Well, today they were up early! Alarm at 7.50 and up and ready for the off! Possibly not walking as much today....or so they thought! First things first.....find somewhere for breakfast! Well...some cafés looked ok...but were empty and you always wonder about places that are empty! They found one up by Madeleine and it looked ok! But, it was pricy for what we had! A had a coffee and toast while L had tea and toast! However, he was trying to get us to have an English breakfast....and asking for English breakfast tea did not help! Tea and coffee are very expensive in cafés here ....and you never seem to get what you are really looking for! Anyway, €20 later we are on our way!
So...today is down the other part of the Seine! They got to La place De La Concorde and crossed the busy street of Rue de Rivoli to get to the Tuileries Jardins! This would lead us down to the Louvre eventually! The French don't seem to do tar in parks! The grass areas are ok....but they often ask you not to go on the grass but the other areas are just rough-like surfaces! They are dusty and have lots of small stones that I am sure get in lots of peoples shoes and cause issues!
Anyway, it was still quite quiet but everyone seemed to be heading in the same general direction! They stopped and took more photos to bore you with and then sat on some of the chairs round one of the ponds! Apparently it is traditional to go to the pond and rent a wooden boat that you can sail round the pond with a radio handset! One man was there and seemed to be having fun!
They continued in and the gardens were quite nice...but very plain! Perhaps the rough surface is due to the fact that in years gone by they were used by horses and carts or that if they had tar....it might melt in the heat of the day! Some of the statues were interesting. And provided a bit of shade walking up under the trees to see them.
Then as the Louvre was getting closer then number of people increased! As did the sellers who were there with their Eiffel Towers again and various other articles for sale! Oh....and the guys with bottles of water in buckets! Did I recognise one for the tower? Anyway, one poor guy got a real mouthful from one lady who was none too pleased....at what we don't know....but it was obvious she was telling him to go back from whence he came and he just brushed her aside! I don't want to get on the wrong side of her...that's for sure!
Anyway, as you approached the Louvre you pass the Paris wheel! Not quite the London Eye...but they tried! Oh...and some ride that takes you up high then swings you round and round as the French flags connected to the chairs billow in the air! The people living in the rather posh looking apartments across the road for the gardens must LOVE IT!
Anyway, they make it to the Louvre! Even the approach to it is amazing...once you dodge the Tower sellers, scarf sellers, flying bird sellers and those selling everything! The three sided palace at the entrance is stunning....but is overshadowed by the more famous glass pyramid! It takes you breath away and the contrast between it and the elaborate architecture of the palace really works! But everyone is focused on it and are jostling again for the best views!!
However, the one thing you notice is the queue! Yes....another queue that stretched away....with people standing in the heat!! So....they kept walking round taking photos in different positions...but with the pyramid in it somewhere? They have a number of stone cubes people can stand on and nearly everyone was trying to jump on one....and then try to get a photo with their fingers appearing if they were touching the top of the pyramid! Well, no point in me trying that...I'm too small anyway and paws are not very good in those situations!!
So..they continued going round the facade of the building and went through the arch in the centre that took them in to a huge courtyard area the huge palace stretched right round and the three storeys of the museum were quite imposing! It's no wonder the French rose up to topple the aristocracy if they lived like this compared to those who struggled with very little! I felt sorry for the poor sculptors who must have spent years working on the palace when it was built. The gaffer would have said....ok.....you sculpted that pattern for the widow arch....we actually need 9 for each window.....oh....and there are at least 300 windows in this courtyard! A lifetimes work.....carving the same little spiral time after time after time!
The palace is huge and if the whole building houses the museum and art gallery you would need hours and hours to even skim the surface! The army were in plentiful number and wander around in their combats and boots with their machine guns in their hands. Perhaps not a good idea to ask for a photo!
From here they left and carried on down the banks of the Seine Nd headed for the Ponts De Arts bridge! This is the bridge, but there appear to be other places people do this, where people lock padlocks on to the footbridge to show their love for someone! Well, someone was well organised and they had their padlocks....plural.....with them! There was one for A and L stating they had been together from 1981 - 2014 and on.....and one which is advertising MY blog! Well....I wonder if anyone will see it and check my blog! Th bridge was absolutely COVERED in padlocks! You could not see the sides of the bridge for the padlocks.....and there must have been thousands and thousands of them! Most were inscribed by permanent pen....while some had had theirs engraved...either before coming or from one of the little shops we did see later that would engrave your message on it! But ours had been done before we left......and it must have been difficult to try to write a whole web address on it....especially as it's not an easy one like bbc.co.uk?
So...they looked for the right place to put them! Some panels were so full you could not even get more on if your tried! But there were some newer looking panels which obviously means that over time they have to replace panels and TAKE old padlocks away! They thought they would be there ...well.....for ever! At one point they used to remove them as there were concerns the weight might be bad for the bridge and put it in danger! But, they locked them on and then threw the keys into the river as tradition demands! There were not many with padlocks....so a bit of prep does help! They left my key on the same ring as theirs so I was not going to be totally abandoned! But....here's a possible new TV challenge show.....dive in the river.....swim down to the bottom....find a key.....and then find the padlock it opens! But....could be difficult to squeeze into an hour long format....with possibly three ad breaks thrown in!
But...it was romantic and looking at some of the padlocks was interesting! Some people must have real complexes as some of the padlocks were huge.....and looked awful....but they were definitely going for big is best!
From here....they headed down to Ile De Citie....the island in the Seine with Notre Dame on it! But first they thought they would get some food for lunch to eat on the riverbank at the tip of the island! So...before crossing the ventured in to some of the streets on the south side of the river looking for one of the many shops or bakers that sold picnic goods for people to buy and eat alfresco! Well, the rule of thumb is simple....if you need one you CANT find one and if you don't need one.....there are rows of them! Well, they could not find anything and ended up in a well known stellar coffee chain before they made their way back to the island....and of course the several bakers that are always round the next corner when you don't need it!
So....they crossed and spent some time sitting in the garden at the east end of the Ile. They then walked down the island and finally made it to Notre Dam! A got a dig in the ribs for his impression of the hunchback and WHISPERING...The bells, the bells.......! Honestly!
The church soars into the air and you could see the small figures of people up on the top of the towers! I bet some of them were shouting......The bells, the bells!! So...they joined the queue to enter and have a moment of peace and quiet in the dark interior! Signs made it clear.....no hats, no noise and no flashing! Well, I'm glad about that....but apparently it was camera flashes they meant! So in they went and joined the throng of people looking round. The Catholic Church have obviously gone all modern as their confessional boxes seemed to have been replaced by glass walled 'greenhouses' built in to some of the alcoves!
On leaving the ancient church with no sign of Quasimodo to be seen they bought ice cream to try and provide a little respite from the continuing heat! They walked round the island and then across to the smaller island to look at some of the shops. They then left the islands and crossed back to the 'mainland' to head towards The Pantheon and Palais du Luxembourg. Well, they eventually found The Pantheon.....another gothic styled church....and then the gardens which were certainly better than those along the Champs Élysées. The Palais was very beautiful and the park was full of people sitting in the shade of the trees....reading, playing chess, eating, talking and even kissing! Tut tut!!
So...by this time they were getting tired and had sore feet! So they started the long walk back to the hotel....with the instruction that L wanted a crêpe on the way home! Well, again it took forever to find a cafe doing crêpes but they did find one. They crossed the river once more and made their way back past the Louvre and down the shaded part of the Tullieres Jardin before making it back finally to the hotel! Tonight they hope to make it back to the Eiffel Tower to get some photos of it in the dark! Well, we shall see!
Sent from my iPad
Anyway, it was still quite quiet but everyone seemed to be heading in the same general direction! They stopped and took more photos to bore you with and then sat on some of the chairs round one of the ponds! Apparently it is traditional to go to the pond and rent a wooden boat that you can sail round the pond with a radio handset! One man was there and seemed to be having fun!
They continued in and the gardens were quite nice...but very plain! Perhaps the rough surface is due to the fact that in years gone by they were used by horses and carts or that if they had tar....it might melt in the heat of the day! Some of the statues were interesting. And provided a bit of shade walking up under the trees to see them.
Then as the Louvre was getting closer then number of people increased! As did the sellers who were there with their Eiffel Towers again and various other articles for sale! Oh....and the guys with bottles of water in buckets! Did I recognise one for the tower? Anyway, one poor guy got a real mouthful from one lady who was none too pleased....at what we don't know....but it was obvious she was telling him to go back from whence he came and he just brushed her aside! I don't want to get on the wrong side of her...that's for sure!
Anyway, as you approached the Louvre you pass the Paris wheel! Not quite the London Eye...but they tried! Oh...and some ride that takes you up high then swings you round and round as the French flags connected to the chairs billow in the air! The people living in the rather posh looking apartments across the road for the gardens must LOVE IT!
Anyway, they make it to the Louvre! Even the approach to it is amazing...once you dodge the Tower sellers, scarf sellers, flying bird sellers and those selling everything! The three sided palace at the entrance is stunning....but is overshadowed by the more famous glass pyramid! It takes you breath away and the contrast between it and the elaborate architecture of the palace really works! But everyone is focused on it and are jostling again for the best views!!
However, the one thing you notice is the queue! Yes....another queue that stretched away....with people standing in the heat!! So....they kept walking round taking photos in different positions...but with the pyramid in it somewhere? They have a number of stone cubes people can stand on and nearly everyone was trying to jump on one....and then try to get a photo with their fingers appearing if they were touching the top of the pyramid! Well, no point in me trying that...I'm too small anyway and paws are not very good in those situations!!
So..they continued going round the facade of the building and went through the arch in the centre that took them in to a huge courtyard area the huge palace stretched right round and the three storeys of the museum were quite imposing! It's no wonder the French rose up to topple the aristocracy if they lived like this compared to those who struggled with very little! I felt sorry for the poor sculptors who must have spent years working on the palace when it was built. The gaffer would have said....ok.....you sculpted that pattern for the widow arch....we actually need 9 for each window.....oh....and there are at least 300 windows in this courtyard! A lifetimes work.....carving the same little spiral time after time after time!
The palace is huge and if the whole building houses the museum and art gallery you would need hours and hours to even skim the surface! The army were in plentiful number and wander around in their combats and boots with their machine guns in their hands. Perhaps not a good idea to ask for a photo!
From here they left and carried on down the banks of the Seine Nd headed for the Ponts De Arts bridge! This is the bridge, but there appear to be other places people do this, where people lock padlocks on to the footbridge to show their love for someone! Well, someone was well organised and they had their padlocks....plural.....with them! There was one for A and L stating they had been together from 1981 - 2014 and on.....and one which is advertising MY blog! Well....I wonder if anyone will see it and check my blog! Th bridge was absolutely COVERED in padlocks! You could not see the sides of the bridge for the padlocks.....and there must have been thousands and thousands of them! Most were inscribed by permanent pen....while some had had theirs engraved...either before coming or from one of the little shops we did see later that would engrave your message on it! But ours had been done before we left......and it must have been difficult to try to write a whole web address on it....especially as it's not an easy one like bbc.co.uk?
So...they looked for the right place to put them! Some panels were so full you could not even get more on if your tried! But there were some newer looking panels which obviously means that over time they have to replace panels and TAKE old padlocks away! They thought they would be there ...well.....for ever! At one point they used to remove them as there were concerns the weight might be bad for the bridge and put it in danger! But, they locked them on and then threw the keys into the river as tradition demands! There were not many with padlocks....so a bit of prep does help! They left my key on the same ring as theirs so I was not going to be totally abandoned! But....here's a possible new TV challenge show.....dive in the river.....swim down to the bottom....find a key.....and then find the padlock it opens! But....could be difficult to squeeze into an hour long format....with possibly three ad breaks thrown in!
But...it was romantic and looking at some of the padlocks was interesting! Some people must have real complexes as some of the padlocks were huge.....and looked awful....but they were definitely going for big is best!
From here....they headed down to Ile De Citie....the island in the Seine with Notre Dame on it! But first they thought they would get some food for lunch to eat on the riverbank at the tip of the island! So...before crossing the ventured in to some of the streets on the south side of the river looking for one of the many shops or bakers that sold picnic goods for people to buy and eat alfresco! Well, the rule of thumb is simple....if you need one you CANT find one and if you don't need one.....there are rows of them! Well, they could not find anything and ended up in a well known stellar coffee chain before they made their way back to the island....and of course the several bakers that are always round the next corner when you don't need it!
So....they crossed and spent some time sitting in the garden at the east end of the Ile. They then walked down the island and finally made it to Notre Dam! A got a dig in the ribs for his impression of the hunchback and WHISPERING...The bells, the bells.......! Honestly!
The church soars into the air and you could see the small figures of people up on the top of the towers! I bet some of them were shouting......The bells, the bells!! So...they joined the queue to enter and have a moment of peace and quiet in the dark interior! Signs made it clear.....no hats, no noise and no flashing! Well, I'm glad about that....but apparently it was camera flashes they meant! So in they went and joined the throng of people looking round. The Catholic Church have obviously gone all modern as their confessional boxes seemed to have been replaced by glass walled 'greenhouses' built in to some of the alcoves!
On leaving the ancient church with no sign of Quasimodo to be seen they bought ice cream to try and provide a little respite from the continuing heat! They walked round the island and then across to the smaller island to look at some of the shops. They then left the islands and crossed back to the 'mainland' to head towards The Pantheon and Palais du Luxembourg. Well, they eventually found The Pantheon.....another gothic styled church....and then the gardens which were certainly better than those along the Champs Élysées. The Palais was very beautiful and the park was full of people sitting in the shade of the trees....reading, playing chess, eating, talking and even kissing! Tut tut!!
So...by this time they were getting tired and had sore feet! So they started the long walk back to the hotel....with the instruction that L wanted a crêpe on the way home! Well, again it took forever to find a cafe doing crêpes but they did find one. They crossed the river once more and made their way back past the Louvre and down the shaded part of the Tullieres Jardin before making it back finally to the hotel! Tonight they hope to make it back to the Eiffel Tower to get some photos of it in the dark! Well, we shall see!
Sent from my iPad
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