Lunch and Galeries Lafayette department store

We worked up an appetite at the Louvre and decided to stop for lunch on our way to the department store Galeries Lafayette.  We stopped at the Royal Opera restaurant, right across the street from the famous Palais Garnier Opera House which inspired the Phantom of the Opera.

Palais Garnier Opera House

Royal Opera Restaurant

Cari at the restaurant (smaller photo for soft-focus effect, at request of subject)

I ordered the Poulet Tajine Semoline (Chicken Tagine with Couscous) and it was excellent...

Cari ordered the Salade Nicoise - an incredible mix of greens, tomatoes, olives, anchovies, sweet peppers, rice, green beans, fresh parsley and hard-boiled egg...delicious!

On our way to the Galeries Lafayette we found my Mom's name in print - not Caridad carved in stone like we discovered in Santiago de Compostela, but printed on a placemat: the perfect drink for Cari, a Nana Colada! (note the small photo again...)

And, as you can see below, the trip to the Galeries Lafayette department store was well worth it - the glass ceiling and open galleries are stunning!

While there we stopped at the rooftop terrace and took pictures of the Eiffel Tower in the rain - Cari is getting good with her black-and-white vintage shots:

 Me with my new Paris Chat Noir (black cat) umbrella!

 After leaving the Galerias we hopped the bus to the Arc de Triomphe - it was actually fun to see everyone with their multi-colored umbrellas.  We then proceeded down the Champs-Elysees to check out the beautiful boulevard, high-end shops and do a little people-watching.

Along the way we ran into Laduree, a bakery famous for their Macarons - not the coconut cookies known as macaroons, but little puff sandwich meringue cookies with yummy fillings that come in beautiful colors and an array of interesting flavors.

 The opulent interior of the shop...

Macarons!  And - yes - we are planning on bringing some home...