20,000 Steps and 87 Degrees
Bonjour,
Well, shall we say we’re either brave or crazy for doing what we did yesterday! The Huntsville/Madison County delegation was here for the Paris Air Show and we arranged to play tour guide for Pat Sims who is on the Chamber Board. Pat is the President of Drake State Technical College and is absolutely delightful!
The Chamber faced a challenge with accommodations. Their previous choice through the years for a hotel was much closer in the middle part of Paris but after a renovation had greatly increased in price. So they chose a hotel which was almost to La Defense at Port Maillot. We met Pat after a 45-minute subway jaunt for us, and she looked so Parisian with a stylish scarf tied around her neck. I took one look, complimented her on how cute she looked and said, “We’ll see how long that scarf stays around your neck!” She was an absolute pleasure to be with and a trooper with the heat and all the steps. Never one complaint! She had selected what she wanted to see blindly without any sense of where things were located. So we went from one end of Paris to another, starting at 10 and putting her in a cab about 6:30 from Montmartre. It was a great day and hopefully, a wonderful memory for her.
We began at Hotel de Ville, the city hall of Paris, which was a total wreck with some kind of renovation happening. But we did capture some hats of the day.
We walked across the river which she had not seen at all from Right bank to the islands and on to Notre Dame which was totally jammed! Pat took lots of photos but me, not a one, as I have so many already. Pat shared that she had been disappointed in French food thus far which stopped me in my tracks as we had planned to just run into a street side cafe and grab something. That can be great or it can be a disaster so we decided to go to one of our favorite places, Le Flore en L’Ile. As often happens, Pat was unsure about the menu so she ordered a Caesar salad. I convinced her to try just a bit of my Boeuf Carpaccio which is some of the best. She was surprised at how good it was. Then I recommended “dessert” because they are known for such a nice array. She chose vanilla ice cream as the only thing that appealed to her! Ha! So there is the time-old truth that eating in Paris is an acquired taste!
We decided a bus ride up the hill to Luxembourg Gardens was in order. Pat was enthralled with all of it as is always the case. We have a few key spots for photos.
Then we braved a long walk to Cité to Line 4, then line 1 at Chatelet, then Line 12 through Concorde to rue Abbesses where we like to start the Montmartre visit. Pat agrees with Natalie that the clock just runs faster in Paris. She couldn’t believe how the time flew. She enjoyed everything we showed her though we were all melting, and that scarf was hidden away in her bag! She had fun shopping and bought gifts for friends and family. Our last stop was the beautiful Sacre Coeur basilica. Shame on us for not air dropping her photos to my phone!
Thanks, Pat, for your positive spirit and gracious attitude toward all that we did. Safe travels back to the US.
A bientôt
L & B
June 19, 2025 @ 10:07 am
Whew! This makes me tired just to read it! All those steps in that heat! I’m afraid I would have pulled out of it after the first hour or so. I met Pat Sims at the ACS reception and she is a delightfully warm and down-to-earth lady. So glad you were able to show her our beloved Paris!
June 19, 2025 @ 11:43 am
Thanks, Linda!
Love the Sacre Coeur
June 19, 2025 @ 12:18 pm
Ah too funny… I love Caesar Salads and eat them all the time at home.. But when Im traveling, I always try “new”food.. Some thing I dont get all the time at home. And I never eat ice cream out. ( except on the street or from Berthillon!)..My mother never allowed me to eat ice cream in a restaurant, she would say that ice cream doesnt show the expertise of the chef.Some thing new and different was the order of the day! But of course each to his own. Maybe your friend didnt like the French food she ate because she was eating what she found at home and it didnt measure up! And it’s ppssible it didnt! A friend just came back with my La Roche Posay sun cream, , my Biafine and my A313… so all is right in the world… I well, need some more La roche Posay!
Amusez-vous bien!
June 19, 2025 @ 1:31 pm
Nice that you were able to show so much to your friend in just one day. Thank you.
June 19, 2025 @ 3:13 pm
You two are the best tour guides in Paris! You took her to some of our favorite places. Your pictures are lovely and uplifting. The three of you looked like you survived the day with smiles on your faces.
June 19, 2025 @ 8:16 pm
I guess I should try to come; it would slow you and Bernie down! Actually, it sounds like Pat was the perfect visitor!
Continue to have a wonderful time! Amy
June 20, 2025 @ 1:24 am
Pat IS a doll, I’m so glad you got to spend time with her and her with you two!