Monday (Paris)…

Sherie’s nagging cold–we will henceforth call it The Black Plague–kept her out of commission today 🙁 So, we left her to mend with food, water, and warm blankets and headed out under threatening skies.

We plotted a route past the Louvre, the surrounding Tuileries gardens and eventually along the Avenue des Champs-Élysées. An ambitious route, thumbing a nose at the inevitable rain and sure to be teeming with people. But a day walking in Paris is simply irresistible.

We passed several shops along the way to the Louvre designed to tempt the taste buds. The patisserie with its colorful macaroons and shiny glazed apricot tarts. The savory shop with foie gras and escargot in many unexpected forms. The dreamy chocolate shop.

As expected, the iconic pyramid courtyard at the Louvre was jam-packed with visitors queued up before the Louvre closed for two days. We passed on by and headed below the courtyard to the shops below…a nice break from the cold, but not a fun place to stay for long…even more people down there!!

Escaping the throngs, we continued on into the Tuileries Gardens. Chilly statues stood watch over sleeping flower beds. The circular fountain reflected the gray clouds above. Long, orderly rows of leafless trees housed resting birds.

At the Plaza du Concorde, a giant Ferris wheel turned slowly, half-filled with brave tourists. Beyond the plaza, we reached the narrow beginnings of the Champs-Élysées. This park-lined portion housed a winter festival, with lines of white wooden kiosks broken up with occasional kids play areas. We couldn’t resist the cold-weather treats, and stopped periodically for hot mulled wine, a creamy mushroom soup, fresh crepes, sausages, and a sinful potato-cheese-and-bacon concoction.

The drizzle turned to rain as we left the winter festival and continued along the Champs-Élysées’ famous shopping area. Crowded sidewalks made vibrant by pops of color from freshly opened umbrellas.

Our symbolic turn-around destination was the iconic flagship for Louis Vuitton. Apparently on the map for others because there was a sizeable line out front. Ick. A line to shop seemed a bit silly on a rainy day, so we ventured on.

The rain picked up significantly as our return route took us down the equally fashionable Rue Saint Honoré. Many more flagships for fashion icons. Hermes. Yves St. Laurent. Longchamp. Goyard. At the Place de Vendome, we joined Paolo in vault-like Rolex in futile search of a leather watch strap.

For dinner, we tried the sit-down version of our cravable lunch spot King Falafel Palace. Platters of grilled meats, salads, and bread made for a hearty dinner to ward off the rain.