Today, we took the Metro to Notre Dame. Even in the fading light of late afternoon, the huge stained glass windows inside depicting scene of Mary and Joseph cast a heavenly light onto subjects below. I’m completely speechless. In an alcove along the inside of the church stands a statue of Joan of Arc. While a mere teenager, she tried to rally the French troops to drive out the English. Of course she was labeled a witch because she heard voices and later burned at the stake.

Perhaps Joan of Arc is an inspiration for young people because just outside Notre Dame, hundreds of French students are staging a protest by blocking main streets during rush hour. They are protesting a new law that allows corporations to let new hires go after a trial period. Although this may sound normal to us in the States, this is quite unusual in France. Evidently it takes an act of God to fire someone, so this new law will give companies more power. Since most of the new hires entering the workforce are students, this law impacts them the most.

After the excitement of the protest, we leisurely wander Ill Saint Louis – an island in the middle of the Seine with tiny streets, expensive apartments, and sweet little shops. We come upon the most popular ice cream shop in Paris, Berthillon. It has certainly earned its reputation because thousands of tourists flock here for a tiny scoop of true delight. My favorite, fraise de bois (wild strawberry), is out of season, so I settle for apricot. It’s ultra smooth, light on the tongue, and pure in flavor.

After doing some window shopping, we peruse the menus outside several quaint restaurants. Most places temp us with various French delights, but we finally settle on Le Fin Gourmet. The very friendly, English-speaking host, seats us at a tiny table next to the window.

We have a hard time deciding what to order off the prix fixe (fixed price) menu. The great thing about Paris, and most of France is that most restaurants have a menu consisting of three courses: an entrée (appetizer), a plat (main course), and a dessert. Some places also throw in a glass of wine or a coffee.

For my entrée, I’m having little raviolis filled with mushrooms and bathed in a creamy garlic sauce. They’re to die for, and I carefully savor each bite. For my plat, I have roasted cod on a bed of peas, pearl onions, and ham. The fish is cooked to perfection, and the peas are out of this world. The chef obviously didn’t skimp on the butter. Although I passed on dessert, I gleefully take a bite of John’s molten chocolate cake – two thimble-sized cakes oozing their centers onto the plate. For someone who doesn’t like dark chocolate, I’m quite impressed. The cake is outstanding and a take just a few more bites.

We leave the restaurant in a food daze having been well fed on beautiful, yet simple, dishes. This is definitely a place to return to. The full moon sits just on the horizon, wearing a pink tinge as we stroll across the bridge to the Metro. What a perfect day.