macarons – Paris with Mom

Journal

Monday, May 9
Our final day in Paris! We went downstairs to the hotel breakfast room, which was filled up with the next batch of Rick Steves “Best of Paris” clients, excited about the start of their tour. Today we took a similar walk to our first day in Paris, over the bridge and down Avenue des Champs-Élysées, continuing all the way to the Arc de Triomphe. The workweek was beginning and the city streets seemed clean and fresh after a hard rain the night before. We were hoping it might drizzle a little so we could wear the raincoats we packed especially for the trip.

We stopped in for coffee and macarons at Ladurée on Champs Elysées, recommended by a friend as the place to have this Parisian treat. It is said that Ladurée invented the macaron … in any case, they have gorgeous window displays of the cookies and so many flavors to choose from! We selected four from the menu and savored them with coffee in an elegant tea room upstairs.

We enjoyed taking a closer look at the Musee de l’Armee at the center of the Hôtel National des Invalides. It has a beautiful church inside, and the golden Dôme des Invalides contains Napoleon I’s tomb. We also took a second walk by the living garden wall outside of Musée du quai Branly.

As the afternoon got late, it was time to bid farewell to Paris … from the top of the Eiffel Tower. I’ve posted a video of one of two elevator rides we took to the top. Don’t look down! ?

Final Dinner in Paris

We returned to a favorite restaurant for our last special dinner: Cafe Constant

Dinner
Volaille «Patte Bleue» rôtie au beurre d’herbes, petits oignons, lardons et champignons
Chicken roasted in herb butter, onions, bacon and mushrooms
Crème de potiron, émietté de châtaignes et croûtons
Cream of pumpkin soup with crumbled chestnuts, croutons, and cheese ravioli
Get the recipe

Desserts
Profiteroles maison, sauce au chocolat chaud
Profiteroles (cream puffs) served with hot chocolate sauce
Fromage de saison
Seasonal cheese

“He who contemplates the depths of Paris is seized with vertigo. Nothing is more fantastic. Nothing is more sublime.”

― Victor Hugo