Last day in Paris

This morning we decide to forgo the hotel breakfast and walk to the nearest Starbucks. Not that we are addicted, but it has been 3plus weeks since we have seen a Starbucks. Of course I always have to check out the merchandise and I was happy to find two espresso sized mugs, one with Paris on it and the other with France. I'm getting quite a small collection!
Next on our agenda was a walk to the Pere Lachaise cementary where many famous people are buried...including Mozart, Jim Morrison and many many others. I have had this  on my list of to do things for at least the last three visits to Paris.......!  We decided to walk as the distance according to google would take us 41 minutes.  Along the way we stopped at a small restaurant for lunch......quite a delicious salad passed by our little table on its way to someone else....I said to the waiter, I'll have what he is having. The restaurant seemed to be from another era, an old fashioned photo took up the entire back wall, the kitchen was hidden from the seating area but there was a very busy little window where the cook,rang an old fashioned bell when he had placed a meal on the shelf. The staff seemed quite amused that I was taking photos.
We weren't far now from the cementary and I was so sure I was finally getting to see it! Not so! At the gate there was a couple of officials who told us it as closed, just for the day because of heavy rain, and that all the parks and gardens were also closed, but would open again tomorrow. This did not make sense and we thought it was probably that the workers were on strike in sympathy with the transit strikers.  A disappointment, but I will try again next time.
We walked back towards our hotel and at the Place de Vosges park there was an interesting display. First we saw large bags of wool(sheep) in its raw form, next it was spun into spools of thread, then into bolts of cloth on a large loom. The fabric was beautiful and fine. Finally there was a section of finished products, clothing, pillows, blankets. Jackie, if you are reading this....I took photos for you!
We sauntered on towards home with a stop at Cafe Hugo....famous as it is on the spot of Victor Hugo's maison. Monsuir Hugo is most famous for Les Miserables.  Jeff had a beer and I had a hot mulled wine. While we were there we saw a group of soldiers pass by wearing camouflage and carrying heavy artillery.  We had also seen a noticeable presence of the same at the airport and several other times about the city.
A rest was in order before we would venture out for a fresh air walk. We walked to the river Seine, which is just a few blocks from our hotel......we were quite shocked to see the extent of the flooding. Normally you can walk along the waters edge on a probably 20ft wide sidewalk, and there is also a road beyond the sidewalk where two lanes of cars can pass under the bridges. All of this was completely under water! We crossed over to Ile St Louie on one of the bridges , everyone, Parisiennes, tourists alike were taking photos with cameras and iPhones, it was quite a sight to see.
Back in the Marais district in the St Paul area we wandered through a few shops, I purchased a black beret, I had left mine in the hotel the last time I was in Paris.   A shop selling Mexican Ices.....their version of ice cream, with less calories they say. Jeff tried the peanut butter while I had a coconut. The shop was not busy, it being a cool and rainy day, and we chatted with them.....telling the we were going to have falafels for dinner.....they recommended l'As on Rue Rosier., but warned us there would be a line up!
Again we returned to our hotel.....seniors need rest after all the walking! We had a beer at the American Bar across the street from our hotel and then walked to the Jewish district which was not more than a few blocks and joined the line up at L'As.  Jeff declared it the best meal he has enjoyed on the entire trip.
And so ended our last day in Paris and the last of our vacation. Tomorrow, strikes willing....we fly!