Paris-Day 3 Part II And Letting Life Get In The Way

I absolutely had the best intentions to write an excerpt on my trip to Paris almost everyday.  It seems like Paris was so long ago already.

Life has gotten in the way.  Monday morning I began what was 3 days of training for my USPS Rural Carrier job.  This was held in Milwaukee.  Luckily I was able to crash at my friend Beverly’s place for a couple of nights to save some time on the commute.  On Thursday I reported to our Post Office and delivered a partial route.  I was like a deer in the headlights!  I still was not finished with my training and had little clue what I was doing, but I got through it even though my nerves were more than frazzled.

On Friday I had to go to Milwaukee for another day of training.  Which brings me to today.  I carried on the same route this morning and it went much better! Thank goodness.

If you think those people that deliver our mail everyday have it easy sitting in a vehicle, you are wrong!  It is not easy.  Next time you get upset because your mail does not make it to your house in time, give your carrier a break.  They may have an extra large number of parcels to deliver.

Enough of that.  I just wanted to keep up writing and sharing the details of my trip, but this week has been crazy!!

So I believe I left off right where the skies cleared on day 3 in the late morning and the next stop was Shakespeare And Company.  For a long time I had wanted to visit this iconic bookstore.  I know it’s not the original, but I was hoping just being in this one would cue the spirits of writers long ago that used to go here to borrow books and even rest their weary heads a night or two.  This place was so much fun to browse in.  I could spend hours in a bookstore and this one is no exception!  The little rooms and cubby holes just invite the reader to sit a spell and dig into a book.  I ended up buying 4 books here.  All stamped that they were purchased here.  Another bucket list item-checked!!

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After that we strolled across the river to Notre Dame and Point Zero.  The sun came out and it turned warm.  We decided not to stand in line to go inside.  It was nice just to sit awhile and watch all the tourists walk around taking pictures. I think we must have sat here for about a half hour.  After taking a picture indicating I was standing at Point Zero it was time to move on.

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Notre Dame
A different view of Notre Dame

Next stop was a little refueling at Berthillon at the IIe St.-Louis for some of the best ice cream in the world.  Now this place is notorious for the long lines of people waiting to get their fix, but today there was no line and we walked right in and sat down to enjoy our treat. I had one scoop of salted caramel and another scoop of praline amaretto.  Heaven on a spoon!!!

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Feeling recharged we decided we could walk the 2 miles to our next stop- Pere Lachaise Cemetery.  I am still amazed at how walkable Paris is.  If you enjoy to walk and are physically up to it, it is the perfect way to view this beautiful city.  Don’t get me wrong, Paris has an exceptional public transportation system and if you need to get somewhere fast the Metro is the best way.  Really though, why travel underground not seeing anything when you can get lost in the streets and discover places just begging to be photographed.

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I love the windows and doors of Paris

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My main goal of a visit to Pere Lachaise was to see Jim Morrison’s final resting place.  This iconic rock idol will forever be the  poet for a generation.  I love rock music and there was just something about him that appeals to me. I have heard that there are times when a guard is stationed here.  This day, there was none.  Also on my list was to visit Gertrude Stein and Edith Pilaf.  I would suggest a trip here to everyone.  Just the shear volume of grave sites and the artistry involved in the markers are a sight to behold.  Be warned though, the cobblestones are hard to walk on and I would suggest getting a map.  This place is very confusing without a little guidance.

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Jim Morrison’s final resting place

By the time we had enough of the dead, we were way too exhausted to walk back to our apartment.  It was evening by this time and we were tired.  It was time for our first Metro ride.  With tickets purchased, we made our way back to our cozy little apartment on Rue du Dragon.  For dinner that night, I think we just snacked on our yogurt and cheese. Day 3 was probably the most we walked in a single day.  There is just something about Paris that feeds the soul! And mine was very hungry!

I’m hoping to get another post in before I begin the week with my final 4 days of training.  I will need to travel farther for this last section of training, so I will be bring my laptop along and maybe I can finish my Paris posts.

Au Revoir my friends!!

 

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