Our sweet little chatterbox proprietor of our B&B had our French breakfast ready for us at 9 a.m. With some additional, but necessary, guidance from her on our route, we were off to see the city.

We headed directly to the Louvre via her suggestion . There are a set of streets that virtually no one knows about called the Passages.  The Passages are covered streets that, in the old days, allowed the women who wore long dresses to do their shopping without dirtying their dresses in inclement weather. The passages run at least a half mile and are now full of cute shops. This is one of the hidden secrets to the city and they led us directly to the Louvre.

We had been warned that there can be super long lines to get tickets. Anou -- short for Anne-Marie -- told us about a back door that very few people know exists. It led right to a little gift shop that also sells entry tickets at the regular price. In five minutes we had our "priority" tickets and skipped right to the front of the line! We were inside the Louvre and joined a Disney-like crowd touring the world's largest art gallery. First stop, of course, Mona Lisa, who had been joined by a few thousand of her new best friends. A mob! Since neither of us could tell the difference between a genuine artwork and a Costco reproduction, we did not try to penetrate the mob for a closeup (within 10 - 12 feet) of her smiling face . We were satisfied that we had been in her presence. After about 2 - 3 hours in the Louvre, you begin to realize that you don't even know if you have already been in that wing. It is totally over the top. It is written somewhere that if you spent one minute looking at each art object in the Louvre, it would take you three completely uninterrupted years to see it all.

By the three hour point, our eyes were glazed over and our backs hurt from the "museum walk." We left the hoards of Japanese tourists trying to take a selfie in front of every painting. But, staying inside the Louvre for so long did, at least, keep us out of the rain for the morning. Time to head for a light lunch which we did find right next to Notre Dame Cathedral. While we slurped $50 worth of French Onion Soup, French Fries and a drink, we realized that the bill included the view and a chance to scan the bell tower for the Hunchback of Notre Dame.

The lines to get into the cathedral were down the street . Everyone was looking for a dry place, it seemed. Dayna has been inside and I am churched out so we passed on the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see yet another Catholic monument to misspent wealth.  "KISS" (Keep It Simple Stupid) really could apply to all religions and I don't think God would be too pissed off. We sneaked behind the church to another hidden treasure of Paris, Isle de St. Louis, which is the next island in the river. Very quaint, with narrow little streets and shops and cafes everywhere.

By this time, the rain was starting to get serious. We headed to the jump-on, jump-off boat. For a reasonable sum, you can ride the boat on the Seine River. The boat stops at various points on the river so you can explore the sights. Today, it was keeping the huddled masses from getting soaked to their skin while we wiped away the vapor filled windows to see the rain pelt down on the barely viewable scenery. But, we were dry! The Eiffel Tower will have to wait until tomorrow . The forecast for tomorrow will be a little better.

We finally slogged home about 5:30 p.m. With the help of the Metro trains we were mostly just damp, as opposed to soaked!

A little rest, checking some emails, another helpful guide from Anou and we were off at about 7:30 to go up to the Montmartre section of Paris for dinner. We ate at a place called Lete en Pente Douce. Whatever that means! But, it was excellent and very reasonably priced. A good suggestion from our housemother. A climb of a few million more steps and we were at the Basilica of Sacre Coure. It sits high over Paris. Not old, only hundred years or so, but beautiful with a view of the whole city.

We were home by 10 p.m. Long day. Dayna's pedometer said we walked 10 1/2 miles and 62 flights of stairs! We won't rush tomorrow morning!