Days 9 and 10 - Paris and Giverny

June 9 - Le Louvre and Giverny 

Words may not be able to capture the amazing quality of this day. I slept late - much needed - then walked to the Louvre Museum, minutes from my hotel. Thousands of people are inside at any one time so I felt hot and crushed. But I adored seeing so many iconic paintings and sculptures by the likes of Leonardo da Vinci; "The Genius," Michelangelo; Rafael; Fragonard ... the list goes on.

Afterwards I met my friends and we drove to Giverny, the home and gardens of Monet. I have never had a more overwhelming experience for the senses. The gardens go on forever and the house itself is charm epitomized. Bought lots of trinkets in the shop. I did pass on several items bearing images of Monet's work, however, which I felt could be purchased anywhere in the world.

On the way back to Paris we stopped at the chateau where Louis XIV was born at Saint-Germain-des-Laye. There is a great view towards Paris and you can even see the Eiffel Tower and Montmartre in the distance.

June 10 - Out and about in Paris 

Today was my last day in Paris. Absolutely failed to do and see everything I hoped for. It's a sign that I will return! I made it to Notre Dame, where I attended the last half of a Mass in progress, and Sainte-Chapelle, with a delicious luncheon of onion soup and raspberry tart in between. I also waved at the Sorbonne, where my maternal grandfather was granted a year of free study after WWI. 

For the rest of the afternoon, I circled the city in a bus but due to rain and lack of time I did not go on the Seine cruise I had paid for, or visit Les Invalides, or do some other things on my bucket list. But I had a good time today and finished the evening in the company of my exquisite French friends. I had found a nice place right around the corner from my hotel, Bistro Vivienne, and we dined extremely well in a plush private corner of the restaurant. I ordered rabbit en croute, a dish that is delicious and generally impossible to find in the States. 

The latter part of the evening was spent repacking my suitcase to accommodate my shopping accretions, and at 7:30 a.m. the following morning I was heading to Charles de Gaulle airport. 

Au revoir, France! A la prochaine!