Et Voila: La Tour de Paris

After a ton of train and ferry travel, I was finally in the clear to fly, and so we embarked on a short flight from Dublin to Paris, arriving in time for a quick dinner of pizza and salad before continuing on a longer metro ride back to Bagnolet to crash at my brother’s; for the final stop of our European capital tour.

The next morning with Ireland inspired damp and chilly weather we walked along the outskirts of Paris to the Cimetière du Père Lachaise. Merely steps into the cemetery gates, the skies opened releasing rain reminiscent of a cool fall afternoon that perfectly accentuated the browning leaves that were already falling from the trees. After a quick and soaked sighting of Jim Morrison’s grave, we chose to forget the rain and settled into a brasserie for a cup of coffee before sloshing back to wander and explore the other famous graves enclosed within the cemetery.

Side entrance to Pere Lachaise

Jim Morrison's grave

In between eavesdropping in on an English tour group and catching tidbits of the fascinating histories and lifestyles of the artists, aristocrats, poets and historians resting there, we stopped to reflect upon both the historically significant as well as recent familial tombs that lie within its walls.

Pere Lachaise Cemetery

Oscar Wilde's grave

Grave of Edith Piaf

The rest of the day remained overcast and so we relaxed and hung out with Alex and settled in for a low key dinner party chez Alex and Bérengère, enjoying escargot drenched in butter, garlic and parsley; a simple salad and tiramisu.

My first time trying escargot... and it was delicious!!!!

The next day we set out to watch the final day of the Tour de France!!!! Eek, so exciting…. If you can call under 10 seconds of bikes whizzing by fun and exciting? – well I can and it was! Unsure of when the riders would reach Paris we walked toward Notre Dame, through the Latin Quarter, and into the Jardin du Luxembourg, before settling in along the tour route not far from Notre Dame. Anticipation was high and mounting and after countless media and tour vehicles, the riders zipped by faster than you could turn on a camera!! Thanks to my brother, our tour guide! We continued our quest to catch more tour time and wandered in between the buildings of the Louvre and into the Jardin des Tuileries, resting along the route where the riders would finish their final laps near the Champs-Élysées; catching the final 3-4 laps of the 2011 Tour de France!!! Definite cultural highlight to my time in Paris thus far!