I can't believe I've been here two weeks already. It seems like only two days. Today I took the Metro to the Arc de Triomphe - the famous one at the western end of the Champs-Elysee. I was lucky enough to snag a bench on the other side of the traffic circle, so I could sit and draw. I watched busload after busload of tourists disembark and snap a few pictures before heading off to the next monument (probably the Eiffel Tower - you could see it in the distance). Notice the clear blue sky. I got a little sunburned sitting on my bench. It was an absolutely gorgeous day.
I decided to walk back to the apartment down the Champs-Elysee. Some of the most expensive stores lined either side (Cartier, Louis Vuitton, Mont Blanc, etc). What I didn't see was a public restroom, something I've been seeing quite frequently in the other touristy sections of the city. I finally saw a sign for a "luxury WC" inside one of the malls. It cost me 2 euros to use the bathroom, a little pricey since I only needed to do #1 (seems like I could have gotten a discount). This sculpture was inside the mall. The middle of the statue's torso is missing - weird, but interesting.
The Champs-Elysee ends at the Tuileries Garden. For some reason, Paris children get off school on Wednesday afternoons, so a lot of them were in the park. I decided to stop off at one of my favorite bakeries for a sandwich. They have a very clever marketing gimic. The sandwiches are on the left side of the bakery, but the cash register is right in front of the dessert case and this place has some incredibly decadent-looking pastries. I had only intended to get a sandwich, but I couldn't pass up the baklava that was staring me in the face.
