We had a lovely cafe creme and croissant and orange juice breakfast at Cafe Danton. I was starving, so I even ate the bread that came with the croissant (yes, you get bread with everything, even mmm bread!).
We learned about how service works in shops after trying to skip the queue and being ignored. Orange then happily sold us a daily no contract data plan for the iPad. We wandered around Saint Germain, looking at the abbey, drinking more coffee, getting sucked into the myriad of side streets and side side streets and alleys and things smaller than alleys, that abound here.
Finally we made a plan to wander further afield and go see the Musee Orangerie and wander around the Jardin de Tuileries and Place de la Concorde and at least wave at the Louvre. So off we went awalking... Halfway there we needed sustenance and ended up at La Palette, a nice little bistro on the Rue de Seine that has only a small problem with gypsies stealing money off the table and an even smaller bathroom. Seriously, a bathroom like you find on a plane. The food and wine were good though and we got to sit under cover for the only shower so far of the trip. Cheese plate, meat plate (yes yes there were sexier French names for these on the menu that I couldn't reproduce even under torture).
Then it was off to finish the trek to the Louvre and Orangerie.
The Louvre is a big damn place, must wait until the sleep schedule is properly aligned to attack the inside. So we started down the Jardin de Tuileries to the Musee Orangerie at the other end (feeling kind of Impressionist today, after all).
Who knew that military men were into Carrousels? We walked through the Carrousel area and arch, down the length of the garden and FINALLY got to the museum. Cezanne, Renoir, Modigliani, all those guys... And Monet too, of course. Massive water lily murals in the upper galleries, very interesting.
Jet lag was pretty serious at this point and we had problems even staying upright.
Luckily there are many trees in the garden.
We made it back to the hotel without any more coffee OR wine and promptly napped for a bit before dinner. Two or three hours of a bit, very much needed nap!
We decided to set off in a different direction for dinner (see previous post). Our path took us by the Odeon Theatre d'Europe, very impressively lit at night as well as one of the many bike for rent stands all over this area. Not feeling ready to bike around yet though!
Tomorrow, a different adventure... Metro to Montparnasse and then off to Chartres to see the cathedral.
