Sunday was slightly cloudy, but not rainy, so we trudged out to the end of line 8, Balard. In the Parc Andre Citroen there is none other than a giant hot air balloon. The Ballon Air de Paris. Sure, it wasn't the best decision given my current health conditions but I definitely wasn't about to miss out!! Tickets were 12 euros...which doesn't even compare to the fact that we now get to say we've seen Paris from a hot air balloon. :) The hot air balloon "basket" if you will, is actually a circular platform that 15 people can walk freely around. The balloon stays connected to the ground by a giant cord and when you're at the top, the balloon guide spins the platform so you can see 360 degrees.
It extends 150 meters into the air. Not too high, but just enough so that you can see all of Paris.
Of course its another one of those attractions with "the best views of Paris" but this one didn't have near the amount of tourists as the Eiffel Tower or the Sacre Coeur which was quite refreshing. We only had to wait 5 minutes! The flashing green light on the side of the balloon in the next photo means that the air quality was clear and you could see distances relatively well.
When you're sick is not the best time to take photos!
After coming down (literally), we made the short trek back to the metro and stopped near the Eiffel Tower to find some lunch. We were celebrating Ashleigh's birthday and she wanted to picnic as close to the Champ de Mars as possible and eat lots of French pastries. We most definitely succeeded. Since its Sunday we stopped in the first pâtisserie we saw that was open and luckily it was an excellent decision indeed. At first glance they didn't have a large selection, but what they did have was incredibly delicious. The lady working also sent us on our way with a sack full of small, pillowy pastries for free! So sweet! We bought fougasse filled with olives, mushrooms, and cheese for "lunch."
Then after lunch was the good part! I bought a macaron citron and a praline strawberry cake. I haven't had a lemon macaron before and it was SO perfect! Not to mention the color of it was vibrant and gorgeous! It was sour, but just sweet enough-a perfect contrast!
Next, (yes, next...as if we hadn't had enough already) was the strawberry praline cake. Okay, this was my favorite. A cross between a croissant, brioche and strawberry cake with nuts mixed in. Heavenly!
Ashleigh chose things a little different from Kerry and I...a lemon custard and some sort of cookie with jam and powdered sugar, I forget the name.
She was equally as pleased with her selection. It started raining and the girls contemplated going to do the sewer tour underground, but we ended up heading back to my place for dinner! I had planned to cook dinner for them all week so we spent the afternoon here hanging out...which it was nice to have company! I shared my pictures of all my friends and family, including a few very funny ones from when I was really young. On the menu....a few simple things that I can cook only with the stovetop and microwave. Salad, Ratatouille, Chicken and Pesto Pasta, and Chocolate Mousse...with hand-whipped cream. I folded out my corner table into a normal square table, pulled up my new foldable chairs, and set the table as best as I could with my crazy yellow dishes. And of course, there were pictures.
It was so nice to eat together in the quiet...and it turned out pretty good. My chocolate mousse was a bit grainy, I think because I didn't let the sugar melt all the way while it was hot. But, it was edible and Kerry didn't seem to mind and finished her entire glass, satisfied that it was a bigger portion than you normally get in a French restaurant. And she could ask for seconds.
They left around 10, at a good close to the weekend. Tonight was Ashleigh's birthday and it was calm, quiet and fabulous next to the Eiffel Tower. Took some cute pictures that I will share tomorrow. Also...my new class was today, having some mixed feelings!!
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