Loose ends and departures

Wednesday, our last day in Paris, started out overcast and hinted at rain – in fact it sprinkled only once the entire time we were in Paris. Anyway after I got up and showered I walked across the street to this great little pastry shop where I picked up some morning dolci (croissants with almonds again in fact) and then went next door to a café and got coffee to go for Susan.

After a leisurely morning we left the hotel and took the metro to les Invalides. Our flight back to Italy doesn't leave until nearly 7:00pm so we have pretty much all day to spend exploring the city and since we had not seen N's tomb on the last trip now was a perfect time to go.

Originally built for wounded soldiers – and in fact wounded soldiers are still billeted here from time to time --- much of this 18th century structure is the home of the Army Museum and the location of Napoleon’s tomb.


Unless you are seriously into medieval armor – and they have a superb collection– nearly all the other parts of the museum are presently closed for major renovation. So for example, the enormous collections and exhibitions of world Wars One and Two are closed. Still if you want to see Big N’s tomb you have to buy the ticket so you might as well check out the armor. And while you’re at it we both thought the relief maps on the very top floor benath the eaves of the building in fact, are worth the price of admission. In a darkened room the length of half a football field you can find enormous glass cases, and each well-lit case contains one or more of the most fantastic relief maps of various forts constructed along the periphery of France. Moreover, the maps were done in the 18th century! Tres cool.

But otherwise there is little to see so you might as well head over to Napoleon’s tomb – and don’t miss the very touching, evocative tomb of field Marshal Foch, a group of soldiers carrying the bier on which the marshal’s body is laid out is powerful indeed. Also buried here is Vauban who was probably the most famous of Frances military engineers – indeed he is considered one of the fathers of modern fort design.

We left Les Invalides and strolled over to the American Church which is located nearby. We checked out their bulletin board and picked up information that might help us find a place to stay in Paris. Afterwards we strolled down rue Maubour, at lunch and then took the metro back to the hotel to pick up our bags. We left the hotel and headed off for the metro, retracing our steps from last Saturday, for the Denfret Rochereau sop where we got the Orlybus to the airport. After check in and passing through security -- a bit more rigorous we thought than Pisa, we boarded the plane a bit late but still arrived in Pisa on time -- and so did our bag.

It was a pleasant evening as we took the next train for Pisa Centrale train station and about 20 minutes later were on baord the train for Florence. It was after 11:00pm by the time we crashe in our apartment although we really didn't feel very tired. We just wonder now what the return trip will be like.