Day 40, Macarons and Les Editeurs!

Suffice it to say that I fulfilled two items on my Paris Last Chance to-do list.  Okay, so my list isn't as official and glamorous as that, but the items pertaining thereunto certainly are!  I am leaving a visit into Notre Dame on the list for now until I can really see all of the main floor--yesterday doesn't count--but trying a macaron (as recommended by plusieurs French-speaking friends like Jourdan and Donna) and a going to a typical Parisian cafe (as mandated by my sister, Cassi) can now go down in the record book!  Okay, maybe not a record book, but this blog works just as well.

I will reveal other items as they are realized, leaving you in a bit of suspense.  But here's hard evidence of today's accomplishments:

My Georges Larnicol macarons at lunchtime!

 The cafe near Notre Dame that Betsy recommended

 Caramel glace (ice cream) with chunks of melted caramel in the cafe

You know, I've decided that it is much more enjoyable to only have to endure 1.5 hours of class rather than 4 or 7.  Yeah, I slept extra today at the loss of two hours of class and part of the pause.  Somehow, I don't feel bad.  As soon as class ended, Erin and I escaped the sweltering heat of our school to go with six other people to eat lunch.  I'd brought a microwave dish to warm up and eat at the institute building and going with them to the restaurant was a last-minute plan change to enjoy company and wait on eating.  I didn't order anything, but I was pretty delighted to be able to savor my macarons.

Snap, I almost didn't mention how I ended up with the little pieces of heaven!  You see, Erin felt so bad about missing our rendezvous yesterday that she wanted to apologize, and she was sweet enough to remember that I'd yet to try macarons!  She didn't even need to get me anything; I'd arrived late myself, and she missed it because she'd witnessed an accident during her morning run, so she was at a hospital and with the police for most of the day!  She'd saved my number into her Canadian phone, but only had her French phone on her while she was running and got caught up in the accident chaos!  It turns out that she'd sent me a FB message some time later, but I didn't have internet access to see it in time to join her and some others for dinner.  That's fine, though.  Erin told me that they were out pretty late, drinking more than a couple bottles of wine and that they were eventually kicked out by the restaurant owners.  Mmyeah, I'll not regret not having familiarized myself with that aspect of Paris, no matter how "ritzy" the night life may be.  Back to my point though, Erin was a sweetheart for thinking of me despite the rough day she'd just experienced!

I left Erin and the group of aforementioned people just in time to make it to the church building and eat my lunch before Betsy showed up.  We knew going to a cafe was in the plan, but we had not as yet decided where.  Suddenly, she thought of Les Editeurs because it is known for having been the spot for famous editors in decades past.  I would've liked to have been able to sit outside and people watch, but the only open spot I saw was right next to a lady who eyed us as she unapologetically and nonchalantly smoked her cigarette.  No, instead of sit by her, we went just inside and I sat with the view.  The ice cream was thankfully a reasonable price at 2.5 euros, which is expensive, but we were doing it as something cute and fun.

Betsy needed to go meet up with friends for dinner, so after we wandered a bit, we parted ways and I returned to the church building for the Friday night YSA activity about first aid.  I wasn't too excited about it, but it was a YSA activity and there'd be dinner.  While I waited for it to start, I tried hunting down some hostels for Salamanca and Teruel for the end of June/July!  Oh Spain, you are but a week from my grasp!  Hmm, I need to make a Spain to-do list!  :D