We arrived downstairs late enough that the breakfast room was closed. That wasn’t a big deal since there is no way we want to pay 21€ each for a buffet breakfast, but we’d actually thought we’d get the “petite déjeuner”. Ah, but the man there said we could still order that, so we could eat at the hotel. But “petite”?! Heh — that was a lot of pastry for petite if you ask me.

Our hotel is decorated nicely. While we were having our breakfast the staff was having a photo session in front of this tree.

After breakfast it was time to get out and walk. Down the elevator we went. I know you’ll appreciate my red headband. HAH!

We just rambled, and took photos on the way (as usual!).

If I see a window that grabs my eye for some reason, I have to take a shot.

This glass building caught our attention:

We wound up in Le Marais, and found the area where we stayed on a former visit.

More Le Marais, and we even happened upon the street where Dan made one of my favorite photos. We also located a restaurant we loved when we visited earlier (but I forgot to take a photo. Oops!), but I doubt we’ll get there this time.

We ate lunch in Le Marais, and then it was time to journey to Notre Dame. We made our way slowly, taking time, of course, to shoot other things and go inside a church we had taken exterior photos of last time.

We had to stop for this old Medieval house which has been restored.

A few more photos:

Notre Dame was, well, not as thrilling as one might think. There were barriers around it. There were police with huge guns, and there is scaffolding and more around it. There was also a line for what I can only assume were people with reservations to go in (visits are timed), but one confusing sign kind of implied maybe you could get in without a reservation if you had a code. I suspect, though, that it was just a language issue that made it confusing. In any case, we knew we weren’t going in.

Walking over to the other side of the Seine we walked a bit, heading in the direction of our hotel.

I’ve now figured out that the Palais Garnier isn’t the only building with advertising to cover building work. I guess this is the thing places do. I realize it’s ugly to see scaffolding up and all, but I really don’t like these giant commercials.

Continuing our walk and continuing to take photos (btw, I am only using my iPhone so far), I included a few windows that caught my eye … thinking maybe Dan wanted to buy me something new (and perhaps also pay for a complete makeover!).

This poor woman was struggling to walk. Why anyone would want to wear shoes like that in Europe is beyond me. But then wearing them anywhere on planet earth is also beyond me! (But hey, I’m old. And I like comfort. And don’t like sprained ankles.)

Getting back to our hotel was easy since I had put our hotel into the map app and it guided us. (Who knows where we’d wind up otherwise?) Soon we had our feet up and were checking things on our iPads. By then we’d walked over six miles and the break was enjoyed.

Since our dinner reservation (just a minute away!) reservation was for 7:00 and we had two hours to kill we went downstairs for a drink. I mean the elevator poster suggested it (and shows potato chips and olives by the drinks) so why not?! I ordered “Peter’s” since we are at Hotel Saint Petersbourg but was quickly informed that that was no longer an option. Dan ordered a Manhattan, and I then ordered an Old Fashioned. Well … um … maybe hotel drinks aren’t really a good idea! The bartender (if that’s what he really was) had to look up the ingredients. I think it took him at least 10 minutes to make them (and we were the only ones there), and they were the Most Boring Drinks Ever. Live and learn. Sadly we can’t say, “We won’t pay for the Most Boring Drinks Ever” as I don’t believe they’d care. When we were going down for those Most Boring Drinks Ever the reception area was crazy full: it looks like a business group. The people who then went to the bar ordered beers. MUCH better option, I think.

But I ramble about such an insignificant thing. So I will stop now or this blog will become the Most Boring Blog Ever. (Or maybe it already is?!)

Once surviving the Most Boring Drinks Ever (oh dear … I did it again, didn’t I?), we killed more time in our room (yours truly spent time typing some of this) and then walked to our restaurant. It was a very small place, and there weren’t many there when we arrived for our 7:00 reservation, but by the time we left it was full and someone was coming in the door. Dinner was quite nice.

It was not a fancy meal, but felt more like what someone might have at home, really. Until dessert — we couldn’t choose between two so we had to have both. Such a rough life.

We got back to the hotel, and I took a bath. I’m normally not a bath person, but this tub … well … it’s so big and clean and called my name. So I answered. Okay, no name calling. But last night my legs were bugging me in the middle of the night and I am hoping a bath might help me sleep. We shall see.

Tomorrow is our final full day here, and our train leaves in the morning of the 13th so, really, tomorrow IS our final day here. We have plans, but if I told you what they were I’d spoil the story, right? (Hmm. Maybe “you” is only me and of course I already know our plans! Hah!)

So goodnight to all. Or good afternoon. Depends upon where you are!