During the evening of day 5 in Paris, we met up with some dear friends of ours from Greenville, who happened to be in Paris for business. We took them to a cafe by our apartment and the food was amazing, so good in fact we didn’t stop to take a picture to show you instead we just shoveled it down! We had talked about our trips thus far and what each of us had already visited and they mentioned the chocolate museum! What?! Have I died and gone to heaven? It makes sense that there would be one in such a place as Paris but at the same time Chris and I have been saying to each other that all we want to do is find the chocolatier and have an awesome handcrafted piece of chocolate.

After dinner we set off on a hunt for a chocolatier. I had found a few places online that were sort of close to us… I knew it was getting late and I was determined to get that chocolate so we power walked! No time to digest that massive meal that we had just had, it was time to book it and get to the shop before it closed. I followed my map and found one of the three stores (honestly it was the first one I saw and it was good enough for me). We walked in about five minutes before she closed and she had already mopped the floor… I ask if she is open and she looks at the clock and has a look of disappointment but gives me a reluctant yes but with a smile. We have her run through the chocolates in the case and we pick our pieces: salted caramel, lime caramel, coconut, strawberry and balsamic vinegar and orange just to name a few! They even had a wasabi flavor but I was to chicken to try that one. The power walking had paid off and now I was primed and ready for the chocolate museum!

The chocolate museum was great! It only took about an hour to go through and it wasn’t crowded (what a nice change!). We arrive and purchase our tickets to go through the museum and we are given four different types of chocolate to sample (already off to a good start). The first stage of the museum teaches you about the harvesting and creation of the actual cocoa. In addition to the very interesting displays for adults, I noticed they had small Lego type displays describing what the adults were reading and it was on the child’s level (meaning height and eye level). What an awesome way to include children in a museum, bravo chocolate museum! As a parent I was very pleased to see this. On the second floor they talk about the history of chocolate throughout the world, how it eventually came to France, how royalty loved it and they even had antique molds and machinery used to make chocolate on display. For someone who loves chocolate it was so fascinating! The third stage is the demonstration, it was all in French so I barely knew what was being said, and a sampling (delish!). On your way out of the museum we made our stop at the gift shop but I resisted and didn’t purchase anything.

After nap time we headed to Montmartre. In the Discover France book they have made a 2.5 hour walking tour of this area where you can see historical sights such as where Picasso and some other famous artists lived, Moulin Rouge and La Basilique du Sacré Coeur de Montmartre, which translates to the sacred heart basilica. The main reason of this walk was to see the basilica, it’s beauty is indescribable and because we heard you can see all of Paris from Montmartre. The view from outside the basilica is remarkable and you really can see all of Paris! As we completed our walking tour we passed a section of town with a cafe on each corner but in the center of the square they had artists painting in oils and water colors. These men and women are so talented and Chris and I decided we needed another painting. (Our new home in Bangkok is so bland and dull because we couldn’t bring all of our pictures and decorations.) I really wanted one of the paintings with the Eiffel Tower and lots of color and Chris really wanted some texture and we found the perfect painting for us. Glad we could support a starving artist but at the price he was charging I can’t help but think he will be eating well tonight. On the way back to the metro station we grabbed a vegetarian quiche and ended our week in Paris. Tomorrow we are off to Nice on the TGV.