Paris Cruise (1/9)

Trains and cars on two levels of one bridge

We had a comparatively lazy last day in Paris. Monday is the day many museums are shut, so we opted to get chores done and to take a cruise on the Seine. We wandered down, being sure that we called in at the famous ice cream shop on the Isle de Saint Louis. We sat in the gardens behind Sacre Coeur to eat them. Our trip started at Le Pont Neuf and went down to the Eiffel tower and back again going a little beyond Isle de Saint Louis. It gave you a different aspect of Paris. It really takes advantage of the river frontage, and many of the famous landmarks are visible from the river. There are 34 bridges across the Seine, but we didn't pass under half of them. Some date back to the 17th century, and one is constructed of stone taken from the Bastille when it was demolished. It was quite an enjoyable way of spending an hour.

Floods on the Seine are measured
by how much of this poor chap gets wet!

From there we headed towards Les Halles, a gigantic construction site that looked like a bomb crater when we were here last. They are building a large shopping complex underground, and roofing it with gardens and playgrounds. There will also be a large sheltered entertainement area which will cater for all weathers. It is replacing an historic but rundown market and slum area, and will no doubt be an asset to the surrounding community.






Jill sat in a cafe and enjoyed a delicious hot chocolate while Allan went shopping for books at an appropriate level in French. The books are much cheaper here than at home, if you can find them. He eventually arrived back, (with an Agatha Christie in French, an Arsene Lupin, and an Amelie Northomb) had hot chocolate, and then we started to stroll back to the hotel, not necessarily walking all the way home. We quite enjoy just wandering the streets, taking in the sites and sounds (and smells) of the city. We are getting used to the French traffic. They are very casual in their attitude to traffic lights. It is worth taking the time to check that vehicles will actually stop even when the lights are green for the pedestrians. It doesn't help that the lights for both the cars and the pedestrians change simultaneously, so there is no interval between the cars stopping and the pedestrians starting.

Parisians playing ping-pong in the park