Eiffel For Paris

FALLAFEL, CREPES, AND OTHER ART

We are so enjoying walking in the neighborhoods in Paris that our appetite for visiting the great museums and galleries has surprisingly somewhat diminished. The walking does however increase other aspects of appetite and we have enjoyed partaking in culinary delicacies along the way. On Wednesday, my last day as a 59 year old, we continued to explore the Marais district on our way to the Pompidou Center of Modern Art. This time we wandered around the predominantly Jewish sector through winding streets to the Rue des Rosiers, the falafel hub of the city. We stood in line to taste the fare at the most popular and most famous of the falafel stores - L’As du Fallafel. I must say it lives up to its hype! A succulent pita pocket filled with falafel, yogurt sauce, cabbage, lettuce, eggplant, onions and peppers and made spicy at our request.

We next headed toward the Pompidou Center 

known for its inside-out architecture consisting of brightly colored tubes on the outside of the building. The remainder of the art collection is on the inside; a place to which we never ventured given the queue around the outside of the building. 

Nevertheless, we could then spend some time in the Place Igor Stravinsky, a whimsical square featuring some colorful sculptures and water fountains surrounded by restaurants, the beautiful St. Merry church, graffiti, and one plane of the Pompidou center itself. A great place to people watch.

Another great museum that we visited without entering was the Louvre. We chose to instead photograph the outside of the building especially around the I. M. Pei pyramid in one of the courtyard entrances.

I. M. Pei Pyramid at the Louvre

The Left Bank was our next port of call. We crossed the Seine at Pont-Neuf and entered the St. Germain district running into a portion of the Latin Quarter on our way back. Along the way we stopped for some savory buckwheat crepes at the delightful Creperie des Arts.

Love locks on bridge near Notre Dame

We arrived home exhausted and exhilarated.