Le Marais

Lost in the streets of the quartier de Marais.

After a slow start to the day, due in large part to a 4-2 win last night (more on this tommorow) coupled with a trip to the Great Canadian Pub, Mindy and I set off to explore another part of this grand city called Paris. Today, on the advice of one of our students, we explored Le Marais, which is a fantastic little shopping area with small streets and an amazing collection of museums. We pretty much just wandered aimlessly for the better part of the afternoon, visiting shops that looked either interesting, expensive, or both.

A free museum on the history of Paris...Magnifique!

We came across a museum that seemed interesting and decided to take a look. Upon seeing that the Hotel Carnavalet was free, we decided that it was worth a few moments of our time. The history of Paris is the focus of this museum, and I still find it amazing that people have been living here for thousands of years while Edmonton (my home city) is barely 100 years old.

Mindy and one of the King Louis'.

I decided the courtyard garden looked to be a very restful place.

After Le Marais, we headed across the Seine to the Latin Quarter as it is fast becoming one of our favorite places to go due in large part to the abundance of delicious and cheap food. Before eating, we decided to further explore the district and stopped off at Place Saint Michel.

The happy couple at Place Saint Michel.

From there we moved on to Eglise Saint Severin. I know I am repeating myself, but every single church I enter here in France is beautiful in its own unique way, and Saint Severin is no different. It is one of the oldest churches in Paris with construction starting in the 11th century and wrapping up almost 400 years later in the 15th century. My solatary picture below does not do the place justice.

The sanctuary of Saint Severin.

After visiting the church, we made our way down the Rue St-Severin and picked a restaurant for dinner with a decent looking menu. The Flagrant Delice did not disappoint as we started with appetizers of vegetable pottage and cheese crepes, followed by main entrees of roasted turkey breast for Mindy and a serving of pork for myself. Dessert was tart au pomme and creme caramel. Delicious!!!

One of many quaint little restaurants in the Latin Quarter.

Mindy is ready for a fine french meal.