Montparnasse Cemetery and the Luxembourg Gardens

Another night of coughing so after breakfast, we made yet another visit to the pharmacist, whom we are getting to know quite well, and had a long discussion. Ed got a couple new medicines and some cough drops. Here’s hoping . . .

We went back to the apartment, took medicines and collected camera and Paris Walk cards and set off. We decided to walk to the start of the Paris Walk because it was just one Metro stop from ours. We started down blvd. Raspail to the Sèvres-Babylone Metro station and started our Paris Walk there. Very few tourists, a lovely day and easy walking. We checked all the tiny parks along the way. We missed one turn but caught ourselves at rue Vavin where we stopped at a very nice paper store and bought a Merci card. We've passed quite a few art stores and it's tempting to go in all of them. We've resisted so far . . .

We happened upon Eglise Notre-Dame des Champs at the corner of rue du Montparnasse and blvd. du Montparnasse. We looked into the church and the small garden beside it, then continued our walk and started looking for lunch. We were in a little Alsace-little Brittany area with dozens of crêperies which we don’t like so we had a bit of a search but found a pleasant brasserie at Pl. Fernand Mourlot and settled in for a very non-touristy lunch at La Liberté. Ed got a nice cassoulet and I got a confit de canard. We had ice cream for dessert. [Café La Liberté, 1 Rue de la Gaité 75014 Paris; tel: +33 (0)1 4320-9456]

Left the pleasant restaurant to resume our walk and found another art store so we gave in and entered. I've been looking for a special yellow and the Sennelier store didn't have it so we decided this one might. As it turned out, they didn’t have my PY175 but I did buy a book and we left . . . to pass several more art stores. Fun neighborhood!

We wound our way to and into Cimetière du Montparnasse and walked through the peaceful cemetery. I got a photo of the grave of Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir. Some of the graves here are fascinating, everything from classic sculpture to very modernistic decorations on the tombs. There are trees and art; it's very peaceful. The only jarring note is the ghastly Montparnasse Tower jutting up into the sky visible everywhere. The view of Paris from the top of it is spectacular; the view of it from the Eiffel Tower is not. I always recommend people go up the Montparnasse Tower for the view of Paris and the Eiffel Tower. It's much easier and nicer than waiting in line at the Eiffel Tower and ending up viewing the Montparnasse Tower in the background. Montparnasse Tower web site

We exited on blvd. Raspail, passed the Foundation Cartier, checked their garden through the large glass windows and then found ourselves somehow at the Denfert-Rochereau Metro station. We had managed to go the wrong way, not fun when on foot. We got out the map and set off up blvd. Denfert-Rochereau to get to the Luxembourg Gardens and saw a bit more of Paris than we had planned. We stopped at a monastic shop and didn’t buy anything but did note it for further exploration. They sell all kinds of things from monasteries, including patés, preserves and music. [Monastery of the Visitation; 68 avenue Denfert-Rochereau 75014, Paris; tel: +33 (0)1 4327-1290; email: monastere-visitation@wanadoo.fr]

At one point we passed one of the Wallace Fountains we've found all over Paris. Our oldest daughter always refills her waterbottle at one of these as we pass.

Finally arrived at the lower reaches of the Luxembourg Gardens where students just out of exams were having water fights. We managed to remain dry and walked through the gardens and fought our way through millions of tourists on rue Bonaparte and home. Tired!