Paris--Day 2

After a great night's sleep, we grabbed breakfast and started our long, leisurely walk over to the Marais to begin our food tour. It was nice and quiet outside the Louvre at that time of day.

We met our guide, Christophe, and then we were off--first to a cafe for a (second!) croissant and coffee, then to a boulangerie for the best baguette in Paris, to a market for wine and cheese tasting, then a brasserie for croque monsieur, beer, and charcuterie, to the Jewish quarter for falafel, and finally to a chocolate chop for macarons and chocolate. I loved, loved, loved every second of this tour! 

Matt enjoying one of many water fountains around Paris--safe, clean tap water, so they say...but I of course passed!

Waiting in the boulangerie

French market

Gearing up to taste some cheese and wine

Learning a bit about French wine

The triple cream brie with truffles was probably one of the best things I've ever eaten in my entire life.

Choosing chocolates

Macarons for days

Walking and talking with Christophe after our tour. 

Christophe also shared a little notebook he keeps with him detailing his favorite restaurants in each arrondissement, including ratings. We used this to guide many of our choices the rest of the trip!

As we walked back toward Saint Germain, we stopped at the Pompidou. Loved the rooftop view and garden area for a quiet spot to sit for a bit.

We cruised by Notre Dame after that. Lines were long and I didn't really feel compelled to go in. I was saving my energy for Sainte Chappelle!

Sainte Chappelle was breathtaking and so moving. I gasped when we walked into its glory. I was grateful for the Rick Steves book, as it helped us admire and understand the windows and how they depicted the Bible. 

Refueling with a cafe gourmand and Aperol Spritz after Sainte Chappelle

Dinner that night was at a restaurant out of Christophe's book. A tiny little cafe called Au Bon Coin. It was farther than I realized, and we ended up walking almost 4 miles round trip for dinner! I didn't order well for the main dish, but dessert....brioche French toast with yogurt ice cream and salted caramel didn't disappoint. A 12 mile walking day--we were beat by the time we got back to the hotel!