Paris - (Fall 2024) - Day 3
Partage Cafe
Sought out to get a small breakfast in Montparnasse to start the day. This place was just a few blocks away and seemed pretty popular. Had some light snacks and coffees. I was hoping the healthy yogurt bowl would compensate for the unhealthy living I planned for the rest of the day. The cafe was not very big and all the seats were filled.
Invalides
We walked over the Invalides, a site that we had not been to before in Paris. The complex of buildings was originally a retirement home for ex-soldiers. It now houses a military museum and also Napoleon’s tomb.
It is free to enter the complex and walk around but you need to buy tickets if you want to see the tomb and the museum.
Napoleon’s Tomb & Saint-Louis-des-Invalides Cathedral
Napoleon’s remains were brought here after he died in exile in St. Helena. They now sit in a atrium under the church here. The entry into the church has several apses where other generals are also entombed in very elaborate coffins.
Military Museum (Musée de l'Armée)
The military museum covers several buildings and goes through pretty much all of French military history, from the knights in armor through WWII. They have exhibitions that go through great detail about the 19th century military campaigns and battles. They also have Napoleon’s stuffed horse in there among the displays.
Le Bosquet
I think when people picture a classic French eatery, this is what it would look like. Might as well get some classic French food then - duck confit and French onion soup. There was a mix of tourists and locals here getting lunch.
Arc de Triumph
We decided to walk off the lunch by heading to the Arc de Triumph. Even in the off-season, these areas are packed. Not that we intended to go to the top but the line for that activity was very long.
Champs Elysee & Place de la Concorde
From the Arc de Triumph, we upped our step count by walking down the Champs Elysee, which you can basically skip because it’s like walking down the Las Vegas Strip without the casinos. It is filled with the stores that would cover Paris if Paris didn’t intentionally try to keep its character. At the end of the long boulevard is the Place de la Concorde with its iconic fountains and obelisk.
Jardin des Tuileries
Continuing the walk down you enter the Tuileries Garden. On this holiday, it seemed like every Parisian was in the park. I think the nice sunny day gave people extra incentive to journey to the park.
Going from the Arc de Triumph down through the garden feels a bit like the mall in Washington DC except here it is anchored by the Arc on one side and the Louvre on the other.
Search for Oldest Bar in Paris
Found it - not open!
Apparently Nov. 1st is a bank holiday and this guy decided to take the day off.
I looked up that this was the oldest bar in Paris. It is located near the old royal grounds and I guess the coachmen for the horse carriages would hang out here.
I’ve also read based on the reviews that the owner could be kind of a jerk so maybe I didn’t miss anything.
Refletes de Scene
Luckily, just around the corner, this guy had no problem staying open on a holiday to take money from tourists. This was a pleasant little place to take a beer break. It sits across the street from the Royal Gardens.
Les Gourmandises d’Eiffel
We headed back towards the Eiffel tower and Invalides looking for a cocktail bar but it did not open yet so we strolled around the neighborhood and found this bakery. We had not yet had macarons on this trip and this seemed like a great opportunity. They also had a lot of tempting sweet and savory offerings here but we stuck to the macaron plan. This is the type of place that would probably be dangerous to live close to as you would likely live in eternal carb overload.
Gatsby
We got there when this place opened which I guess was a good thing because they mostly require reservations and the place filled up rather quickly. Obviously by the name you can guess its a Prohibition themed bar. Excellent cocktails in an Art Deco interior.
Le Smoke
Back in Montparnasse, the dining scene was a madhouse as again it seemed like every Parisian was out and about on this holiday. We walked around for a while before we found this little bar/restaurant off the main drag . The place was packed with locals but the owners were kind enough to carve us out a little table space to have dinner. The owners look Asian and the dishes had an Asian theme. The pork dish was so so but the steak dish was excellent.
Pari Roller
Another reason why Paris is awesome
I remember seeing this happen the last time I was in Paris many ages ago and thought it was awesome and apparently it is still happening. Every Friday night you can join in a roller event (skates, boards, scooters, whatever) and skate through different areas of Paris. It is free and escorted with the streets closed off for you. I would totally do this if I lived in Paris.