On our last day in Troyes (pronounced “twah”), April 30, we had planned a leisurely day. After a lazy morning start, we went to the Troyes Market, which was a delightful experience. There were typical food stalls of fruits, vegetables, beef and fish; however, there were also stalls selling ready-made foods for take out, such as pickled herring, shrimp and calamari cocktails, potato mixtures of many kinds, etc. We enjoyed browsing the chocolate stands and the oyster shuckers station. We knew that if we lived here, this would be a regular stop for food, and we would eat well!

For the afternoon, we did something we have never done before on one of our overseas adventures–we went to an outlet mall! The one in Troyes is well known. Not unlike our American outlets, we enjoyed a warm day browsing in stores both familiar and unfamiliar. I was hungry, so we went to a buffet cafe with lots of choices and well-prepared entrees. I enjoyed spaghetti Bolognese and some quite delicious cream brûlée. Late afternoon was nap and rest time for Kathy and me, but our friends, Randy and Melisa, went to an outdoor cafe for drinks and to people watch. In the evening, we enjoyed a very good French meal (French onion soup for me, veal smothered with a mushroom sauce with oven fried potato wedges and green beans, and warm chocolate cake with vanilla sauce). There is no rush in France for the evening meal. They do not expect to turn over the table to someone else. Therefore, we capped a leisurely day with a leisurely meal and find ourselves ready for Paris.

Our train ride to Paris took almost two hours on a new, spacious train. Since it was May Day, a significant European festival, we found some prices were elevated–our cab ride to the train station was double in cost, for instance. Once in Paris, we purchased three day train passes and used the metro for our transportation needs. We checked into our hotel, whose entry was via a covered passageway filled with quaint shops and eateries. There are only eight such covered passageways remaining in Paris.

We had five o’clock tickets to a concert in La Sainte Chapell. This chapel was originally built to house relics from the passion of Christ. Floor to ceiling stained glass surrounded us in beautiful light as the strains of stringed music wafted through the air. We decided it would be hard to find a more beautiful venue for a concert. Security was tight; Paris is preparing for the Olympics soon to arrive.

After the hour concert, we walked to the still-under-reconstruction Notre Dame (from the fire). It will not be reopened until the end of the year. From there we walked into the Latin Quarter across the River Seine, our destination being the Luxembourg Gardens. Many folks were out, simply relaxing by the water pools. We took the metro back to the hotel, exhausted from a long day and enjoyed a good night’s sleep.

On Thursday, we ate breakfast. Our hotel is very well located, so we walked to our day’s destinations. The Palais Garnier, the Opera House, was spectacular! Multi-tiered with exquisite tiles and mosaics, huge golden statuary and brilliant chandeliers blended into a golden hall with beautifully painted ceilings. The opera hall itself was resplendent.

The Galeries Lafayette and Printemps, luxury department stores, were across from the Palais Garnier. We enjoyed seeing the beautiful stained glass dome in the Galleries and looking out from the top of Printemps for beautiful views of the city. We did some minor shopping, but basically enjoyed the views. We had a very good meal at a Brasserie in the area. Randy, our friend, and I ate great lobster rolls. Back at the hotel, Kathy and I took it easy, while Randy and Melisa did some more shopping in the covered passageways. Late in the evening, we went to a Hard Rock Cafe next to our hotel for snacks of nachos, a taste of home in Texas.

Randy enjoyed a cold brew from a two-handed beer glass.