Last full day in Paris. I discovered a fantastic work around for going to the Louvre. I have always avoided the place mainly because of the crowds but also because it is so large. Anyway, if you go downstairs in the Carousel shopping area, pass the line of thousands to the front and tell them you want to buy a membership, they will let you go right in and do so. If you are a member of another museum it is discounted to 85euros/yr. This allows you to skip the line and go in anytime you want with no reservations. Well worth it. Looking forward to reading E. Sciolino’s book “Adventures at the Louvre” and then following up. After this go sorted I went to the Bibliotheque Nationale de France, which has lovely rooms and is more or less open to the public. Then after a lunch of curry and rice back to the apartment for some organizing for upcoming departure. Managed to meet John R. For dinner.

Headed to the Marmottan museum today, this small museum has one of the best Monet collections if the world. A little out of the center, but no lines and easy to manage. Walked around the 16th a bit finding a local place for a Poulet Fermier for lunch. Downtime at the apartment and then off to friend for dinner of Raclette. Apparently, every French person has a raclette machine, you put slices of cheese in individual pans and they melt and you pour them on Charcuterie and potatoes. Good fun and a hearty meal.

Was planning to go to a few museums today, but they ended up being closed. So, walked from the upper Marais towards Rue de Montorgueil, had a nice lunch at Lazard and then some down time at the apartment. Dinner at CC house.

A fun day, starting with race of the waiters, an annual event of 3km where waiters from various restaurants and cafes must carry a tray with a glass of water, a coffee and croissant around a 3km course. Starts and ends at Hotel de Ville. After that it was off to the Bastille market for a galette of Sausage, cheese and onion jam. Then over to the Marche d’Aligre. A half dozen oysters at Le Baron Rouge rounded of the morning and lunch. Met up with John R. At favorite L’Avant Comptoir du Terre and it ended up being pretty off the hook. Initially quite crowded, then the early crowd left and at some point, songs, seem to be known to everyone came on, the lights were turned off and the whole bar was dancing. This went on for various iterations for quite awhile. Very amusing!

Today was the start of the Jour de Patrimonie, a weekend that has many buildings open to the public. Or course in true French fashion, even though it is free you probably need a reservation, which is difficult to get, and then you will probably have to wait in line forever. Friends said the Senat building did not need a reservation so I headed over there. On the way, the Hotel de Ville had a massive line and the Senate line went from the Odeon side of the Luxembourg gardens all the way to the station on the far side. Since it was also raining definitely a non starter. I did get into the Luxembourg museum, weird black and white streaks on paper, the Greenhouses were open, and I did manage a brief look into the Mairie of the 6th and a nearby court building called the Hotel Beauvais. All in all convinced that the day of Patrimony is a day of standing in line for hours for most people.

Headed up to Montmartre today, which proved to be a bit of a mistake as it was mobbed and also kind of hot. So, headed down Rue des Martyrs and found a lunch formule at one of the cafes. Back to the apartment to dodge the heat for the afternoon then met Lily H of Je T’aime me Neither for an Apero, before meeting up with the gang for dinner at Bidoche. Bidoche is a butcher shop with a restaurant in back. You head to the front to choose your steak, and or chops and then they cook it for you. With 5 of us there, we had a great meal with a couple of steaks, lamb chops and the provided sauces and sides of mash potatoes, Frites and salads. All washed down with a nice magnum of Rasteau. Would definitely go here again but you must be meat oriented or it wouldn’t work.

After a coffee at Le Peloton, it was off to the Pinault Collection, Bourse museum. This is a restored modern art museum. Big national strike today, the march route is fortunately not near here but most transit is disrupted, so staying fairly close. Museum membership allowed me to skip the line, and the main exhibit was a pool with floating bowls that knock into each other making a very zen bell like sound. After that a walk over to Rue de Monotorgueil for lunch and then a walk up the upper Marais. Attempting to find some shoes, but my size is not readily available and when they do have it they are too narrow. Dinner at Breizh, a well known crepe place, but really not great.

Met up for coffee this morning with John R. And Harlan before heading to the Musee Guimet. Musee Guimet This is a museum with a large collection of Asian artifacts. Also featuring a photographer who had a lot of Asian material, and, as it turned out now lives in Seattle. After a few hours in the museum we had lunch at a Chinese restaurant and then headed over to Trocadero, just a few blocks, for the Iconic Eiffel Tower picture. Back to apartment for some downtime and then local cafe for low key dinner. Big strikes scheduled for the 18th, luckily metro line 1 near me is Automated so will run normally.

Spent some time catching up with admin things this morning. Then met new friends from Port Townsend for a coffee and a walk around. Stop at BHV for new squeegee, film a quick video on how to properly install shower drain. Then to Melt for lunch. Finally found an excellent Gluten Free pizza nearby at Quadrofoglio, just past the Bastille. Made for an excellent dinner, if overly filling, early night!

We spent the morning cleaning and organizing to leave things in good condition. Then load up one of the cars and it was off to Utah Beach. Some rather intense wind, which I’m told is just the norm for the area. We parked a ways from the tourist part and walked down the beach to the museum. Turned out to be an excellent museum, even had a B26 inside! Then lunch at the associated cafe, which was surprisingly good and then to the train station at Lison for the ride back to Paris, about 2.5 hours. Luckily this train was not crowded and it was a smooth on time ride back. Then a quick regroup before heading to the cheese and wine shop and then to dinner at John R. On Ile St. Louis. A most excellent poulet Moutard that John made!