After class today our french teacher took us on a little tour of the city, to the places that we may not have been. We started off walking to Pont Neuf, which I had already been for my painting class, but had yet to have walked 
across the pedestrian bridge, Pont des arts, where lovers come and lock on their love. A tradition dating back till I don’t know when. The legend goes, that if you go there with the person you love and put a lock on the bridge and throw the keys in the seine your love will last forever. And man where there a lot of locks.
From Pont Neuf we walked to parts of Paris that I didn’t even know were there. But it was the Paris that I had wanted to see, old buildings that weren’t corrupted by tourists shops and “American friendly” restaurants.
We walked down a little ally way with a very old road which housed the oldest cafe in the world. And if it didn’t say that on the sign you could probably still guess it because of the slanting walls falling into the street.
Final days in Paris, Bitter sweet
I’m glad your professor led you to the Paris you had been seeking. Often American travelers don’t get off the beaten track (or know to get off the beaten track) to find the treasurers that wait for them beyond the more familiar tourist areas. I hope you’ll have the opportunity to explore this special part of Paris some more before you have to leave. I understand the bittersweet feeling one gets when anticipating having to leave a special place they are just getting to know and yet at the same time feeling eager to return home. Michele
That sounds wonderful!! As much as I love the tourist trap area’s when I’m exploring there is nothing like finding a little corner of where ever you are that is untouched and authentic! That is when you get to truly meet the real culture and experience it like a native!!