Paris

We settled into our room at the Hotel Levesque on Rue Cler with relief. Bless Rick Steves' heart: this is a charming hotel which is probably one of the most efficient ones we've seen: reading lights above the bed, spacious wardrobe and surface spaces; and on a delightful market street. I'd been worried that "market street" meant "wake me up at 4 a.m." but the fishmonger across the way doesn't start receiving his wares until the civilized hour of seven! Each day we'd have a croissant (called, interestingly, a "viennoise" on the chit) at the market cafe, then pick up cheese and fruit, or a sandwich to nibble on, and sometimes we ate dinner there or at one of the restaurants nearby.

Although both Joan and I had been to Paris a couple of times before, and hence felt no need to do some of the more routine tourist "musts" we found the Eiffel tower appealing to photograph; we visited Montmartre and Sacre Coeur, and spent hours in the Cluny Museum. Joan got out her sketchpads and pens and I walked my legs off visiting unfamiliar Arrondisements. I also popped up like a gopher from the Metro at La Defense, looked around, and went back down!