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Day 4: May 24, 2025
A more relaxed breakfast this morning as we had a later start. We visited the Fragonard perfume museum, where Sophie the wonderful guide led us through the history of perfume and how it is manufactured, before giving us a workshop on different notes to help us choose our gifts. Fragonard is based in Grasse, the hilltop town behind Nice, and uses locally grown flowers such as rose and jasmin.
We then had free time to explore the department stores and pick up gifts, before meeting on the steps of the Opera House. We walked down rue de la Paix with the high end jewellery stores and the Ritz Hotel, then we crossed through the Jardin des Tuileries to visit the Musée d'Orsay, the home of 19th century art. We were treated to a display by the Moulin Rouge dancers complete with feathers, headdresses and high kicks.
Afterwards we wandered through the antique and art gallery district, passing the Procope restaurant which is the oldest in Paris, then returned to the Latin Quarter for our couscous dinner. This was voted the favourite so far.
A walk through the Ile de la Cité to look at the flower market, the law courts, the Saint Chapelle and the pétanque players in Place Dauphine, and finishing at the island point where we walked down to river level for our cruise.
We spent a very pleasant hour cruising down then up the Seine, where we saw many famous buildings and were given the history by the guide.
After that busy day, most of the group returned to the hotel for some much needed rest, but one group stayed out to visit the Eiffel Tower and the illuminations at night.