Paris, France: Remember, way way way back, to the summer of 2020? We had planned a 40-day European adventure to celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary? We had so many wonderful plans... champagne tasting in France, taking a train through the Alps, a Mediterranean cruise, a week in Provence, then ending with one of the very few items remaining on my Bucket List: seeing Jimmy Buffett play his annual show in Paris. Didn't happen. COVID happened. We cancelled our trip... or in reality, our trip cancelled itself.
Fast-forward to 2023. We have now been married 43 years, and the World Athletic Championships are being held in Budapest, so we decided to try again for another, albeit different, Epic Anniversary Adventure. Friday evening, we caught a plane to Paris and will spend a few days in the City of Lights before heading to Hungary for the meet. Jimmy is still not well/touring and has yet to schedule a Paris show this year. (Sad face.)
Friday morning we drove to Los Angeles to have lunch with the 4L’s - Lisa prepped a gorgeous Mediterranean spread for our send-off - and Lenny drove us to LAX. Immigration and security were quick and painless. We waited in the Air France lounge until our flight boarded.
Ten hours later, two very tired and very old people exited the plane, walked 350 miles to exit Charles de Gaulle airport, and take a taxi to our hotel in the 6th Arrondissement. Yep, we are smack-dab in one of the most touristy section of Paris... but, it's okay because we are tourists. Our goal for the afternoon was to remain awake, have something to eat, take a nice walk and not go to bed before 9 or 10p. We did it!
After settling in and unpacking, we spiffed up and walked to Brasserie Lipp for a very traditional French meal. There are so many "tourist-famous" restaurants in this area (Lipp, Les Deux Magots, Cafe de Flore, Relais de L'entrecote) - all still living off their Hemingway-Picasso-Sartre-ate-here nostalgia. The food is good, the people-watching is excellent, and each restaurant has their own vibe.
Brasserie Lipp is a bustling place. Some locals and many tourists tonight. Classic brasserie menu. We first shared a tuna salad (that I did not photograph - starving) and I ordered duck confit, while DT had their Saturday night special: Roasted Leg of Lamb with mashed potatoes. Dang if we didn't have a lot of potatoes tonight.
We did have a nice long stroll after our meal - taking the long way back to our hotel. - and will hit the ground running tomorrow. Two things we have never done before. There is a possibility of photos that are not of food? We will see.
I'm off to bed. Until my next update, I remain, your Paris journaliste.
*Shout-out to a very old Jimmy Buffett song, He Went to Paris.