Well since today is Sunday, we thought we might go to church...actually our new friend Christine Brooks (whom we had met at the Vanve Flea Market last week) invited us to come to the beautiful American Cathedral (which has served the American community in Paris since the 1830's) located on the gorgeous Avenue Georges V. She is a member there and they were having a special service today for their new Dean, with a choral presentation along with a champagne brunch, which she thought we might enjoy...and did we. There were hundreds of English speaking people there, and we even spoke to some of the ex-pats each of whom had an interesting story. We had never been in that cathedral before, so it was a very nice experience...of course we were jealous of all those people who are living in Paris, although they all mentioned how life is getting tougher in France every day. What's the news item here?
Then we were off to our main destination today, the Canal St-Martin area in the 19th arondissement. We walked up Avenue Georges V, stopping into the famous 5-star Hotel Georges V where the lobby and the flowers were magnificent, then into the main Louis Vuitton store, then passed the grande cafe at the corner of the Champs Élysées and Avenue Georges V called Fouquet with a big red awning so you can't miss it, where a cafe can set you back a day's pay, and then down into the beautiful Franklin Roosevelt Metro Station which actually has chandeliers hanging over the platforms...just like our Subway in NY, right?
We got out at Place de la Republique, a huge square with a grand sculpture in the middle dedicated to the French republic, and walked over to the beginning of the Canal St-Martin, part of an 80-mile waterway which was completed in 1825 for commercial traffic so that it didn't have to go through the middle of Paris. This part of the canal runs for several kilometers to the outskirts of Paris where it flows into the Seine. In the last 20 years or so the streets on either side of the canal have been somewhat gentrified, with shops, vintage and new, and many cafes and restaurants. On a sunny day it is a great area to take a passeggiata (Italian word for stroll) roller blade, bike, or play with your kids. There are six swing bridges across the canal at various points which allow great views and cross-overs to the other side. There were hardy people out there today, even though the weather was awful, and the restaurants were all packed, (the French love Sunday brunch) so you can imagine what it must be like on a summer weekend. It reminded us of what has been developing in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, with a similar industrial but fun, friendly atmosphere. We stumbled upon the Hotel du Nord, which was once a hotel but now just a great bistro with a 1920's atmosphere, that was made famous by a movie of the same name. We had a delicious light lunch of homemade butternut squash soup, and homemade ravioli with goat cheese and arugula on top. Marty thought our waitress was cute, so got her to help him log on to the Internet. Then back to strolling with more sights along the quays, definitely off the beaten track.
As it started to rain, we decided to go back into the center of town and work our way home. We passed L'Opera and the famous old Harry's Bar, where a lot of ex-pats hang out.
Then we were in Place Vendome, the magnificent octagonal Place with a huge column in the middle erected by Napoleon I to commemorate the Battle of Austerlitz, surrounded by the Ritz Hotel and all the most famous jewelry stores.
We saw a guy with his huge cello being dropped off by his wife who then went walking over to his street spot to play his instrument.
And of course the ubiquisite fashion photo shoot with this magnificent backdrop.
Then we passed La Duree with huge chocolate eggs in the window for Paques (Easter).
And finally a big crowd of young people congregated in front of Le Meurice Hotel on rue de Rivoli, a five star landmark, with police all around. We thought it might have been a political demonstration, so we asked a group of young French girls what this gathering was all about...Justin Beiber was staying at the hotel and they had been standing out there since 9am that morning on the chance that they would see him! We export the best...McDonalds, KFC, Pizza Hut, Starbucks, and now, Justin Beiber!
Just before entering the Metro we spotted a charming little merry-go-round through the gates of the Jardin des Tuilleries which was actually working on this cold and dreary day.
We finally got home, freshened up and walked over to La Coupole in Montparnasse to meet Susan and Raymond Behar for dinner, the couple from New York and Tampa, on their last night in Paris.
It was a great day, and now to bed...sweet dreams!
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