Four Nights in Paris - SUN, 10 JUL 2022 to THU, 14 JUL 2022

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SUN, 10 JUL 2022 – HOTEL TRANSFER: My Globus La France tour ended after breakfast, so I checked out of the tour-designated hotel and made my way to Hôtel du Lion d'Or Louvre for a four-night stay to complete my visit to Paris and to relax a bit before I embarked on an adventurous, independent 5-city, 14-day journey to London, ahead of my next accompanied tour. This evening, as I was signing up for the La France Facebook Group one of my traveling companions opened, I saw a post from my cousin, Karen, relating that she and her partner, Wendy, were leaving for Paris the next day. A few Messenger posts and lunch was set. Overnight for four nights – Hôtel du Lion d'Or Louvre, Paris, France. As the name implies, it’s within walking distance of the Louvre.

MON, 11 JUL 2022 and TUE, 12 JUL 2022 – HOUSEKEEPING: Monday I had a very enjoyable "Lunch with the Cuz" in Paris! Pretty crazy! During our lunch, the conversation was interrupted by the practice flyovers in preparation for Bastille Day the Thursday following. The remainder of Monday and most of Tuesday was spent on relaxation, catching up on photos and emails, completing customer satisfaction surveys and refreshing my memory and double checking the next several weeks of travel – hotel reservations, train tickets, points of interest, etc. Tuesday morning, however, found me taking a short walk while the housekeeper tended to my room. About 4-5 blocks from my hotel, I encountered a line of people waiting for Louis Vuitton to open. Then another for E. Goyard (which I learn is now Maison Goyard). Yet a third cue for Angelina. Man, that zip code should get the hotel another star just for braggin’ rights. This is a nice, small, Ma & Pa place that’s probably been here since the mid-1800s. For my La France travelling companions: Y’all thought the elevators were small on the La France tour, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet – capacity 3!!! Quite obviously, a retrofit in the only space available.

WED 13 JUL 2022 – TOURISM: I stopped at this enticing pastry shop near the hotel for a couple hundred scrumptious calories before heading three blocks to the metro (subway) station and the Arc de Triomphe. It took a couple of minutes to find the stairs to the tunnel under the round-a-bout and to the center of the circle, but the reward was worth the effort. Very nice, but, again, the pictures can do it justice – so, if you have the time. I waited for later in the day and lower temperatures to walk the three blocks to take a spin on The View Paris. Make no mistake, this is an old fashion amusement park of the Coney Island ilk on a much smaller scale and situated along one side of Jardin des Tuileries (Tuileries Garden). There are probably 25-30 rides for all ages. I only rode The View Paris but enjoyed watching the other folks, particularly the children and the screaming teenage girls, enjoying them all. The pictures cannot do it justice, so make the time.

THU, 14 JUL 2022 TRAIN TO LUXEMBOURG: I spent the morning of Bastille Day preparing for the move to Luxembourg, walked back to the pastry shop for one more sinful visit and harvested a last glimpse of The View Paris. Had I researched adequately, I would have stayed in Paris another day or two so I could have watched the Bastille Day Parade and attended some of the other festivities. I didn’t miss out completely, though. As I was packing, I heard the scream of jet engines and made my way to the street to catch the last half of the flyover. In the taxi on the way to the train station, we drove past some post-parade military vehicles and personnel.

Negotiating the Gare de Paris-Est (Paris East station, or commonly known as Paris Est) for the third time in about three weeks was a piece of the proverbial cake. Fortunately, all three trips used Paris Est and not one of the other five train stations in the city. Again, for the third time, I was aboard a high-speed train. This one broke the 300 km/hr barrier at 311 km/hr. The previous high that I had seen on the coach’s display was 299 km/hr. The trip lasted 2 hours and 12 minutes but seemed shorter due to my seating companion from Caen, France who spoke excellent English, albeit with a very heavy French accent. He worked in the field of sound (and therefore vibration) reduction technology – i.e., reducing the din from electric motors and the resulting vibration those sound waves make. Everything from large industrial motors to the motors on a hard or DVD drive. No two work days were ever the same. Very nice young man. The trip was uneventful, and we arrived on time.

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Photos

Totally Adequate for a Solo Traveler from Out in the Boondocks
Hôtel du Lion d'Or Louvre, Paris, France

If Grandma Could See Us Now!
Wendy, Cousin Karen and Uncle Larry

Arc de Triomphe - Paris, France
From Inside the Round-a-Bout

Jardin des Tuileries (Tuileries Garden) - Paris, France
The View Paris

Not Quite the Full Effect but Better than Nothing
Bastille Day Flyover

What More Does a Fella Need?
Hôtel du Lion d'Or Louvre, Paris, France

Three Person Capacity - Or One Person and Two Suitcases!
Hôtel du Lion d'Or Louvre, Paris, France

Capture the Old Masonry as a Wall Decoration
Hôtel du Lion d'Or Louvre, Paris, France

Louis Vuitton
Keeping Up with the Jones in Paris, France

E. Goyard
Keeping Up with the Jones in Paris, France

Angelina
Keeping Up with the Jones in Paris, France

Arc de Triomphe - Paris, France
From Outside the Round-a-Bout

Arc de Triomphe - Paris, France
From Inside the Round-a-Bout

Jardin des Tuileries (Tuileries Garden) - Paris, France
The View Paris

Jardin des Tuileries (Tuileries Garden) - Paris, France
The View Paris

Not Quite the Full Effect but Better than Nothing
Bastille Day Flyover

Not Quite the Full Effect but Better than Nothing
Bastille Day Flyover