The Hotel L’Eldorado turned out to be a real gem. The small streets in the neighborhood were a mix of business and residential. It was not touristy and the businesses catered mostly to the locals but proved to be friendly with us.
Our room was actually a small suite with a sitting room in the back and a small terrace with seats for two plus seating for four inside the double doors This turned out to be fortunate because after an afternoon walking downtown we were able to enjoy the half bottle of Bordeaux wine I bought on the walk home while sitting inside with the doors open to enjoy the light rain that was just passing through. There was a separate shower room that included a small sauna that we did not use. The toilet was even in a separate small room of its own. Our bedroom was cozy and had two double doors that opened to another veranda with a lounge that overlooked the Rue des Dames. The bed was nice and firm and each side had outlets for charging our devices with the European adapters we brought. The entire suite was lined with busy but tasteful, cloth wall covering from floor to ceiling, including the ceiling and a matching bed cover. We had to use an actual old school key to let ourselves in and to lock the door inside and out. There was an elegant restaurant with indoor and outside dining. We only had coffee and fresh OJ there the day we left.
There was a wonderful bakery, Boulangerie Heureuse, just a few doors down that we visited each morning for our cafe lattes and almond or chocolate croissants. The croissants were the best we have had, and we have had a few. Everyone was so friendly and helpful and they had an open kitchen where you could watch them baking the baguettes and croissants while waiting for our lattes. In Paris you can only officially be named a Boulangerie if you make your products on site. There are over 1300 Boulangeries in Paris. It was amusing to watch Parisians walking along with the baguette sticking out of their shopping bag, usually the end had been bitten off because it is hard to make it home without a bite or two, as we well know.
After breakfast on our back veranda, we got ready to head “downtown” to visit the Galeries Lafayette and view the ornate Opera Garnier, next door. We walked down past Place de Clichy to begin the one mile stroll to reach our destination, stopping at a cafe on the way for more coffee. After viewing the beautiful opera building, we found the entrance to the Galeries Lafayette entrance and stepped inside. Each floor contained high fashioned shops that circled a huge opened lobby that extended all the way up five floors. The ceiling of the lobby was a magnificent stained glass dome that makes the Galeries one of Paris’ biggest tourist attractions along with view from the fifth floor terrace.
We made our way up the escalators to the rooftop area. They have an open air cafe where we were seated one table away from the glass wall that surrounded the seating area. We had drinks and ordered the day’s special to share. It was a sliced roast beef plate with a creamy mustard sauce served with a dish of roasted potatoes and crusty bread. The food was not notable except for the potatoes but the view was wonderful. It was windy in advance of the coming front that would move in later and my menu blew up and over the glass wall. We finished our meal, settled our bill and walked to the viewing area crowded with selfie takers and took a few of our own. You could see the Eiffel Tower on one side and the Basilica at Montmartre on the other side and views of Paris in every direction. It was easy to see why it is so popular.
We made our way downstairs to take a few more pictures of the ceiling and headed outside for the mile walk back to the hotel. We stopped in a small store and bought a bottle of water and the Burgundy wine that we enjoyed in our sitting room back at our hotel with the doors open watching the light rain fall just outside. We both took a much needed nap with the breeze blowing through our front terrace out the back. Afterward we headed downstairs and ordered an Uber to take us to a neighborhood near the Eiffel Tower where we’re planning on having a bite to eat and some drinks before our cruise. I had pre-booked a cruise with Vedettes de Paris, one of several companies that offer cruises on the Seine. The first Uber canceled before he arrived due to heavy traffic. The second arrived and we got in and headed toward our destination. Traffic was bad, made worse by a sudden blockage of our route by government officials. We were dropped off near a restaurant where we were seated to have something to drink before our cruise. There was no time to eat so we paid and headed toward the Tower.
Fortunately, we arrived in plenty of time to get in the line that formed before the cruise. Finally, they allowed us to board the ship and we found two seats on the top deck on the rail. I went to the bar and got a couple of glasses of red wine for us to drink. It was dusk and I had booked the cruise to begin at 8:45 hoping we would see the 9:00 light show from the Tower as we sailed back near the end of the cruise. The show begins every hour, in the summer the first showing is at 10:00, in September the first one is at 9:00. It was a lovely evening if a little cool but we were dressed for it. Fortunately, the rain that had been forecast earlier during the cruise blew through earlier and it turned out to be a nice evening. The cruise headed down the river passed Notre Dame and circled around the island to head back down stream. Near the end we were able to see the Tower lit up and catch the light show that started promptly at 9:00 as I had hoped. The Tower lit up and the lights sparkled for around five or ten minutes. The Tower remains lit but the show was nice to see from the ship.
After disembarking, we grabbed one of the nearby taxis for the ride home. Without the heavy traffic it did not take nearly as long. We passed by the Arc de Triomphe and the driver stopped long enough for me to take pictures out of my window. After arriving at our hotel we decided to walk down the street to find one of the Bistros that we had passed earlier for something to eat. We found a delightful cafe and bar named Marcel et Marcelle. The dining room was just closing so the bartender sat us at a table in the bar area. We ordered drinks, Janet had a Spritz and I asked for Bombay gin on the rocks. The bartender was friendly and he free poured my Bombay, it was probably more than a double pour, with a smile. We ordered a Caesar Salad and a Penne Pasta Marcel with bacon. The food was served in large pasta bowls and it was honestly as good as anything we had eaten in Paris. The young cook came out to ask if we wanted to order dessert. He was delighted at our compliments to the chef and he reminded me of my own chef at The Ketch, Tomas Antonio, who not only handled the cooking but was eager to engage with the guests as well. Janet had a dish of vanilla ice cream with real French whipped cream and a wafer. I ordered a Lemon tart which turned out to be like a Key Lime Pie only served in a glass with the crust crumbled on top. The bartender had apparently began partying with another group, so the young cook presented the check and we paid with a nice tip that he greatly appreciated. It had been another memorable Paris evening and we headed the short walk up the street to Hotel L’Eldorado for a good nights rest.
