Paris, France

It was a nice and relaxing day today. As we have been to Paris
a few times before , we didn’t have to try to cram in all the required tourist spots.

After a big breakfast of pastry and Croque Monsieur sandwiches, we headed down to Isle Saint-Louis and wandered around the streets. There were gorgeous views of Notre Dame just across the Seine. We walked around the little park at the back of the cathedral taking in the beautifully complex Gothic architecture. I think that it is much more beautiful from the back!

We then headed to Les Halles where I purchased my very first foreign SIM card. Even with a huge data plan, it is still a fraction of the cost of my Canadian carrier. (LOVING my new unlocked Blackberry Passport).

We ate a massive lunch at Au Pied du Cochon. It was an amazingly stereotypical French restaurant with very classic French dishes. It is no surprise that people don’t really eat this way anymore. The food was extremely expensive and so old school it was a little much to take. I ordered the house specialty (the pig’s foot from the title) and André ordered andouillette sausage. I am used to North American/English trotters where there is a little meat on the bone not just fat. André was expecting a Spanish style sausage and was surprised to get a not so delicate whiff of barnyard from the cow intestines that made up the sausage. I haven’t seen him that colour of green since the first time I took him for dim sum! He even the table before dessert. I guess we need to be better informed before placing an order when we eat somewhere like this again.

On the long walk back to the hotel, we discovered that the best app ever created is Paris Sanisette – it is a GPS program that locates the nearest public toilet. A definite must have for any Paris trip (especially after eating at Au Pied du Cochon).

We had a lightish dinner at Le Soufflé restaurant. Lunch was still weighing heavy on our stomachs so we couldn’t finish the yummy savoury and sweet soufflés.

Grabbing an early sleep in anticipation of hopping on the train to Chatellerault tomorrow.