We left off with the tantalizing idea that Tuesday was our version of the movie “The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie.” (See it if you never have, and if you have, watch it again.)  We set out and bought our third carnet at the Metro station. (A carnet is a set of ten individual Metro tickets, one for each trip with unlimited transfers.)  On the Metro we talked about the fact that we would go to the Pompidou for the first time, since it was closed when we were in France in the 90s.  The closest station is in the Les Halles area about 6 blocks from the museum.  We got there, looked at the outside and noticed no lines.  Now this is normal in March perhaps, but not in June.  Upon checking our guidebook, we saw this museum was closed on Tuesdays.  ARGH!!  We decided we would then go to the Marmottan-Monet Impressionism Museum.  It is quite a ways from where we were as was the Metro station.  On the way there we decided to stop for Thai-Vietnamese  food.  Okay, but the Thai food in Albuquerque is actually quite a bit better.  While at the restaurant we noticed that the Marmottan-Monet was not on our Paris museum pass, or at least we couldn’t find it.  So then we decided to go to the L’Orangerie museum where Monet’s Waterlilies painting are wonderfully displayed.  We got to the Tuileries Garden and asked a guard how to get up to the museum (it is in the Gardens).  He told us but then said this museum was also closed on Tuesdays.  Double ARGH! Obviously, we need to plan things better.  The Musée d”Orsay is right across the river from the Tuileries, so we decided to go back to see the Art Nouveau exhibit which we loved when we were there in 1998.  Guess what, that part of the museum is under construction and the exhibit is not open right now.  Triple ARGH!  We did enjoy finishing up the rest of the museum we hadn’t seen earlier in the week.  So all was not lost!

 

We left there and went back to the apartment to rest and change clothes as we were meeting friends from Albuquerque for dinner.  So that was six out of the ten tickets so far.

Our friends who are originally from Iran were in Paris for Euro 2016 and to visit.  They suggested a Persian restaurant in the 16th arrondisement that one of their relatives had suggested to them. http://shabestan-paris.fr/Home/Default/en-US  They led us through the menu and we had an absolutely wonderful meal and wonderful time with them.  I see a Persian cookbook for our collection looming on the Amazon horizon.  To get there and back, we took the RER (the urban railroad line in Paris) and that took our last four tickets.  I think we set a Metro ticket record for our family!

The next morning, having bought another carnet of tickets, we once again set out for the Pompidou Museum.  It is all modern art, which we both really enjoy, so, of course, we took so much time going through just half of it, it needs to be added to our “return to this place next time in Paris” list.

After getting a quick meal at the museum snack bar, we left and went to the L’Orangerie museum which is open on Wednesdays!  We loved being able to see Monet’s painting of his gardens in Giverny, especially since we had just been there on Monday.

For our last dinner in Paris we went to a little restaurant in an alleyway off our street.  It is run by a man who is half English and half Italian, who serves very French food and who kept talking in Italian to us!  Only in Paris could such a mixture occur!  http://www.cepeetfigues.fr/

The next morning we were picked up at 6:30 AM.  This was my idea since I was afraid Paris traffic would delay us.  We were, therefore, 4 hours early for our plane.  Luckily since we were flying Business class, we could go to the Admirals Lounge which is much quieter and much more comfortable.  The plane ride was uneventful, but really again, made me know I was made to fly either in Business or First Class.  Too bad the budget doesn’t think so!  We spent the night at the Grand Hyatt and checked in the next morning for our flight.  We got to Albuquerque and got home, much to the delight of DiDi and Bessie, our two dogs.  We have now finished unpacking, doing six loads of laundry, celebrating our older son’s 42nd birthday, and are still struggling with jetlag.  Luckily, since we are both retired, we can indulge in naps.

I hope you have enjoyed this trip as much as we did.  Until August when we travel again, we say “Adieu.”