Day 2 - Relaxation Paris at night

Our slow start continued for me. Ric went out on a hunt to locate the home of a contact here in Paris for group rides. About 15km to the northwest. I sent to the store to select some items for snacks and breakfast, altho I will make a trip to the boulangerie 2 short blocks away for Expresso and fresh baguette in the morning. Then I made my visit to the Palias Garnier Opera House – the gilded statues gleaming in the late afternoon sun! I discovered that the architect of this Neo Classic masterpiece Charles Garnier is buried in a marble tomb to the west side of the building. What a tribute! Walked all around, sampling a bit of food at a brasserie and wound my way down to Jardin de Tuilleries. I sat on the wall and watched the sun set with the Tour Eiffel lighted and glowing against the red sky. Just wonderful. At 9:00, the Tour sparkles from bottom to tip!! Click here to see video. So now, some 3 hours after Ric left, I decided to check back at the hotel, so I started walking. About half way back, on Rue de Pyramides I heard a light, metallic sound coming up behind me, clearly from a bicycle. I could tell it was not an ordinary bike, as it was approaching fast! I turned to the right and voila! there was Ric! What were the odds of that!?!? “Hey, Ric!” I called. He stopped sharply, completely surprised to hear THAT on a Paris street! We got caught up and stopped at Le Royal Opera brasserie for dinner. Foi gras, naturale chicken, lamb chops, piles of green beans julienne, salad, and a vin pays that is better that almost every white wine I have had in the U.S. with ice cream and sorbet citron vert with bits of citron vert rind for flavor as dessert! The perfect end for a Paris day.