This morning I had to check out of my hotel. They kindly stored my bags for me so I could stay in the city a bit longer. I had a final destination in mind, as will be revealed later. I decided first to go to the Arc de Triomphe. I’ve seen it at a distance on multiple trips, but the last time I was really there was in 2008. Previously it only required to pay admission if you wanted to climb to the top. Now it apparently costs €12 just to look at it up close. Never mind.

I just wandered along the Champs-Elysée until it was time to go to my final destination. I looked in a few shops to waste time, but it’s not really my thing. Finally, it was time. Time for my final meal of the trip . Jamie suggested it. I have a very smart daughter. Ladurée, here I come.

They probably would have seated me in the lovely dining room upstairs.

Sadly I didn’t have a reservation. So they seated me downstairs in a sunroom type area. Not as elegant, but still very nice. They also had seating outside by the street, but I preferred to not hear the traffic noise.

I hadn’t eaten anything all day in preparation for this. I have a question about French cuisine, why do they put eggs on everything? I’m not a big egg eater. I chose the Chicken Caesar Salad with avocado. It wasn’t in the description, but unsurprisingly it came it’s hard boiled egg in it.

For dessert, because there must be dessert at Ladurée, I had a chocolate eclair in honor of my mom, who loved chocolate eclairs. And for my brother, Dave, who would be very upset if I left Paris without eating an eclair.

By the time I was done there and got back to the hotel to collect my luggage it was around 3:00. Today is a train strike day, and I figured my odds were better if I attempted to get to the airport before people started clogging the trains to get home from work. It went off without a hitch

Now I’m in a soulless Ibis hotel room at the airport. The best thing I can say about it is that it’s convenient, clean and it’s the best WiFi I’ve had on this entire trip. It could be worse.

Tomorrow I have an early flight to SFO. Now I’m more than ready to get home and see my family. I still plan to summarize my trip and my impressions of it, and maybe add some more photos since I’ll have good WiFi. So it’s au revoir to Paris for now. I think the odds are good that I’ll be back !