The Final Scavenger Hunt

Ashley and I joked that our little European adventure turned out to be one great big treasure hunt. As soon as we found one place via google, asking directions (sometimes in a different language), searching on metro maps, street maps, and road signs, we had found it and would probably not need to come back (there was only enough time to see everything once usually). Our last full day in Paris was no exception. We stepped off the metro at the very aptly name "Pere-Lachaise" stop and were greated by a large wooden door implanted into the great conrete wall of the cemetery. The sign had the hours of operation but did not quite seem to be the front door. We walked down to the corner of the block and found the front door after all, with 4 or 5 people standing around waiting for the doors to open. We waited patiently and when the huge double door gate creaked open, the lady on the other side handed out site maps. Strange to think a cemetery is a tourist attraction (especially at large enough a magnitude to have people waiting outside and mass printed site maps...) but hey, at least they have daily visitors! It was so peaceful. Above us the birds welcoming the warmth of the morning sun with their songs high in the treetops admist the blooming flower buds.

We walked around casually for a bit, trying not to seem as though we were only there for Jim Morrison as we glanced every once in awhile at our site map... turns out there are plot numbers for each grave and section numbers for each block of graves. I was following the section number for Jim Morrison's GRAVE number. woops. back on track it was still a hassle to find. Even in a grave, Jim Morrison is stirring up trouble.

But with the help of some other Jim Morrison grave site seekers... we found it tucked away in the middle of a section. R.I.P hot stuff.

We left the cemetery in search of cheese, bread, and grapes to go with our already acquired wine, bottle opener (which we scearched out in a local grocery store) and chocolates (from the shop yesterday!). We walked back to the Rue Cler, bought a wheel of Camembert from the Fromager, some grapes some a fruit stand, and finally two baguettes (one for each of us, judge all you want, I'm not even a little sorry about it...) I was under the impression that there were at least 3 boulangeries on every block but in the part of town we were in it was more like 1 every 3 blocks... step up your game Paris. We enjoyed our little picnic in the lovely weather on the Champs de Mars. A bunch of tourists were sitting in the middle section so we placed our sheet on the grass too but just as I took off my shoes we were shooed away by the police... after relocating we dug in and me oh my was it delicious (and quite filling!). A JMU friend studying in Paris came to chat for a bit and we learned all about daily life.

We headed back to the hostel to repack and get ready for departure the next morning!