Paris, Day Two

By Natalie

Our second day in Paris began later than we thought, but was full of lots of sight seeing and leisurely stops. Here is the entry from our travel journal:

We intended to get up at 9:30 this morning, but slept until noon by mistake! Set out for St. Martin Canal, and passed it by a good ten blocks. Ended up in the China Town section of the city, and by the time we got there, I was fading fast from having completely forgotten to pick up breakfast and coffee. We stopped on the way for a few snacks, caffeine, and aspirin and had lunch on a bench lining a busy street, too weary to look for the Canal in that moment. After lunch, we finally found it and took a leisurely stroll on the banks of the water and the steps leading up to the canal's many bridges. Stopped for beers, and didn't use a word of English for our order - it was fun! While window shopping, we had a scare when we passed a homeless man face down on the sidewalk. He wasn't moving. A passerby stopped and poked him with his foot, and finally, after much delay, the man moved! Phew!

We made our way back to the apartment along Rue St. Paul, a street full of amazing antique stores. Got all dressed up and went to a fancy dinner at La Petite Cour in the St. Germain district. Ryan treated, which was very sweet. I spoke French to place our order, although it was very broken! Ry had the prix-fix: great veggies with cream sauce for an appetizer, veal with asparagus for the main course, and creme brulee for dessert. I had clams and greens to start, lamb with pureed sweet potatoes and vegetables for the main course, and a flaky pastry to end. Split a delicious bottle of wine.

Afterwards, we took a romantic stroll back and stopped at a bar for beers, which were served with sweet, crunchy peanuts. On our way back we leaned over the pont neuf bridge and snapped photos of the Seine. It was beautiful at night.