Since we could see the end of our vacation approaching, we realized that we needed to start planning our daily itineraries a little more closely so we could get in all that we wanted to.  Because of that and the fact that seven days on the go were catching up with my six-month pregnant wife, we decided to spend the morning together and the part ways for the afternoon.

Our first stop in the morning was the one my wife had been waiting for, la Museé d'Orsay (1 rue de la Legion dHonneur, 01-40-49-48-14, Metro: Solerfino, RER: Musee d'Orsay).  For her and her love of the impressionists, this was heaven on earth!  For me, my day was made when we walked into the museum and I stood there in awe of the job the French did when the renovated the Museum from the old Gare d'Orsay (train station).  If you've been to Union Station in Washington DC and have seen the job they did there, turn it up a few notches and you've got an inkling of an idea of what the Museé is now like!

Although I would have gone here even if I was by myself, this was definitely a "Kathie" destination.  A lover of the Impressionists, this (and Disney!) was the thing she said she specifically wanted to visit in Paris, so she was eagerly looking forward to the day.  Neither she nor I were disappointed.  We made sure to pick up the recorded headset at the entrance of the museum to really get an insight into some of the lesser known pieces and artists.  I would strongly recommend to people that you get this, otherwise you miss out on 90% of the story behind the paintings.  For me, one of the most impressive exhibits was on the Opera and the surrounding area.  This included a most impressive replica of the Opera that was cut open showing everything from the seats, to the balconies, to the backstage mechanics, to the dressing room areas.  The whole exhibit really provide an idea of what life was like in late 19th century Paris.

We took a break for lunch in the restaurant in the Museum.  Again, highly recommended.  If I remember correctly, there was originally a hotel attached to the train station (could be wrong on this aspect).  Well, when they renovated the building, they tried (and succeeded) to recapture the essence of the way the restaurant used to be.  With soft accents of gold and extensive use of Spring colors, the room was both beautiful and relaxing.  We really enjoyed our lunch in here as they had a menu that gave the option of a fairly extensive buffet or dishes of the menu that were fairly light in style.  It was truly refreshing.

After lunch, we parted ways for the afternoon.  As I mentioned, Kathie loves this genre of art and wanted to stay a little longer before heading back to the hotel to rest up a bit.  For me, my afternoon took on a little sense of adventure: the Catacombs (1 Place Denfert-Rochereau, 01-43-22-47-63, Metro and RER: Denfert-Rochereau). 

Although I've never considered myself morbid, I've had this fascination with catacombs ever since visiting the Roman catacombs when I was 12.  In the case of the Parisian catacombs, I also wanted to see where the Parisian Resistance operated during World War II.  NOTE - when you leave the Metro station, the Catacombs entrance is on the block in the middle of the Place (I spent almost ten minutes wandering around trying to locate it!).  The Parisian Catacombs were originally cut out by the Romans to quarry stone, and were later used to store millions of skeletons (I'm not exaggerating in the least here).  The first time you see the stacks of bones, it is a bit disconcerting.  The primary bones are stacked like lumber along the walls in stacks about five feet high, with skulls ornately placed o the top.  What becomes mind-boggling is how these stacks go on for several miles and in some places, the stacks go back ten to fifteen yards.  After the original "shock" of the first stacks of bones, I found myself walking along experiencing the history in this place - the Resistance fighters who lived in there sixty years ago, the Romans digging the place out.  Quite fascinating.  Even at a steady pace with only occasional stops to read a placard or take a picture, it took me over thirty minutes to walk the length of the catacombs before surfacing.  That in and of itself presented a bit of a problem - where the heck was I?  Fortunately my French came in handy and I was able to make my way back to the main street and to a Metro station, and then back to the hotel.  NOTE - although I would highly recommend the Catacombs to anyone (especially if you have teenagers who are looking for something unique that doesn't involve a museum) be very wary if you have children 13 and under - there were several times when I was starting get a bit spooked.

After making my way back to the hotel and crashing for a few minutes, we headed out for the evening.  The first stop was the Eiffel Tower  (Quai Branly, Metro: Bir-Harkeim; RER: Champ-de-Mars).  How we had been in Paris for seven days and still hadn't made it to the Tower is beyond me, but we finally got there.  We found it to truly be everything we expected it to be - breathtaking views with a sense of romance because of where we were.  Even my height-fearing wife was able to overcome her fears and venture out to the edge of the top deck for a look.  One thing that was neat about going at this time rather than on the first day was that we were able to look out at all the places we had been to and experienced.  The one thing we didn't particularly care for was the blinking lights that went off on the hour for ten minutes.  From a distance, we found it distracting and somewhat less than magical.  When on the Tower, we found it almost blinding when they went off.  After about 20 or 30 minutes up there, we decided to head on down and go to dinner.  Me being the lunatic that I can be, decided that I was going walk down the stairs (something to brag about later!).  Fortunately for me and my out-of-shape legs, I could only walk down as far as Jules Verne before I had to go by elevator - boy were my legs jelly!

From the Tower, we jumped on the RER and to St. Michel for dinner along the banks of the Seine at Cote Seine (45, quai des Grands Augustins, 01-43-54-49-73, RER/Metros: St. Michel / Pont Neuf).  Highly recommended to us, we were not disappointed.  Our meals were delicious and the service was most friendly and genuine. Serge, Jean Claude, and Thomas provided a wonderfully quiet, romantic evening for us.  Sadly, our days of "go-go-go" were catching up with us, and although we had plans to wonder around the Latin Quarter a bit before turning in, our bodies just wouldn't let us.  So it was back to the 7^th and off to bed. 

Tomorrow: Le Marais & Ste Chapelle