Day 18: A Wet Champs Élysées

We began our final day of the trip fittingly on the same Final stage of Le Tour de France - the Champs-Élysées!

As seems to always be the case whenever we visit a famous landmark, it's having work done to it and partially covered in scaffolding.

After a cheap breakie we headed down, up and then up into the Arche de Triomphe, where we climbed the 280 odd spiral staircase up to the museum and upper viewing terrace. It's quite a nice experience inside the Arche, and the museum has a nice solemnity about it. There's some interesting sculptures and information on its history. Quite insightful.

I must say I always have a laugh at these collectsble coin machines. They look like poker machines whenever I see them, with all their colored lights, which is funny because you see them in Notre Dame, or here for instance and I always think ... 'why is there a poker machine here?' So out if place!

The best part  of the Arche de Triomphe however is the view at the top. Looking out over the precarious balustrades you get a good feel of the layout of Paris below you, particularly the 12 avenues that stem from this huge roundabout. It's quite captivating watching the traffic play out out around the Arche from here...some cars just seem to do laps, weirdly!

 

I love the formal axis it creates with the louvre and La Defense. It's a real spine to the city!

The work being done on the Arche means we can't access half the upper terrace, but we still manage to get some view of the Eiffel Tower. Today it's top is shrouded in cloud, which is pretty cool. It makes it seem taller in a way!

We venture back down underneath the Arche, (stopping in the gift shop prior). At the bottom we pause for a moment at the tomb of the unknown soldier.  At ground level the traffic driving around you seems even more chaotic, it's amazing how they figure it out and people end up anywhere!

We head for a brisk stroll down the champs élysées, as it's sprinkling with rain and let's face it, where at the end of our holiday so most of these shops are out of our price range! Lots if window shopping!

The facade of this pharmacy/newsagent is quite a standout along the more traditional boulevard. The width if this street is crazy. You really have to marvel at the vision of urban planners of times gone by. To think streets like this can still exist and be what they're today and the difference from when they're were created, it's quite incredible foresight.

We wander past many of the big name stores, including the famous macaron place, Laduree.

Venturing off the champs élysées to the shopping streets to the north, we pass some interesting art and furniture stores. This lion-lady marble statue takes the cake for me. What an ugly piece of expensive rubbish! To think someone will have a pair of these at their front gate is horrifying enough; let alone how much they'll have to pay for it. Bizarre!

After passing many a big name fashion store, we cannot seem to find the Chloe boutique for Simone, (still no success on the handbag front by the way). We wander down the Place de la Concorde, where the obelisk stands and where Mary Antoinette was guillotined. From here you get a great view back up the champs élysées as well as a wider view of all the towers and domed roofs of the monumental buildings around!

I take a couple of minutes just to stop and watch from afar this young teenage kid try to get money out of tourists by pretending to find a gold ring on the ground and offer it to them as a gift. It's a weird plan to get a couple of euros but he eventually gets one big guy to take the ring. The kid walks away and the big guy looks confused! The kid returns about 10 seconds later asking for some money in return! If I could read lips I'm sure the big guy told him to farçon...or maybe it was something else. Still I found it entertaining, although slightly sad and pitiful watching this kid try it on the next batch of tourists and then the next. 

He needs a better scam I reckon!

We wander back into the place de la Madeline and then up to place Saint Augustin, where we stop at a bistro for lunch! The prevalence of the triangular street blocks and broad avenues gives a feeling of ubiquity to everywhere you go, and it's easy to become disorientated.

For entree I decided it was now or never to try the snails do I ordered  6 of the best escargot burgundy!

The snails tasted quite meaty actually, with a very earthy, rich flavour. They're ok, but not amazing and for something quite small and delicate I wouldn't be ordering it again. Still worth a try!

I must say however that I did enjoy the whole fanfare that came with the snails. Eating them is like a surgical procedure!

For our main plates, Simi had the French Classic croc-Monsieur (basically a toasted Ham cheese sandwich with a lot of cheese...very cheesy...did I mention it had cheese!) I had a beef Bourgogne (burgundy) which was delicious with the red wine and the bread you get with every meal in France. Yummo!

We wandered back up to the Opera district where Printemps and Galleries Lafayette are. We spent some time again looking closely at all the handbags and wallets. Sadly, it doesn't look like Sim will find something that she both likes and can afford! (It's very expensive here)

When we left the department stores it was drizzling. Having all but given up on finding a handbag for herself, Simi suggested doing something else. So we decided to catch the metro across town and check out the Parisien bourgeois-bohemian scene at Canal St-Martin. We got off at metro stop Republique and walked to the canals. Sadly due to the rain there wasn't many people on the streets as it was quite miserable, however it was quite an interesting little nook of Paris. There seemed to be lots of designer and creative studio/workspaces around working out of garage like buildings. A bit Newtownish!

This mural on the side of a building was really cool!

It was now after 4pm in the arvo and the rain really had dampened our adventurous spirit so we decided to head back to the apartment. Sadly, no handbag for Simi , however our bank balance just breathed a huge sigh of relief!

We walked for a while thinking we were heading back to the metro at Republique, however ended up at Gare de l'Est in completely the opposite direction. This city does that to you. It's disorientating at times in its familiarity!

On the metro back a busker came into the carriage and busted out into a really bad rendition of the ol' busker classic Redemption Song by Bob Marley! It's happened a few times now. Yesterday there was a whole 4 piece band on the train and a few days earlier a woman doing very bad Joan Baez style folk tunes! Simi made the comment that back home this would not happen on our trains - 'people would lose their sh.t! ' too right!!!

For dinner I learnt my lesson from last night and made a reservation at the restaurant up the road. Last night when we tried for a table it was too busy. 

L'Aubergeade is the place, a small family run fusion French bistro that's relatively inexpensive. We googled restaurants nearby on Tripadvisor and this one came in at 159 of 11,800or so places to eat in Paris, so we liked those odds. What's more it's literally across the road from where we are staying so Simi doesn't have to be in the cool night air for too long with here chesty cough!

I've taken to calling her Coughy Anan, she didn't appreciate the gag !

For entree I took the opportunity to have my last taste of foie gras for a while. I've really taken to that stuff! It's quite a good flavour combo with salad, prosciutto and citrus dressing.

Our mains were very meaty. Simi had a lamb shank with couscous and I had veal kidneys (exotic tastes as per usual). The food was delicious and lived up to the hype and reviews of the place. The wine was going down well and the atmosphere was great. The best part was the owner and his son, who spoke English and practically guided us through the menu when we ordered, which was very helpful. He really went out of his way for us. We both made the comment at dinner that most French people we've met on our trip have been very obliging and friendly, which has made our travels a whole lot of fun!

For dessert we ended with a bang, with a flaming bombalaska type dish doused in rum and ignited , as well as an apple crumble. Both were nice although I loved the "omelette Norvégienne de la maison" as it was called on the menu - basically a home made bombalaska! Awesome!

The owner kept checking if we were happy and everytime we just said 'Oui' and gave a thumbs up! 

Thumbs up indeed!

It was a good meal and experience to end our travels on. Fine food and wine,  good hospitality and great atmosphere. But most importantly we enjoyed it together, which has been great the whole way through! 

Bonsoir everyone / we're off to the airport early in the morning and back home Saturday night! 

Hope you enjoyed the journey as much as we did!

Au revoir