Posted By Paul Parker on Apr 17, 2016 | 3 comments

I remember when I planned this trip and lamented that it was 8 months away and now my two month odyssey has come to an end. I have had my last baguette in Paris for now and I am heading back to Santa Fe in the morning.

I had my last supper in Paris tonight at the l’Avant Comptoir La Mer and last night it was l’Avant Comptoir. I have really enjoyed having these two great restaurants in my neighborhood. Their great tapas style French food that is enjoyed while standing at the bar in that intoxicating atmosphere with their amazing, very long list of wines by the glass is perfect for eating alone and taking your time, but I never ended up eating alone for long and I met some fascinating people there. I will miss those places.

I made one last visit to Musee d’Orsay today. That membership I bought was a great investment. It was only 10 minutes away by the Metro and it was incredible to be able to stop by that great museum anytime and walk right in. The guard would part the waiting crowd in line at the entrance and say Pardon S’il vous plait, “Carte Blanche” as he directed me into the museum.

I wanted to look this man in the eye one more time and see the church he painted and see those stars one more time and say goodbye to the good Doctor Gachet.

I wanted to stare back again at that young girl gazing straight out of the canvas and think about how she and Monsieur Manet shocked Paris so many years ago. I had to take one more look at that incredible table full of “Apples and Oranges” by Cezanne. His intent was to “astonish Paris with an apple” and he did and one hundred and twenty years later he astonishes me.

It will take a long while for me to comprehend and appreciate what has happened in the last 2 months. There is the obvious and then there are the thoughts and ideas about my life and life in general that have come to me while walking around Paris. I am ready to come home, but I am going to miss this beautiful city.

Au Revoir Paris for now!