Tuileries, Place de la Concorde & a peak at Galeries Lafayette~

Monday, September 20th~

We've decided to return to the Embassy gift shop, so we are to meet Judy there at 12:30p.

We walked and arrived at the Place de la Concorde a bit early, so we crossed over to the Tuileries garden.

 This view is from the far west end of the Tuileries garden, closest to the Place de la Concorde.  In the far background you can just barely make out part of the Louvre.

 This is from the terraced area next to the Jeu de Paume, a museum that houses photography exhibits.  In the far background, center, is the Montparnesse tower, the tallest building in France (59 floors).  In the far right is the Orangerie, the museum that includes Monet's huge waterlily murals.

In addition to all the classical sculpture you do find the modern, abstract as well.

We are heading towards that entrance which leads back out onto the Place de la Concorde.

Looking further west up the Champs Elysees towards the Arc de Triomphe.

In the center of the Place.  We are heading towards the Embassy

 which is behind the trees on the left side of the photo.

You may have wondered where does everyone park in this

 large city with all the narrow streets.  Underground.

We arrived at the Embassy at the designated time.  And went through the same routine as last week.

This time I had all the phrases figured out so that I was able to speak to the Gendarmes. I told them that we were visiting the Minister of Cultural Affairs.  He told me I had the wrong building.

Good grief!  We went through the same long routine as before.

We met Judy and she took us down to the gift shop.  We didn't stay long; she showed us a little more of the Embassy, then we were on our way.

We hopped on the Metro and got off at Metro: Opera.  One of the larger station stops.  It's a correspondence, a connecting stop for 5 different lines.  We won't do that again!  It was quite a hike to get out.

Today's destination is Galeries Lafayette, one of the Grands Magasins (large department store). Please click on the link to see the interior of this spectacular store!  Galeries Lafayette is actually 3 stores; one for women, one for men and one for home furnishings.  We entered the women's building.

The women's store: Galeries Lafayette.

I stopped first at the information desk to pick up my 10% discount card offered to tourists (with a passport).  The girl was quite friendly and eager to use her English, asking where I was from.  When I said Florida she said she had relatives in Miami.  I asked if she had been there, but she said that she had only been to New York and New Jersey.

This store was quite overwhelming!  The section for purses went on forever!  I had wanted so much to really SEE this store~all of it.  But I was immediately feeling claustrophobic.  There was SO much; it was real sensory overload.

The next area was jewelry....oh, my downfall.  And Woody's weakness.

As a good friend would say, "I was aghast and agog!"  

I tried to take a photo of this cute jewelry line~cute little peanuts wearing berets:  But I no sooner clicked the photo when I heard,

 " No photo, madame."    The photo police again.

I looked around some more and found these earrings.

  These would be my Paris souvenir.

I told the saleswoman that I would like them; she wrote up the bill, which I had to take to the cashier.  I paid, using my 10% discount and returned with my copy to the jewelry counter.  I was given my purchase all wrapped and presented in it's little bag (with the designer brochure included).

My fashionable "Parisian Lady" earrings.

When I was done, Woody was ready to get out of there!   I left reluctantly.....

We walked along Boulevard Italienne~one of the grands boulevards~ and found a little Italian cafe, Cafe Contini.  I would finally have my favorite Spaghetti Bolognese.  We were seated next to four women, two of whom were rolling their own cigarettes!  I think they were Aussies.

Cafe Contini

The cafe table when you sit down.



When you say you are there to have lunch, they put a square top over the round table.

After lunch, we continued towards rue du Louvre, passing this very cute toy store.

We turned the corner to look in more windows and found ourselves in a Passage.

Another serendipitous find!!  This is the Passage des Princes.  It's all toy stores!

Following our daily routine, we rested then went again for dinner at about 8 pm.  Tonight it was back to La Perla~our favorite little restaurant on rue Montorgueil.  Tonight I had dessert; profiteroles (cream puffs filled with ice cream and covered with chocolate).

Tired and satisfied we strolled back to the apt....stopping at Place St. Eustache.

There was a full moon.....