Rue Cler

It's been unseasonably sunny and warm in Paris the last couple of weeks and today was possibly the most gorgeous day we've had since we arrived. So while the kids were in school we decided to walk to Rue Cler, across the Seine, one of the best known (or perhaps just trendiest) market streets in Paris.

We started at the Arc de Triomphe and went down Avenue Marceau, passing in front of the St. Pierre de Chaillot church, which is not as old as it looks, then over the Seine on the Pont de l'Alma. The statue of the Zouave (a title given to certain light infantry regiments in the French Army) on one of the bridge’s piers is used to measure the Seine's water levels: when the water hits Zouave's thighs, the river is unnavigable; during the great flood of the Seine in 1910, the level reached his shoulders.

Bridges are, of course, for getting from one side of the river to the other, but bridges in Paris are also great for stopping, looking around, enjoying the views, breathing in the city, and just being fully in the moment. The Pont de l'Alma is not one of the nicer Paris bridges, but it does offer great views of the Debilly footbridge and the imposing Eiffel Tower farther downriver. After taking pictures, we walked down Avenue Bosquet, named in honor of a famous Marshal of France during the Crimean War. You get another impressive view of "la dame de fer" from this street.

The Tour Eiffel is one of the most recognizable monuments in the world and today Paris is inconceivable without it. But when it was built not all Parisians liked it, calling it a monstrous and useless column of bolted sheet metal. It was built for the 1889 World's Fair, and to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution. It was originally built for 20 years and was to be dismantled in 1909, but because it was used as a giant radio antenna it was allowed to remain after the permit's expiry. It continued to be used for scientific experiments and innovations and eventually became a symbol of Paris. Nowadays the tower is the focal point for New Year's Eve and Bastille Day celebrations.

Rue Cler is just off Avenue Bosquet, as you turn left at the American University of Paris. It's a short pedestrian street that's lined with all the essential shops that end with 'ie'—boulangerie, patisserie, fromagerie, boucherie, fruiterie, chocolaterie—as well as a few nice cafes and restaurants where locals meet. We ended up having lunch in Tribeca, one of the busy cafés on the street. We had read a good review, and although not fancy, from what we could see from the street it looked good. We both had the Confit de canard, a perfect lunch on a perfect day.