My day started with an early morning coaching call with a client who lives on the west coast. Because of the time difference, it was 10PM for him and 7AM the next day for me.

Paul found a new park in a part of Paris we hadn’t visited before for a morning walk.  Parc de Monceau, in the 8th arrondissement, was a favorite spot for Claude Monet to paint.  Established in 1769, it has lovely architectural and landscape features.

It was a beautiful morning and people were reading on park benches, pushing babies in strollers, running, walking and doing tai chi.

We spent the rest of the day going back to favorite places from our stay three years ago.  We visited our old  neighborhood in the 16th arrondissement and had lunch at Au Petit Bistrot d’Auteuil, one of our favorite restaurants when we stayed there.

The Musee D’Orsay is one of our favorite museums, so we had to go there.  On Thursdays they are open until 9:45, so I thought we could go in the evening and miss the crowds.  A huge line greeted us when we arrived, and I discovered that they do special events – musical performances, art and bar happy hours and a few other activities I couldn’t translate – on Thursday evenings.  The line moved quickly and we were soon inside enjoying the beautiful art.  Paul even told the cashier how many tickets we wanted in French!

The view from the museum windows of La Basilique du Sacre Coeur de Montmartre glowing on a distant hill was almost as stunning as the art.

Finding Le Palais de Raja-Maharaja, 21 Rue d’Ouessant, the Indian restaurant we loved the last time we were here was a great ending to our museum visit.  The owner was as personable and welcoming as we remembered, and the food was even better than it was three years ago.

The night was so warm and beautiful we walked home from dinner and were treated to beautiful views of the “City of Light”.