Day 5 -Magnifique Anniversary!

Well, apparently today is their anniversary! Twenty-seven (Vigny-sept ans) years ago they got married in Kemnay...and here they are in the city of romance on that day 27 years later! So...I should be glad they took me with them!

They slept in today....and the early start they had hoped for did not entirely work out! So...by 11am they were ready to go! I had been ready for ages....but they just wasted the valuable time they had in the city of love! So....after chasing them they were off! First order of business was breakfast! Well, by this time it should, have been lunch!

The plan for the day was ambitious and starting late meant they were going to struggle! They walked down towards the Seine and went past the magnificent Madeleine Church built in honour of Mary Magdalene. The huge Romanesque columns made this building a real stand out feature of the square it is located in. Before entering the Place de la Concorde they headed back to look for a cafe! Eventually they found one up a side street and sat and had the usual tea and latte (although he didn't get the latte he expected!!) with French bread! Because it was so late they had missed out on the early morning. Croissants! 

   It's the real thing!!

So...back to the Place de la Concorde! (I was expecting to find an air France Concorde sitting in the vast space...but I'm still looking!) the square was huge and forms part of the Champs Élysées stretching between The Louvre and The Arc De Triomphe!  As the. Tour de France finishes here at the weekend there was a lot of work going on to prepare all the barriers and stands for spectators! They looked at the fountains and Cleopatras Needle before heading for the Pont de la Concorde. Again crossing was entertaining!the traffic screams from everywhere and they make up their own minds if they follow the lights or crossing signals! And...motorbikes.....I don't think I have ever seen so many motorbikes and scooters! They are everywhere.....screaming past you close to the pavements and parked In every conceivable place you can see. I would not like to drive here (well I can't drive anyway) but bikes might be the way to go...but only if you can survive being hunted down by the maniac car drivers!

From here you could see the Louvre in the distance but not well and to the right you could make out the Arc away in the very far distance! It was here they got their first view of the Eiffel Tower which was where they were making for.

At this point I should say that I had arrived in Paris thinking I might be a little disappointed....it is hyped up and sometimes places do not live up to their expectations! However, as a bear who has travelled the world I can honestly say this would rank among the top three or four places I have visited! The building and architecture is magnificent and around every corner something new awaits to surprise you and take your breath away. It certainly did not disappoint, apart from the horrendously long queues everywhere that were a real pain! All these damned tourists should, just head off somewhere else!

Their first view of the Seine was great! To appreciate  it they went across knee side looking east and then crossed so they could take in the view to the west! The Thames in London is wonderful, and the sights along it are amazing.....but it is far more modern and cosmopolitan compared to the classical architecture along the river! From here you could look round 360 degrees and see places of great beauty. Instead of walking along the river they headed towards The Hotel Des Invalides. This imposing building houses the remains of Bonaparte and the glinting golden dome can be seen from many different locations round the city! The cannons surrounding it and the gardens made it a worthwhile viewing spot! The hotel was built originally to provide a place for injured and disabled soldiers from the many French wars that took place through much of the 17th and 18th centuries!From there they continued to the Ecole Militiare (Military a school) which was another building on a grand scale. This military school was built to provide officer training for recruits from poor families and again Napoleon Bonaparte was its most successful graduate! Well, successful in the fact that he rose to be leader and took the French into many wars!

From here they were ready to get the clear view of The Eiffel Tower from the. Champ de Mars situated next to the military school. The crowds were definitely increasing now and even though the tower was some distance away everyone was either making their way there or there way from there. The Japanese were out in force and were snapping away ten to the dozen! However, they were not much better and they must have snapped the tower countless times from all sides by the time they left! 'Let's take our photo here.......ok...we are a bit closer.....let's take another one......ok....closer still....another one......ok...we are under it......another one!!'

However, nothing prepares you for the moment you see it in all it's glory! It sheer height alone amazes you and you can see the tiny figure on the second level milling about.....but you can't see anyone at the top as it is over 1000 feet above you!

I too had several photos taken around the tower as you can see! They had tried to book tickets to go up....even to the first or second levels at least last week before they left...but there was only one time left on the night they leave at 11.30pm! So....they had no tickets! But..the queues might not be too bad! Well, you can think again! The guide books do say.....like the cubs.....BE PREPARED...to queue for a long time! Now,w e Brits are good at this so I don't know how all these European lot and Americans were coping because the queues were ridiculous! 

As Shakespeare said....'To queue or not to queue that is the question?' Well, Linda made it quite clear.....'I AM NOT QUEUEING HERE IN THIS HEAT FOR THAT LENGHT OF TIME....NO WAY!' So...that was that! Obviously 27 years of marriage and training meant that he did not argue or even say....well....we could try!! The feeling was....we should come back in the autumn when it would be cooler and quieter and go then!!

So we made it to the shade under the tower! The crowds mingled and vied for places to take photos and many queued and queued and queued! 

They bought an ice cream and headed down to the river again and sought out some shade to sit in for a few moments! Of course, the place would have been a bit quieter if every second person there was not trying to sell you bottled water out of a bucket (well...not water from a bucket....but bottles of water stored in a bucket of what would have been cold water when it started!!) or trying to sell you a model of the tower from the hundreds they had on wire coat hangers. I was tempered to ask to see the gold one...the one right in the middle of the hanger.....and then after checking it out saying I would think about it and come back! But A for some reason didn't think it was a good idea....especially as the 45 other guys with the coat hangers were his mate also 

So....down by the river they viewed the many cruise boats go up and down the river it was stifling hot and sitting in these....many under glass or plastic roofs must have Ben a trial....unless they did have air conditioning on them!

So...still snapping the tower from this side now they moved on to cross the river yet again. This time it was the Pont D'lena they crossed! It took them towards another great spectacle - The Jardins Trocadero! Here the way led up to The Pallais de Chaillot and the Trocadero Fountains! Now, these were some very impressive fountains! Typically French....some had to force of water cannons and the spray could be felt from at least 100m away! But with the heat many were indulging in a chance to cool down..or get totally soaked in the process! I am sure one or two have been caught out and ended up totally drenched without expecting it!

Again...plenty more photos were taken and where possible they asked other people to take one for them together! They never ask me for some reason!

From here they climbed the steps up to the two imposing buildings at the top of the hill and looked for....the toilet! Then it was back down once more, after applying some more sun cream, the make their way along the Avenue De New York on the way now to the Arc de Triomphe! Oh....they stopped and shared a huge cheese and ham baguette and stocked up on water again! So....no ice cream for me....no baguette....just as well I am not high maintenance! They went this way to see the replica of the flame from the top of the Statue of Liberty in New York at the Pont De L'alma! Well, it was a bit of a disappointment! Unusual for something almost American not to be big and brash! However, the chain round the flame had many padlocks locked on to it by visitors who had visited previously! 

Now the challenge was to make it to the Arc de Triomphe....not the horse race...but the huge arch at the far end of the Champs Élysées. They made it to the Avenue D'iena and soon they could make out the giant structure through the tree lined avenue as they got closer! This area was certainly quieter but I think that was dispute to the fact that most people either approached up the Champs Élysées as opposed to this route. On arrival agin the area was thronged by tourists jostling to take photos of it with none of the lam posts or poles in the way! Again queue looking for someone to take a photo of them!

However, initially Linda's concern was.....how do you GET across to it! The arch is in the middle of an island on a roundabout! Now....talk about bad planning when they built it! At least with the Eiffel Tower they built it in a park next to the river! Here....they built it in the middle of what appeared to be a stock car race track! I kid you not....cars, lorries, buses, bikes (nutters) and emergency vehicles (no surprise there then!) were careering round it....and I swear I saw one car continually going round the inside lane as they were stuck and could not get off again! Either they take their lives in their hands and brave trying to change lanes, queue the toots and blaring of horns, or they keep going until they run out of petrol and bring the place to a standstill!!

Anyway, when Andrew said....are we going over.....Linda looked at him and winced! Now....a one or two laneround about.....you might risk it if you were fleet of feet and brave.....but a six land free for all.....no chance! But.....they had provided a safer means of getting there.....an underpass which takes you to the most undeserted island in Paris! 

So off they went! So...A wanted to go up but Linda was not keen....well...it was got..and they had walked miles by now....but she said...ok.....you go and get tickets and I will sit in the shade under the arch! Well, off he went.....but all the bloody tourists who had been queuing to get up the Tower were now here....and again the queue was very long and would have taken at least 30-45 minutes just to get to the ticket office! So...that's another one for the autumn visit one day!      He went round and took some photos....with me also.....but being so close to the Arc it is all sot impossible to get a photo of the whole thing as it is so big!  It is around 50 metres in height and the view no doubt would have been great! Again this was another erection to glorify another war Napoleon had led the French into! It makes you wonder.....if the French, well Napoleon really, had not been so feisty and determined to expand the French Empire what would the modern day Paris be like! Who would be coming to visit all these amazing buildings and structures if the French had been a peaceful, quiet and reserved nation in the 17th and 18th centuries? It's a question that begs a lot of contemplation!!  

Anyway, back through the underpass and it was time to head back to the hotel! They were now going to head back down the Champs Élysées to The Place Del la Concorde where they had begun around 5 hours ago! The Champs is a wide and leafy avenue that beats any London Street and is bustling with a mix of tourists and Parisians shopping in the designer shops that such an area attracts. They stopped and looked around one shopping arcade which had a wide range of shops and attractions (guys shoes at over €1000.... I don't thin so...) and had a stop at Starbucks while soaking up the atmosphere!

Again the preparations are ongoing for the final day of the tour and after what seemed a long walk they made it back to where they started and veered off to find the hotel for a rest while I write up,the blog!

So....day one in Paris! It did not disappoint! In fact, Paris is a beautiful city and it seems to have retained so much of its original architecture compared to places like London where much of it has been replaced with high rise rowers that dominate the horizon. Perhaps the fact that so much of the building was of the classical design and built to last means it has endured where many cities have had to regenerate large areas due to necessity. The streets are wide, the pavements are wide and trees dominate much of the streets! Perhaps in the dim and distant past a little old town planner had a vision of powered machines ruling the streets instead of horses and carts and ensured that they were wide enough to allow everyone their space to toot and screech their tyres as they race round the city......at very slow speeds!

Anyway, I can't wait for tomorrow and the chance to look further down the Seine to the Louvre and Notre Dam and The Ile De Cite! My poor hunched back will be at home there.....well you spend your time stuffed in a camera bag and see how you like it!!

Anyway, Bon sour for now! I hope you enjoy some of the photos!
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