Four Days in Paris

So lets start with what we couldn't do. We wanted to have a trip on the bateaux-mouches but unfortunately due to the Seine being in flood at over 6 metres, it meant the only boats out on the river were police inflatables. We also wanted to visit Monet's garden at Giverny but the partial French rail strike put paid to that. However, we still had a great time and visited some beautiful places a little more off the beaten track.

Sunday 5th June    The Seine in Flood

Eurostar ran perfectly and we arrived on time at Gare Du Nord and took the Metro to St Georges which was only a short walk from Hotel Joyce. After a quick unpack we off again with the Metro to Place de la Concorde.

We had most of the afternoon so it seemed the best idea to walk through the Jardin des Tuileries
and then onto the Louvre which, although closed due to the danger of flooding, was still thronged with crowds.

When we arrived at the banks of the Seine, we could understand how high was the river level. The lower footpath that runs alongside the river was completely under water.

We walked along the pavement above the river and crossed over at Pont Notre-Dame. It had been heavy clouds all afternoon but at Notre Dame itself the sun came out. We sat on one of the low walls before deciding to go inside for a look round.

We then crossed back over the river from Ile de la Cite and passed Hotel de Ville.

It was time for an early dinner although a lot of restaurants were closed on a Sunday. One we tried was busy but Le Second Empire, very close Hotel de Ville (having done a complete circuit of the area), was very welcoming, had great service, a lovely dining room and good food. Perfect: www.lesecondempire.fr. Back at Hotel Joyce we took advantage of the free coffee, cakes etc before we retired.

Monday 6th June     Montmartre and the Eiffel Tower

It was a cloudy morning as we walked from the hotel to Montmartre via Boulevard Rochechouart. . The approach to Sacre Coeur is a magical sight.

As it was still quite early the crowds were not too bad. So we went straight into Sacre Coeur.

We next walked around Montmartre and watched the artists at work in one of the squares at the back of Sacre Coeur.

We took a look inside the church of St Pierre de Montmartre.

Coming out we headed for the front of Sacre Coeur and joined many others sitting on the steps. Still cloudy but brighter and we could see more landmarks in the distance. I wanted to see the steps on Rue Chevalier la Barre, the same that Marion Cotillard descended in Woody Allen's "Midnight in Paris" so that was where we made our way back to the hotel for a rest in the middle of the day.

The afternoon was sunny and warm. The Metro to Place du Trocadero. The elevated area above Jardins du Palais de Chaillot has great views of the Eiffel Tower.

It was very warm as we sat on a bench at the side of the gardens looking at the fountains surrounded by locals and tourists sitting on the grass with the tower above. We crossed the river and walked under the Eiffel Tower. We had been to the top the last time we came to Paris many years ago.

We liked the football suspended in the middle for Euro 2016.

Walking through Parc du Champ it was nice to find a bench in the shade. We needed the rest before tackling Avenue de la Bourdonais to Ecole Militaire. On the corner of Avenue Duquesne we found a nice cafe for a well earned drink. Up Avenue de Tourville to the famous Hotel des Invalides.

We were too late to go in but the gardens were nice to sit in before what seemed a long walk to the Metro ( I was pretty shattered by then). We found our way to Opera. The opera house was worth seeing.

We found somewhere for dinner, the salad was great, the cheesy breadsticks extraordinary. Coffee and cake at the hotel to finish the day.

Tuesday 7th June      "Train Removed"

We started the day with a walk down to St Lazare station to see if we could get a train to Vernon as we had planned to go to Monet's garden at Giverny. Yes, there were trains that morning, but for the the return journey it kept coming up "Train Removed". So thanks to the striking French railways, we had to alter our plans. So it was off to the Left Bank and the Latin Quarter.

The Metro took us the Chatalet but as we came out of the wrong exit of the many at that station, we ended up at the brand new Forum Les Halles. We were not impressed by the shopping centre. We passed on going in the church of St Eustace and walked down Rue de Louvre and over Pont Neuf. The river level had receded since Sunday but still quite high.

At Ile de la Cite we passed the Palais de Justice and the Prefecture de Police, both lovely buildings. Passing behind Notre Dame we found one of the nicest parts of the city. The path behind the cathedral and next to the river is a delight.

And the Square Jean XX111 at the far end of Notre Dame is equally beautiful. We sat on a bench in the shade as the sunny day was becoming very warm. Over Pont de L'Archeveche we headed up the hill to the glorious church that is St Etienne du Mont.

We were able to look around inside just after a mass had finished.

We stopped for lunch at the superb cafe/restaurant that is La Capannina close to the church and Place du Pantheon. Some pasta and a salad was just right.

The Pantheon is quite impressive, but we stuck to our avoidance of going in museums.

It wasn't far past the University to the Jardin du Luxembourg, resplendent in the sunshine. Sitting by the pond where children were sailing small yachts reminded me of the (much much larger) Round Pond in Kensington Gardens where in the early fifties we had to wait ages for our yachts to return to the bank.

Off down Rue Bonaparte to St Sulpice where the square would have been lovely had it not been filled with market tents. But the church is very nice.

Saint Germain Boulevard was very busy so we didn't stop at St Germain de Pres. We walked down the Left Bank and crossed the river at Pont Royal and back to Jardin des Tuilleries and Place de la Concorde for the Metro back to the hotel.

For dinner we took a short walk from the hotel down to the square that is d'Esteinne d'Orvres. Here we found a cafe/restaurant from where we had views of the church that is Ste-Trinite. The sun had been out all day and the cafes were all crowded outside.


Wednesday 8th June    Le Marais

One of my planned walks was for the Marais district. The Metro to Bastille was first.

Then a walk down to what was described as the oldest square in Paris: Place de Voges. Overlooking the square are thirty six matching houses. Among the famous people who lived there was Victor Hugo who wrote Les Miserables at No 6.

We sat in the shade of another sunny morning looking at the gardens and three fountains.

Our walk around Le Marais took us past the Picasso Museum and eventually down Vielle du Temple and a straight road right down to the Seine. Crossing the river we found ourselves once more at Square Jean XX111 behind Notre Dame.

Then onto the Left Bank once again to take in Square Viviani.

Finally it was back across Ile de la Cite to Chatalet Metro and a light lunch before departing for Gare du Nord and Eurostar. We had been very lucky with the weather, not a drop of rain and great sunny days after the cloud of Sunday and Monday cleared.