Day 7 - Old Friends and Interesting Sights....

Well, our last day in Paris. My last day of vacation. Can I please have a few more euro and a few more weeks? What can I say? I couldn't ever say that I've truly seen Paris. Or France. Who can? Some try to see it via car, others by train, others by foot, and in July about 200 attempt to see it via Bicycle for 3 weeks. But, for what's its worth, we've experienced it. We saw amazing sights, historical venues, ate amazing food, walked famous streets among a thousand other things.

Today, Bill and Mike went to Versailles, while Wilbur and I went for yet another walkabout to yet another area of Paris. We actually started out at Pigalle to see the famous Moulin Rouge and thats where the interesting stuff started.

I must say I saw the two most disgusting things ever at the same time today. First, some hooker-looking lady hitting people up for a peep show and then a Starbucks Coffee Shop. Only thing worse would have been a TGIMcFunsters on the corner.

After this, we went up toward Sacre Coeur again to get some souvenirs for the folks back home. Finally got ahold of my friend Yvain and his family and we went off to meet them at their home in the suburb of Cachan about 15 minutes south of Paris.

Then we met Bill and Mike at the apartment where we headed to Les Halles for dinner at Chez Denise, a 100+ yr old bistro where Will and I halved a 1+kg (2.2lbs) Cote de Boeuf (bone-in ribeye) and Mike and Bill both had Onglet steaks (hanger steaks). They came with fries cooked in duck fat and the steak Will and I shared came with some roasted bones for the marrow. Oh man.....you have to see the pics! Mike and I (being of poor judgment because of the copious amounts of beef and duck-fat laced fries consumed) decided to split a dessert -- a rhum baba. Maybe one of the single best things I have ever eaten. Of course, if anyone would have pushed me I'd blown up. But it's a good miserable right?

The metro ride back to the apartment gave us one final view of the Eiffel Tower. Fitting way to end a week no?

Next up, the dreaded Aerogare Charles de Gaulle....everyone should have to experience that once in their life. Just for good measure. This will be the 10th time I've been in it, which further proves I am an idiot.

a bientot!