Au revoir Paris
Some years back when I was still travelling on business, one of my son’s friends and I compared notes about our favorite places to stay and eat in Paris. We agreed that the 7me Arrondissement was a great home base for convenient access to the best-known historic sites and museums, and argued gently over the merits of staying east or west of the Avenue Bosquet. I liked the slightly better Metro access from the Rue Cler area, while he preferred the slightly more upscale hotel and dining options east of the Avenue.
His list of favorite restaurants differed completely from mine, but as I had not been as happy as I wished with our dinner at l’Affriole, I decided to lead my group of four to one of his recommendations on Rue St. Dominique just east of the Avenue Bosquet, La Fontaine de Mars. It was as wonderful as he had said. Next time I’m in Paris I will go there on my first night, not my last.
But it was a fine farewell to our week. The next morning we rose early, glimpsed the Seine from our taxi, and caught a last view of the Arc de Triomphe by dawn light from the express bus to deGaulle. The only good thing about leaving Paris is that each time I do, I am reinforced in my determination to come back again.
[next week: my monthly article from the Town Crier. After that, a new set of Freeway Free travels in a completely different part of the world! I hope you keep reading.]
Allyson Johnson 