Springtime in Paris

The BF and I have just returned from a few days in Paris. We've had a a lovely time - I've even been practicing my pidgin French without any mishaps. People have been very friendly and patient.

The weather has largely been rotten but thankfully there are plenty of museums in which to spend a windy and wet afternoon. On Monday, we had a sodden walk, down the Champs Elysees, from the Arc du Triomphe (near where we were staying) to the Louvre. I love the Louvre.

My Nana gave me some old encyclopaedias when I was a child. They're comically inaccurate. For example, in a section asking whether humans will ever walk on the moon or Mars, the authors solemnly state that the inhabitants of those planets may not appreciate visitors. However, these books are also full of photographs of the sculptures in the Louvre.



I always loved these as a child.



So, on my two trips to Paris, I've really enjoyed seeing the real pieces.



On Tuesday, we made the same walk, in drier weather, only to find that the Arc du Triomphe and most of the Champs Elysees was closed. Most of the main roads and grand bridges were closed too.



There were police and gendarmerie everywhere, all in dress uniform, so I asked one what was happening. There was a delegation from Australia visiting, and this is the view from the Louvre, back up the Champs Elysees to the Arc du Triomphe...



...completely empty.



In between rain showers, we also went to Notre Dame and Sacre Coeur, riding the funiculaire to the top of Montmartre.



After visiting Versailles, we took advantage of the sunshine to see the Eiffel Tower in daylight - we had dinner there on Monday night and saw it all lit up. Then we popped across the bridge to the Trocadero, where you can get a great view of the city, and of course the Tower itself.



Before we left on Thursday, we took another trip down to Ile de la Cite, where we crossed the Pont Neuf and wandered around the Latin Quarter (in the rain, hence no photos) to see the Sorbonne, the Pantheon and the beautiful church of St Etienne on the Mount.



These ugly mugs on the Pont Neuf are caricatures of the dodgy characters that once lurked on the bridge - the usual suspects - robbers, thieves, drunks, harlots, loiterers...and dentists.