Sunday, November 9, 2014

November 3 - Last day in Paris

We awoke to dreary skies, chilly winds and ominous weather forecasts, but with the Panthéon still on our list of places to visit we couldn't very well stay in the apartment.

Breakfast, then a stroll through our neighborhood park. 

This was our fourth trip through the park, and we were seeing this for the first time. The park was dedicated to the 87 children from this neighborhood who died at Auschwitz. These children had all attended the same nursery school. They were between one and six years of age. I almost wish I hadn't seen this. I don't need any more reminders of the terrible side of war! 

Off to see the Panthéon. I hadn't realized that the building started its life as a church, but it makes perfect sense. It wasn't fully given over to secular use until the burial of Victor Hugo in 1885.



If imposing larger than life marble sculpture is your thing, the Panthéon has you covered. Impressive!

Of course, I had to visit the crypt.

The second inscription is hard to read. It is for Alexandre Dumas.


The tomb of Rousseau.

Back outside, the skies were getting seriously dark.

We darted into a little cafe for lunch as it started to drizzle. I had the French onion soup and Stanley had green lentils. When it was all said and done we had shared both plates about 50-50. Finished off the meal with a scrumptious raspberry tart. 

Back to the metro between showers. By the time we got to the apartment it was raining in earnest. Talk about perfect timing. There was no excuse for procrastination. We got busy with the business of wrapping up our trip. Packing. Clearing out the apartment. Making a list for the customs people. Cleaning out the fridge and creating a last supper. By the time we got finished we were ready for an iTunes movie and an early night.