Rick Steves Best of Paris in 7 Days Tour Scrapbook!
Day 6: Museums and a Farewell on the water
Day 6: Museums and a Farewell on the water
The Orsay, ya say?
Our last day of the tour kicked off with a lovely journey across the Seine to the Orsay Museum. Though the museum is filled with art, the location itself is quite the sight, having previously been a train station. It even has the original grand clock high above - with an accessible view of the city on the other side!
As for the works of art, the Orsay contains some of the best Impressionist and Post-Impressionist works from the likes of Monet, Van Gogh, and Degas. The tour was a quick master class of just that and because of its smaller size, the museum doesn't feel overwhelming, compared to something like The Louve!
Pieces that caught my eye...
Grand and gorgeous ballroom called La Salle des Fêtes. I was pleasantly surprised to learn you can actually rent it out for an event!
SWEET STOP!
About midway through our stroll, Virginie surprised us with a delicious treat from one of her favorite shops! They were to die for!
Afternoon
Air
After the visit at the Orsay, we were free for the afternoon to do as we pleased! Some went to the nearby Orangerie Museum, which features Monet's water lilies, however I was museum-ed out and decided to take in the air. Plus, by this time I was VERY comfortable with the Metro system so off I went to leisurely wander and stroll about. Even do a little Christmas shopping!
Metro Station
The Place de la Concorde
A midday dessert
I couldn't tell you the name of this place but I had the best French toast ever here!
A Final Feast
and Ferry
It being the last night of the tour, we all gathered together for a finale dinner. HOWEVER, our guide didn't just take us to any ole restaurant. Virginie took us to a Michelin star restaurant! And eating at a Michelin star restaurant was on my bucket list! We ate incredibly fascinating food while having a chance to break bread together one more time. But that wouldn't be our final adventure!
A Cruise along the Seine
That's right! We did an evening cruise along the Seine and the boat had incredible panoramic views! We even got to see the very place I missed the first day of the tour -- Notre Dame! Woo Hoo! I will say it's quite freezing on the windy water so make sure you bundle up tight for this excursion if you're going at this time of year! The cold was NOTHING for our Seattle based buds, but for this California girl -- it was basically the arctic. Thankfully there were both indoor and outdoor seats!
Side Story
One of my mom and I's favorite movies is Bridget Jones Diary. Oddly enough my paired buddy looked ALOT like Renee Zellwegger so we thought it'd be fun to prank call my mom pretending I met Renee on the boat! It was HILARIOUS!
A lovely goodbye
But not really... haha!
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Because I ended up coming a day late, I decided to extend my stay at the hotel for one more day!
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There were so many incredible places I didn't get to see and so many I wanted to see again that I just HAD to! After seeing this scrapbook, could you blame me?!
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But, it still was the end of the Rick Steves portion with my group. A gaggle of folks who made the trip so much fun and interesting! Our lives, all rooted in different corners of the country, and yet this tour allowed us to come together for the experience of a lifetime, first as strangers, but then as friends. THIS is what I LOVE most about these tours.
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So to them, my tour group, I want to say a special thank you for the wonderful company. The stories, the laughs, the side quests, the spare bandaids, and the incredible recommendations for future travel -- Which saved my butt flying out of Ireland! Thank you so much! And thank you to Virginie for welcoming us with such passion, joy, and thoughtfulness! And last but not least, thank you Rick Steves for another fantastic trip! One that opened my eyes in way I am excited to share with my students!
