Invalides & Bad Italian food

Sunday afternoons in Paris make for perfect "let's walk around and do nothing" days because if everyone is on vacation, the city is even more dead on a Sunday. The French take their break time very seriously. Too seriously. All the grocery stores close by around 1 pm and apart from the occasional tumbleweed and the waves of tourist groups, each parading a flag/bandana/plastic flower in the air, it's as thought the city is taking a light nap....

but unfortunately for the two Americans looking for something to do. . .
"y'a rien à faire!"

So we hang out like a bunch of hoodlums at Invalides (which I had never officially visited. . .) & ate bad Italian food. MmMmm....This restaurant that we ate at was located in the 16th. I think it's called Tribeca. Not that you need to know the name or it's whereabouts. Just hope you don't ever find it because they serve food that tastes like air. (And not in the good way. Not like those strange Oxygen bars you've probably seen with the flavored air. Nope. If anything it tastes like polluted, stale air.) If this isn't a blaring signal as to how "authentic" this Italian place is, they served their olive oil and balsamic vinegar in spray bottles.

Ew.

George's "don't point that thing in my face" face

Snail pasta.

Snail pasta with gorgonzola & pear
I know. Sounds amazing. But it was horrible. I guess the French don't believe in using salt and pepper -- because that would have made this dish taste like something, at least.