Great ending to the perfect vacation

Having our last dinner in Paris at this little place

Madelyn and Hayden, look at this carousel.  It's right next to the Eiffel Tower.  We can't wait to bring you here.  And we will, just as soon as you can make it through a museum without asking to leave and once you can walk miles and miles and miles without ever whining.  But once you are that age you won't care about this silly carousel anymore. 

Jules Verne's in the Eiffel Tower for our last dinner.  Thanks again Christy for this recommendation too!  It's hard to pick, but I think dinner here was my most favorite thing we did.  Kissing on a bench in the rain underneath an umbrella is a close second. 

The view from the restaurant, love the rooftops

Best seats in the house

Our reservation was at 9:00, which was perfect because we got to see the city of lights come alive.  We also got to see the Eiffel Tower light up twice while eating, which was dazzling to watch.  

The best chocolate souffle.  Ever.  

After dinner, had to take one last look before hopping in the cab

When we got back to our room, we got changed and walked to the bridge by our hotel to see the Eiffel Tower light up one last time at midnight.  It was as beautiful as ever.

Versailles

We took a day trip to Versailles today.  For lunch we went to Trianon Palace, a gorgeous hotel where Napoleon had his summer home.  We ate at Gordon Ramsay's restaurant and it was one of the best lunches we've ever had.  So thank you very much Christy for the recommendation!

The dining room was so chic, I absolutely loved it!  

Loved how they served the sorbet on ice cubes

Can't get enough of these tree lined boulevards

Chateau Versailles

Me and about a hundred other people in the hall of mirrors  

Madelyn, check out this bed!  Can you imagine?  This was where Marie Antoinette woud have slept in the 1700's.   

Shopping day

We started the day out at Musee L'Orangerie where they have a panoramic exhibit of some of Monet's work.  It is breathtaking to see.  

Finally we had nice weather today so Tuileries Gardens was filled with people out enjoying the sunshine.

After the museum we wanted to head across town to St. Germain for some shopping.  We decided to brush off our old London Tube navigating skills and take the Metro.  Those skills served us well today, we easily got to where we wanted to go despite needing to take a complicated route.  

We grabbed lunch at Gerard Mulot, Ina Garten's favorite speciality foods take-out shop.  The food was all gorgeous but we finally made the difficult decision on what to order and shared the curry shrimp salad, chicken and spring vegetable salad, mini quiches and a smoked salmon sandwich.  

From there we headed to Laduree, a fabulous tea house and patisserie.  

Then we walked for hours down Saint Honore, which had all the best shopping.  The sad truth is that everything is far too expensive when we have all the same shops in L.A. without the heavy sales tax and bad exchange rate.  So, designer handbags and jewelry shopping will remain in America.  But window shopping is just as exhausting so by the time we reached Le Bristol Hotel we were in serious need of a pick-me-up.  

Iced tea and Bollinger Rose, I was a happy girl.  

Poor Preston was ready for a nap but we had one more place I wanted to hit up, La Maison Du Chocolat.  They had the most incredible assortment of specialty chocolates.  

Preston got a carmel gelato that was magnifique!  

So, after a long day of shopping all we came back with were chocolates and cookies.  Somehow I don't think the kids will be disappointed in that though.  

Museum hopping and the love lock bridge

It was a cold and rainy day in Paris so we took full advantage of the dreary weather and decided to do some museum hopping.  We went to Musee D'Orsay and Musee Marmottan Monet.  It was another splendid day together in beautiful Paris.  But honestly, is there ever a bad day in Paris?  

Preston had to run back up to the room to get an umbrella so I decided to take a few pictures of our beautiful lobby...

Where breakfast is served, apparently.  We have yet to make it to breakfast. Sleep is far too precious to waste on such things.   

The stairs up to our room

Trying to figure out how to stash this chair in my suitcase.  I doubt they'd even miss it.  

Chanel, how I love thee

Thanks Gwenny P for another fabulous restaurant.  We had lunch at Cinq Mars, a quaint neighborhood restaurant in the 7th.  It was bustling with locals when we got there and we had a terrific lunch, Preston had an omelet and I had the best gazpacho I've ever had.  It was so creamy.  Hmm, there's a concept, cream in gazpacho. How fabulously French to take a healthy dish and add cream.  

After Musee D'Orsay we walked to Pont Des Arts bridge, also known as one of the love lock bridges in Paris.  

Preston putting our engraved lock on the bridge

It's official, our love is locked.  Wow, that is so cheesy but pfft to any haters.  It was fun!  

Wish granted: walking through Paris in the rain

OK, so walking in the rain was fun for about 5 minutes then I was so over it.  We needed a break to dry out and warm up.  Creme brulee, cappuccino and cognac will do the trick anytime.  

 Monet Museum, my happy place

Dinner at Le Duc.  Amazing fish and beautiful ambiance.  

After dinner we embarked on an hour adventure trying to find this street.  We found it right at midnight too.  Unfortunately, there was no Peugeot from the 1920's to pick us up.  Darn.  

Day trip to Epernay

We set a wake-up call and got up and out the door by 8:45 so we could take a day trip to Epernay, which is the Champagne region of France.  We hired a driver, Amadeus who was referred to us by Rick and Joan Murphy and he was a trip in himself, super knowledgeable and crazy funny the whole time.  

In Beautiful Epernay 

Saint Dom Perignon's statue outside of the Champagne house of Moet and Chandon.  We have been paying homage to this saint every Christmas Eve without even realizing it when we indulge in a bottle of Dom P (wink, wink) 

At Moet and Chandon

The caves, so similar to the ones at Schramsberg in Napa.  Just on a much, much larger scale.

Apparently a perk when Amadeus is your driver is that you get to do your tasting privately in one of Moet and Chandon's private salons.  Very hoity-toity but I was not about to complain.  

Talking champagne (quite possibly one of my favorite subjects) with our Moet and Chandon tour guide

 Tasting the Vintage Brut and Vintage Rose.  Both excellent, coincidentally.  

Enjoying a little sunshine in the gardens at Moet and Chandon

And what do you do after a day of wine tasting?  Go to the bar with your driver of course!  Amadeus wanted to take us to his favorite local bistro where he bought us a glass (or two) of wine.  I could have hung out with him all night.  He had me in stitches with his very unpolitically correct comments yet really taught us a lot about Parisian life.  I'm already looking forward to seeing him again the next time we return.  

After returning from our day with Amadeus we had just enough time to freshen up and head to the Louvre for an hour before dinner.  We had reservations at Benoit, a fabulous, small bistro that both Ina Garten and Gwyneth Paltrow suggested.  It did not disappoint.  Preston had the foie gras appetizer and I had the smoked salmon that was incredible.  We shared the chicken and morels and I would have licked my plate had the restaurant not been filled with other customers.  Shameful perhaps, but it was that good!  

The chicken and morels below, one thing I have come to LOVE about French dining is all the special and unique dishes and the beautiful presentation.  Check out this plate, engraved with the restaurant's namesake.  You can't help but smile when you are served your meal on a dish like this.