brie, gouda, du pain, des raisins et une bouteille d’eau

We just finished dinner on our third night in Paris. Sigh.

This morning the ladies left to catch an early plane to Newcastle while the boys met us (albeit groggily) for un petit dejeuner in Montmartre. We climbed the steps to Sacre Coeur where we said our goodbyes. Joe and Trev are heading back to Aberdeen for a few more days of relaxation at our flat before returning home to Vancvouer.

Over our respective espresso variations we four reflected on how blessed we are to have the means and the will to spend a weekend all together in Europe. I’m pretty sure that when I was sixteen and I thought about what I’d like my life to be like a decade later, this would be it.

After a tour of the basilica, we made our way through the hordes of tourists (hard to begrudge them when we are also exactly that) and saw the former dwellings of famous bohemians and revolutionaries.

Down the hill to eat lunch (un croque madame for me and a croque monnsieur for Dean—how appropriate) and to see two places we wouldn’t bat an eye at had Hollywood not immortalized them: the Moulin Rouge and Amelie’s Café des Deux Moulins (both, naturally, less spectacular in real life).

We spent the rest of the day moseying back to the Marais, stopping at design shops (getting inspired for a future business perhaps?) and boutiques to drool now and then.

The slow pace was a nice change from yesterday’s whirlwind tour which included: the Picasso Museum, Place des Vosges, the Jewish quarter (a stop for falafel), Notre Dame, the Louvre pyramids, L’Arc and the Champs Elysees. Whew!

We’re hitting the Louvre tomorrow morning. First Sunday of the month is free—pray for us ;)

for you: some photos. and a few more from Dean