The three of them arrived late on Friday, and met me at the hotel around 11 pm. We left for a very Parisian dinner, at a bistro - one of those with all the chairs facing to the street - called Saint Germain. We were, indeed, staying at Saint-Germain-de-Près, a lovely neighborhood.
I managed to convince my old man and lady to wake up later than usual and only have breakfast around 10-ish. Before breakfast, I managed to do a quick workout and go for a coffee with Mom and Dad. We had a nice fat breakfast at Le Pain Quotidien, still in Saint Germain, after which Mom and I told Gorda and Dad that we needed some time by ourselves. There was some wedding shoes hunting to be done! Shoe hunting was quite productive (we think we found the shoes of our dreams) but we never felt very comfortable about not being with our men. Two hours later, we met at Le Bon Marché, and spent the rest of the day altogether.
We checked La Grand Epicerie de Paris, had an amazing (and healthy) lunch at Judy, and then walked through half Paris: Les Invalides, La Concorde, Les Tuileries, Louvre, La Seine, Pont des Arcs and Pont Neuf. Before Pont Neuf, we stopped by the Seine for a drink with some INSEAD friends of mine, under a glorious sun. You cannot imagine how good of a day it was - warm and sunny. At Pont Neuf, Gorda tried to knee down again for a picture but got ditched this time. hahaha
By 7 pm, we were back to the hotel for a quick nap before an incredible dinner. I had booked a table at Le Georges, and thank god I did so. Le Georges is a fancy modern restaurant at the top of Pompidou. It has an amazing view, a very cool environment and very yummy food. Win!
After dinner, my old man and woman went back to the hotel and Gorda and I met our friends at a very weird yet entertaining cabaret. Before 2 am we were in bed as well.
Sunday was a great day too. The plan was to explore Marais and the surroundings. We walked there after checking out from the hotel, and arrived around 11 am. In the meantime, we walked through the Paris Marathon and watched it for a while. As we arrived in Marais, everyone was starving but the place I had in mind for a Sunday brunch, Benedict, would not open until 12 pm. We decided to check another place, Café Charlot, which refused to serve us neither breakfast or brunch because it was transitioning between the two. We then decided to walk back to the original place. What a smart idea!
Brunch was then at Benedict. Nomnomnomnomnom. We highly recommend it, mainly if you order the Italian Eggs Benedict. Portions were so generous that no one had lunch later in the day. The restaurant is pretty cool too. We had a great time.
After brunch, we (especially Mom) explored a few stores in Marais, and then checked Notre Dame, Shakespear & Co. bookstore, and a few other locations around Seine. At some point, we stopped for a drink as our legs were starting to feel the several kms we walked in less than two days. Around 4 pm, we were back to the hotel. Mom and Dad stayed, while Gorda and I walked a few other kms to meet some friends of mine at Arc du Triomphe. Three of my friends managed to finish the Marathon (!!!!!!) and wanted me to drive their car to Fontainebleau because their legs would not allow them to do so.
Goodbyes were easy this time, as we knew we would be together again in four days. Guess what? I am currently at the Orly Airport, waiting for a flight back home.
Thank you Mom and Dad for such a nice weekend, for all the love and good meals, and for treating Gorda and me so well. Can't wait for our July to repeat this weekend, this time with Mico as well. See you all soon!
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