A Vacation from our Vacation
Today we did nothing. Well, not nothing nothing, but very, very little. We decided we maxed out on our ability to sightsee yesterday, and as it was the…counting on my fingers….eleventh day in a row of sightseeing, we needed a break. So we took one.
This morning we slept in, went ‘out’ for breakfast–instead of eating pastries in our dining room–and then just sort of walked around for a couple of hours. Not far, not with any direction in mind, and in the general area of our apartment. I shopped–and got a very cute shrug for fifteen euro–and we found a tapas restaurant and had a very nice long lunch. Then we returned to the apartment, threw open the windows, uncorked (several) bottles of wine, and kicked back to relax and read. I’ve read almost half of a book already, and it is only a little before 7pm. That’s more reading than I’ve done in the last eleven days total. Including flights and train rides (upon which, to be fair, I read very little–surprisingly little, in fact.)
The husband just brought home a rotisserie chicken from the Italian market down the street and a box of blackberries from the produce market, and has gone out again for yet more wine (and, I assume by the smell of him last time he returned, yet another cigarette).
Part of me feels like we’re ‘wasting’ a day in Paris–but without this day off, our next…counting on my fingers….nine days wouldn’t be half as productive or fun. So a vacation from our vacation it is. In fact, I suppose I really shouldn’t even be writing this. So I guess I’ll go….
Sounds like a lovely relaxing day, a bonus of renting an apartment. Maybe when your husband comes back with more wine, you can grab some glasses and wander over to the Champ de Mars around sunset, sit down in the grass and gaze at the Eiffel Tower.
I’ve been to Paris many times and this sight never gets old. You may find it’s just what you need (so long as you don’t try and go up it with the long lines)
actually, we’ve been here for five days now, and i’ve only seen it in the distance. to ‘wander’ over would require several metro transfers. i continue to be amazed by how close together things seem on maps, but when you arrive there, damn they are far apart! we plan to get out there sometime before we leave, though, for sure.
Where are you staying? There may be a bus that would get you their without all of the metro transfers?
That being said, I think a few metro tranfers would be worth it ;). Either way hope the rest of your night is enjoyable
yes, learning how the bus routes worked (in both paris and london) is something we really should have done before we left (we learned this in london, when the tube stopped running!) but the metro here is great. and thanks for the well wishes!!!
there not their*
Sounds like you had a great day….it’s not a bad idea to take a day off from sightseeing. I agree that you need to see the Eiffel Tower before you leave Paris.
On our first trip to Paris we stayed at a hotel in the Rue Cler (aka Rue Rick) area. We had to go by the Eiffel Tower to get anywhere, so we saw it many times. On our last night in Paris we went along Rue Cler picking up picnic items. Our hotel gave us a blanket to use, and we had a picnic dinner on the grass at the ET. We were finishing up when the lights went on and the tower started sparkling. It was the perfect ending to a wonderful visit. I fell in love with Paris on that trip. Today you discovered one of the benefits of having an apartment, rather than a small hotel room. It makes it much easier to just hang out for awhile and take a breather. I’m glad you had a good day.
This day just sounds heavenly!