Sunday, July 25

Sunday, July 25

After leaving our breakfast cafe we walked toward Les Invalides searching for a specific boulangerie which we found, but it was closed. We hailed a cab for l'Eglise St. Eutache, which is located on the right bank in the 1st arrondissement, no too far from where we had lunch yesterday. The driver, who had moved to Paris from Morocco 4 years ago, was very friendly and spoke English. He didn't know the city that well and had trouble finding the church. In fact we passed by the same spot twice, before he was certain we were close enough.

The church was not anything exceptional on the outside, and many buildings were jammed right next to it, but the inside was decided to replicate Notre Dame. It had high gothic arches, some nice stained glasses, a beautiful organ, and a very unusual sculpture of everyday people at an outdoor market.

After leaving the church we walked to a nearby boulangerie that was reputed by RS to have the best croissants in Paris. We bought two and then sat at a cafe across the street and sipped coffee at a cafe. I used the bathroom at this cafe, and it was my first "hole with two footprints toilette". When you pull the chain to flush the whole floor gets doused in water. Yuck!! I chose not to alert Joni to this special feature. If she didn't need to use this facility, why disgust her with such details.

From here, we took a cab to Place Vendome. I wanted to see the Ritz where my family spent thier first few weeks back in 1957. We walked in and start thru the lobby before we were asked to leave. I told the bouncer I just wanted to take a look, but he wasn't very accommodating. They won't get my business in the future.

We strolled by all the ritzy stores in Place Vendome, which were closed, passed down Rue Castiglione, which leads into PV and was the the location of the Hotel Intercontinental, which is now the Westin. My family stayed at this hotel in 1966. That was the last time I ate liver. It was part of the mixed grille that I ordered for lunch and my sister, Wendy, told me it was steak. I've never trusted her since.

Rue Castiglione intersects the arcaded Rio Rivoli. RR was packed with people who were already finding seats to watch the Tour which will pass along this street 8 times. We purchased a few more gifts and then crossed the street via an underground walkway which comes out on the outside of the Place de la Concorde. Along the walls of this ara are the graves of many French Resistance fighters who were killed on August. 25, 1944, when Paris was liberated from the Nazis. I had remembered his place from our 1966 visit; it was a place I wanted to revisit.

We were still making our way back to our hotel to get our step ladder as we walked across the Tuileries, past a huge fountain near L'Orangerie, the museum which was built just to display Monet's water lilies paintings. As we walked between the museum and the Seine we realized that this would be a great viewing area for the Tour. We noticed that people were moving chairs from the Tuileries to this area and we decided to do the same. Although the racers are probably 4 hours away, this area was not too crowded, it overlooked the Seine, and it provided a great viewing area raised up about 10 feet from street level. I relaxed in my comfortable arm chair, and guarded Joni's, as she searched for use toilette and perhaps some food for our unscheduled picnic. Hopefully I can return the step ladder tomorrow; it's still in its plastic wrapping. Unfortunately we don't have our flags to wave at t he riders, but this spot was too good to pass up.

During her search for a toilette Joni decided to buy a ticket for l'Orangerie. It was a side bonus for being able to use their facilities. She had a wonderful visit, bought some postcards and a beautiful tie for me in the gift shop. When she returned I went looking for food and didn't have to go too far. I picked up ice cream and diet cokes for us at stand in the Tuileries which was only about 200 yards from our viewing spot.

The caravan arrived right on schedule at 2 pm. It seemed like there were many more vehicles for each of the 200+ sponsors that we had seen while watching the other stages. I'm guessing they have several fleets of caravans that hopscotch from one stowage to another, and then for the last day the combine their fleets. Eventhough this was our 4th stowage it was still exciting to seem them, and the people on each vehicle seemed as enthusiastic as ever.

The peloton didn't arrive in Paris until 4:36 pm, which was later then scheduled (probably too many champagne toasts for Alberto as they rode to Paris) As is customary on the first lap the team of the yellow jersey rides in as a group in front of all the other riders. This would actually be Contador's victory lap, so all the crowd cheered and applauded him. After that it's dog eat dog as everyone jockey for position for the last stowage victory. A proximately every 7 1/2 minutes the riders completed a lap, so it was neat to get to seem they 8 times rather than just the once that. You do one a regular stage. A group of about six riders created a breakaway which increased it's lead for each lap, but then was caught by the peloton on the last lap. mark Cavendish stayed at the front of the peloton for each lap, and just as he. Has do so often, he sprinted to victory, beating Alesandro Pittacchi and Julian Dean by a good ten yards.

We counted the laps and headed back to hotel after the last one. mistakengly, we miscalculated, so as we walked over the bridge on the Seine, the riders passed for one final time. We weren't that upset, we've seen a lot of the Tour. Joni was in search of another bathroom, so we stopped in a brasserie, and watched the finish on TV and then toasted the Tour with a Panis.

We've now returned to our new room, which is slightly bigger than our first one, but more importantly has two balconies, both of which offer a full view of the Eiffel Tower!!(You can actually lie in bed and see it) It will be fantastic to see it at night. Can't wait.

But it's time to get clean and head out for dinner, I think we're on a hunt for escargots!

We found them! After a false start, the nearby restaurant we had chosen was closed on Sundays, we took a cab to "Au Pied du Cuchon" (at the foot of the pig). Not a very alluring name for a restaurant, but Joni's research said this was a Parisian institution. It was right next to St. Eutache, where we had been this morning. This cab driver got us here in half the time, but he wasn't as friendly. In addition to the snails, I had steak tartar and Joni had steak au poivre. they were both great and very filling, so we decided to h ave desist and coffee later. We walked to the Louvre to see t he glass pyramid light up at night, it was now about 11 pm. It was spectacular, not crowded due to the time, and such a contrast to the surrounding ornate architecture of Louis XIV's palace which was the original purpose for the Louvre. We then seached for a cab. Home, since we were still not hungry. Our walk took us all the way to the Boulevard St. Michel. At this point we LSAT at a cafe and waited for a waiter for five minutes. Before deciding to csll it s nit and return to our hotel. Once back in our new room we we treated to the hourly light show on the Tour Eiffel before quickly falling asleep.