Advertisement
Published: March 21st 2011
Edit Blog Post
Bon jour
Hello again
Day started off well with a swim. The Novotel is working out fine if you disregard the fact that they turn off the AC and turn on the heating. Its fine with the window open instead!
Great day already today – and more to come!
Then, across to the Gary Lyon station (a hairy experience – thanks Si) and organised our travel, entrance and audio guides for Versailles tomorrow – at about a third the going price. Gotta love the internet! That is tomorrow taken care of.
As for today, arranged a day pass for all public transport today (RER and Metro (and buses but we will leave them alone)), and an entry ticket for the Louvre – saves queuing. Happy with that arrangement so we come back and celebrate with a cuppa. Great job.
Off on the train to the Louvre. Now we decided to use the Metro – and that is the jobby with the car tyres as wheels. Nice ride – but it stops at more stations so we are not convinced. Anyhow, it pulls up right underneath the Museum entrance. God I love the French. They just
seem to find a way of cutting thru the BS.
The Louvre is fantastic but I have the attention span of a gnat when it comes to art, so after I was able to locate the Mona Lisa, I figured my job was done. Pretty cool BTW – and bigger than I remember 40 years ago when last I saw it. We couldn’t find the statue of David and Chris assures me that it is in Rome – but I am firm in the belief that I saw it here in 1971, and I am going to check my slides on my return. It could of course have been on loan at the time – and I will hang my hat on that.
Anyway, the Louvre was fantastic and for me, the building was as good as the contents – but we stuck it out for a good couple of hours. Very enjoyable.
Then lunch – and finding a sanger was proving as difficult as it was yesterday – and in the end, we went for a couple of Peninis - one jambon and one saumon. Now these were great – and as a result, have rocketed
to the top of the luncheon menu while here.
After lunch – where Chris also took time to go nuts with the camera at the adjacent fountain and its ducks, we headed off to Notre Dame. Fabulous – inside and out. While yesterday we picked up an organ recital, today we were blessed (I use the term advisedly) with a choral practice session – and they were good. The church wasn’t bad also! (Inside and out.)
After that, we decided to flirt with the rail system and make our way to the new development at the west of the city – La Defense. Great. Check out the photos of these free form buildings.
Then home to afternoonses. Bier and Vin and nibbles. How good is that?
I am the one who insisted that we could buy a ticket for the Palace of Versailles at the railway station after hearing it from a good source from our bushwalking club. He was not convinced, until the very helpful lady at the Gare de Lyon sold us all our tickets for today and tomorrow.
I now have directions and purchasing covered.
Now lunch is another point, after walking
for many kilometres and looking at numerous possibilities, I cracked it and suggested we buy something to eat before I hypoed. The lunch was very nice. “Two piece of fish”, Tim will understand.
The tour guide for today was very good, got us to all destinations with the minimum of fuss, and the sites were fabulous.
Now for the night tour. Our tickets are still valid…
Did we mention that we love this place??
Tonight we are headed off (with our cheapy day passes – which work till midnight) to check out Paris by night. Lots to report tomorrow.
Meantime, check out the pics, lets know what you think, and sleep tight
All the best
Chris and Ian
Advertisement
Tot: 0.044s; Tpl: 0.012s; cc: 7; qc: 24; dbt: 0.0228s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb
Amanda
non-member comment
Another busy days
Hi ya, looks like you are still enjoying. I am starting to be concerned about your spelling. I wondered what you actually ate for lunch Peninis?!?! Anyway, keep enjoying and next time I would like a joke reference in your blog somewhere!!! ;) joke!