Adieu la France ... Je serai de retour!

My final day in Paris was spent walking for miles with an astounding amount of fatigue in my feet, and an overwhelming thrill in my mind. Paris is the perfect city for walking.
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Rain was in the forecast so I was pleasantly surprised when I saw blue skies. I had wanted to go to the Musee d'art et d'Histoire du Judaisme, so I started my day there. This museum houses a broad collection of Jewish art and artifacts and discusses the history of Judaism in France and Europe at large. The plan was to then grab a bite to eat and walk around the Marais section of town.  The Marais section is the oldest area in the city, but my horrible sense of direction forced a change of plan.  I recognized my error, but enjoyed walking, perused the shop windows, went into a few stores, and enjoyed the architecture. Suddenly, I realized that I had walked all the way to the Louvre! By this time it was getting dark and chilly, but the energy of the city pulled me along. I realized how close I was to Champs Elysees and knew that I should take the opportunity to walk along that most famous of streets in Paris. I am so happy that I did! While in Dinan, I watched while workers installed holiday lights all over the city. This work was serious and took the entire month. Unfortunately, those lights were not to be turned on until December 3.  Not so in Paris, and the lights all along the Champs Elysses were magnificent. I was so mesmerized that I walked all the way to the Arche de Triomphe. By then, my feet were arguing with my head and I made my way back to the area of my hotel.

I had considered grabbing a crepe for dinner and calling it a night as I had to rise early to make my flight. Instead, I decided I would try an Indian restaurant that I saw several days earlier. I was seated, already beginning my meal, when a single American man entered the restaurant. He inquired where I was from and we discovered that we were both from Virginia. We dined together, sharing with one another what had brought us to France. This was the perfect ending to my last terrific day in Paris.

Yesterday morning, I reluctantly said goodbye to France and the trip of a lifetime!