I’m nearly packed

Just a few last items left to tuck into the suitcase(s)—ready to fly and endure the ten-hour journey home. This morning we woke up to more sunshine and wondered how to spend our final day. Since it’s Sunday, it only felt right to visit the Bastille Market one last time.

By now, we know a few of the vendors: where to get the best roast chicken, the freshest produce, and the most beautiful flowers. We strolled the perimeter of the market, noticing it wasn’t as busy as usual. Of course, we couldn’t resist snapping more photos—because clearly the hundreds we already have of the market and the Bastille aren’t enough. I honestly have no idea what I’ll do with them all.

Afterward

We wandered through the 11th arrondissement and finally made it to Le Pure Café, a spot that had been on our list but somehow never happened—until today. It’s famously featured in Before Sunset and, naturally, Anthony Bourdain once paid it a visit as well. The café is a quintessential Parisian gem with vintage décor, velvet bench seating, intricate woodwork, and mirrors that transport you straight back to the early 20th-century bistro scene. We lingered over coffee and croissants, and Rob said, “We should come back for dinner.” Sadly, they close at 5 p.m.—so I suppose that will have to wait for another trip.

Another church

We walked home commenting on this and that, the way you do when you know it’s your last chance to notice the details. So many shops and cafés are closed for the August vacances. Along the way, Rob insisted on one last visit to the Église Saint-Ambroise. “I need to see it one more time,” he said. I stayed across the street, watching him slip inside. Beautiful as it is, I’ve seen enough churches to last me a lifetime—and then some.

And now here I am, at a loss for words (I know—me, really?). It has been a fantastic year, one I’ll never be able to sum up neatly. Spending our last day just trying to soak it all in—the market smells, the café energy, the streets we’ve walked a hundred times—feels both impossible and necessary. Tomorrow we fly home, carrying more than just photos and souvenirs. We leave with a year of memories that will come with us into whatever’s next. This feels like goodbye for now, but not forever.

We wrapped up our day at La Marine, a charming bistro just down the street—definitely go for the canard, it’s delicious!

BTW, stay tuned—I’m not done yet. There are still a few more destinations to share, plus a peek at what life will be like back in Vancouver. And remember that book I finished writing? Well, it still needs to find its way into the world—time to polish up the proposal and cross my fingers.