I know, where are the photos? I am inept at getting photos from my phone to the blog and thus that will continue to be a lapse for the foreseeable future. For all the months of planning and weeks of prep for this trip, there are certain things one cannot control. The downturn in weather (which seems to be shifting back) has been manageable, although did cut yesterday’s wandering short and we barely avoided a problem today. Being very well organized and getting our Metro passes ahead of time for today through Thursday did not of course take into account the nearby Metro station (and who knows how many others) would be closed today due to the on-going “Yellow Vest” protests. Sigh! I finally decided to treat it as an unexpected “tour” since we did have to go by a number of notable landmarks in the taxi. There was also the interaction with the cab drivers as they muttered at closed streets, re-routing and impatient drivers who were equally frustrated. So, yes, I tipped a bit more than I ordinarily would.
Anyway, I did not tell my sister about the feature exhibit at the Middle Ages Museum because I wanted it to be a complete surprise. As we ascended to the top floor and entered the specially lit room with the five very large Lady and the Unicorn Tapestries, she was in fact delighted. The proverbial “icing on the cake” is they still allow photographs without flash. They are as lovely as ever. The other displays are enjoyable and the ruins of the building that date to Roman times are well showcased.
We stopped for a coffee and Coke Light for sis, and then strolled to the Luxemburg Gardens. They are in fact more park than garden with lots of trees and wide paths for waling and the perimeter with joggers. The wind was still up although that was nice for the miniature sailboats in the fountain/pond. Lunch was a lovely, lengthy event with a table by the window at a nearby café. A proper croque monsieur, frites and green salad. The weather shifted again and with the Metro still closed, we managed to grab a taxi with only a little rain hitting the umbrella I had brought. We wandered a bit when we returned to the hotel and discovered a couple of cool things. That included a pause for ice cream and sorbet. We popped into a bistro to make dinner reservations, then back to the hotel for a bit. Sis didn’t want a full meal so had onion soup, some of my salad and she saved room for a chocolate crepe. My beef with mustard was underdone despite a discussion with the waiter which is not unusual as their definition of “medium” is subject to interpretation. I managed most of it though. Back to the hotel and more adventures lined up for today.