It's hard to believe but it's our last day. Paris is very crowded with tourists so we decided to go see Opera Garnier with its beautiful ceiling painted by Marc Chagall. We entered Galleries Lafayette, but it was so crazy we worked our way out and hailed a cab to head for Montmartre hoping to find some peace. We spent a relaxing time at one of the most peacefully gorgeous spots in the city. We ate well and shopped. We also were able to find the fondue restaurant I talked about where they serve red wine in baby bottles - look at the door handle in the photo. We had a great afternoon. Back to the hotel for some much needed air cond and to pack. Dave and I enjoyed our last cafe meal with a view of Luxembourg gardens. The boys wanted McDonalds !

I promised the guys we could sleep late and relax. When we finally got out the door around noon, we headed to the catacombs but the line was way too long, so off to the Eiffel Tower we went. Zach definitely wanted to go to the top before we left. It actually wasn't too bad crowd wise. I stayed on the first level and enjoyed the views and a refreshing beverage. When we finally descended, we left the area to avoid the Tour de France crowds. We headed to Notre Dame which was also really crowded, so we found a cafe and watched the people go by. It's fun having the time to walk around and take in the sights and the people. We went down one of the quais to touch the Seine. We bumped into a guy with his well trained dog who was swimming and chasing balls in the river. He was very nice and we enjoyed watching and talking with him.

We arrived back in Paris around noon on Saturday. It's very hot and very few places have air conditioning. We had lunch at a lovely Italian cafe near the Pantheon and went to see the Rodin museum. We saw the Thinker, the Gates of Hell, the Cathedral, and many other famous works that Rodin donated to the state. We are enjoying walking around the city and taking in all of the beautiful views.

Not many photos to post as most are on the 'good camera' and not on my phone. Dinner was delicious  and full of thank yous, exchanges of contact info, and goodbyes. It's been very special. We spent much of dinner still marveling at the scenery going by on the boat and at the great fortune we have to be cruising along the Rhone river in the south of France. We have exhausted ourselves, but it's been worth it.

Today is our last day. We visited the town of Valence and enjoyed a cooking demonstration at the cooking school 'Skook' owned and operated by 3 star Michelin chef Anne Sophie Pic - the only woman chef to achieve this rating. We also had a wine and cheese pairing and learned a bit from the sommelier. We walked the town of Tournon and tasted as much chocolate as we wanted at the famous 'Chocolatier Varhona'. We now must pack and get ready for the captain's dinner before we leave tomorrow. Some must leave very early. We are lucky and don't have to leave until 830am for the train from Lyon back to Paris.