the English Channel. While we were waiting, we got out and took some pictures with the white Dover cliffs in the background.
Our English Channel crossing was about an hour so we managed to get a hearty breakfast in and explore the ferry, too. On our way to Paris, we stopped by the Vimy Memorial, a French memorial to the Canadians for their alliance in WWI.
We arrived at the Pullman Hotel Paris La Defense in the late afternoon, where we were immediately greeted in a small café room with a welcome drink of sangria. Our hotel is located in the business district so we are surrounded by beautiful high rise buildings. I imagine it’s like staying at the Millenium Biltmore in downtown LA. The city is quiet because most Parisians are on vacation plus it is a Sunday so the area is very still.We both showered and got re-dressed to meet downstairs for our optional dinner excursion. We rode along Champs Elysees and caught our first real glimpse of the Eiffel Tower, but wouldn’t you know, my camera battery died! I was so upset! Hubby at first teased me and then said it’s okay, we’ll just have to enjoy it through our memories. That's easy for the husband with the photographic memory to say to his wife with short-term memory challenges. We made our way to the Latin Square to have dinner at Au Bistrot de la Montagne, a very festive and fun restaurant.
(The picture is from their website b/c remember? My camera battery was dead. :( We sat at the table in the bottom right corner of this pix.)
While we were being seated, musicians were already entertaining patrons. We were immediately given a tasty variant of mimosa upon being seated. We chose from a prix fixe menu so I ordered “lawyer” shrimp cocktail (bay shrimps, avocados, peas, carrots, in a sweet, creamy, orange sauce), “Gambas outbreaks cognac” (prawns in cognac sauce with rice and vegetable medley), and peaches melba. Hubby chose lox on a salad, beef in peppercorn sauce (with potatoes and mushrooms), and apple tart. Hubby requested a beer for a drink. He asked in Spanish since our waiter spoke both French and Spanish. I think the waiter got so excited about a Spanish-speaker b/c he brought out a huge bottle of French beer (with a German name) that was quite tasty. It was probably a 40 oz. After our main course, another waiter came around with a platter of cheeses to choose from. We sampled brie, pimento, and gouda. I especially liked the gouda. We were also served the traditional end-of-dinner shot of a black currant liqueur that was so strong. I only tasted it.
After dinner, we quickly rushed out to the bus to drive a few blocks to get on our River Seine Cruise. We took off around 9:30 PM and enjoyed the beautiful city lights, bridges, architecture, monuments, and landmarks. I saw the Eiffel Tower lit up at night, and it was magical. (When we got close, Hubby said, “It’s smaller than I thought,” but soon after, it was towering over us in its lit glory and he said, “Whoa, it is pretty big.”) On the way back, the tour guide said it is tradition to make a wish as we pass under Sully Bridge and kiss our neighbor to make the wish come true. :)
The hour long cruise was wonderful, definitely a highlight for me. It was serene, romantic, beautiful, and relaxing. We must have passed under close to 20 bridges, all that were so unique in architecture and history. I can see how people fall in love with Paris, move here, or want to live here. We got back on our bus around 10:30 PM and drove down Champs Elysees and circled by the Arc de Triomphe again.
We both rather enjoyed this evening.
Highlights for me:
- Arc de Triomphe
- Going up and down Champs Elysees during the day and night
- Dinner
- River Seine cruise
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