Day 106 - Au Revoir Strassie, Bonjour Paris

Last night I ate in a touristy Alsace restaurant called La Greuber, but it was really great - friendly staff, traditional decor, tasty food and a nice drop of Pinot Noir!  I tried the speciality tarte flambé (basically a very thin pizza), the main was a delicious chicken dish in a mushroom and Riesling sauce with Alsace noodles (very small gnocchi).  I was fascinated by the lady (poor cow) who was in charge of the tarte oven....it was like a conveyor belt and she didn't get much job satisfaction.....feisty waiters demanding their flambés!!! Her looks could kill.

I declined creme brûlée at La Greuber and headed to Creperie Le Moulin du Diable, which I saw earlier in the day.  A homely/quirky little place, that felt like the wife was waiting the tables and the husband was stuck in the kitchen producing the crepes! Service was erratic, but hey when an orange ice cream and chocolate crepe flambéd with Grand Marnier is that delicious - who's clock watchin'

Feeling like I was about to explode and a bit PinotNoir-ed I watched the wonderful illumination display on the Barrage Vauban, after this I dragged my food baby back to the hotel. 

Got to Strassbourg station just as the heavens opened, so left a soggy Strassie behind and two hours later arrived into a Sunny Paris!

After about 15 stops on the metro and walking down the wrong road I finally checked in at La Maison Montparnasse, seems ok - but only threw my bags in my room and off I went to explore!

Being the morbid soul I am I wandered around the Montparnasse Cemetary, sounds macabre but it makes great photos and just love the over the top crypts and the ever watchful angels!

With no idea where I was going I ended up at the Jardin du Luxembourg, by now it was time for a coffee.  Before I left the UK I googled the top 10 cafés in Paris, found a great article and thought I would try an see as many as I could.  I thought I was close to one - so why not tick off number 1!

With my pop up map I wandered past the Pantheon and then I found myself in familiar territory - the area where Lindsey and I stayed a few years ago! There was a square that we loved and I was tempted just to head there but no I was determined, I was on my cafe mission!  Half hour later and parched, I discovered the bloody Cafe de la Nouvelle Mairie has been demolished to make way for an unsightly modern office block, sacrilidge!  Gasping for coffee (yeah, right) I almost ran to "our" square.....sat down in Delmas and enjoyed a half of Grimbergen beer (when the waiter decided he had time!!!).  Forgot Paris would be more expensive than Strasbourg, £5 for a half....gulp!  No tip for my surly waiter, smile and serve me quicker you misery!  Actually there's Gary's tip!

Dinner was a boutique creperie called "Creperie L'Artheme" - went savoury tonight!  A wholemealy crepe with prosciutto, cheese and sun dried tomato...going back tomorrow for a sweet one :-)