18, rue Guénégaud, Paris 6

Friday 25 Sept

Enjoyed our 4 hours on a bike through the back streets of Paris with a group called Bike About Tours, with some quirky facts and sights that we wouldn't have seen otherwise. Particularly liked the story of the anonymous 'invader' who says 'I always appear masked in public, so no one knows my face. Some people call me a polluter, others say I'm an artist. I prefer to think of myself as an invader!' He's been to 35 cities all round the world sticking space invaders to walls in public spaces (there's one of the Paris ones to the left).
http://www.space-invaders.com/sominv.html

Lunch in the Latin Quarter

Paris back lane

Cycled past boats on the Seine - mainly Dutch/Belgian/Germans living/holidaying on these...

Hoped to climb the stairs to the tower of Notre Dame after our bike ride, but the queue stretched for miles. Not much can be said about Notre Dame that hasn't been said before... just awe-inspiring.

Brief visit to the Pompidou Modern Art Museum (below) - amazing building erected 'inside out', and stunning views of Paris from the top floor.

Rooftops from Pompidou Centre

At rest in the forecourt of the Pompidou centre

Visited the Louvre in the late afternoon/evening - again, just amazing. We didn't even begin to try to see too much - wanted to see Mona of course :) and the Venus de Milo, but then just wandered where whim took us. That ended up being the exhibition about the Louvre in the Middle Ages, and the Roman sculptures - both stunning.

Rounded up a full day with a boat cruise on the Seine. Shared the boat with a bunch of soccer teams, who waved 'Madrid' banners at the hundreds of French teenagers gathered in huddles along the banks of the Seine. Got a great response - waving, yahooing, dancing kids all in support (including two young guys who stripped to their underwear and did the Macarena for us...)

18, rue Guénégaud, Paris 6

Thursday 24 Sept 09

Breakfast at markets, picked up supplies for lunch - baguette, cheese from a fromagerie with hundreds to choose from, a slice of terrine cut straight from the dish and a bottle of Saint Chinian red that we've discovered. Their website says that 'with the quality still improving, Saint Chinian is definitely an appellation to follow'. We thought the one we had was quite acceptable already :)

'Batobus' river ferry on the Seine and the walk up the Champs Elysse to the Arc de Triomphe. Hordes of camera-wielding pedestrians with a death wish darting amongst the traffic trying to capture the view up the Avenue to the Arc. Yes, Col is still with us (more luck than good management.)

...just some photos and captions below -

280 steps to the top of the Arc de Triomphe...

Arc de Triomphe


Traffic around the Arc de Triomphe :)

View from the top

Ice cream on the Champs Elysse

On top of the Musee D'Orsay

Amphibious car on the back of a private barge on the Seine - worth trying with the Escort, Kyle? (see propellor underneath at the back?)

18, rue Guénégaud, Paris 6

Wednesday 23 Sept

It's an amazing thing for two tired travellers after 26 hours en route to find our way from Charles de Gaulle airport on to a commuter train, make our way up multitudes of stairs and escalators to street level, and find ourselves suddenly in the forecourt of Notre Dame, on a magic Paris morning.

Cafe au lait and croissants in a cafe by the Seine (naturally...what a nice cliche!) before making our way to our accommodation. It's a tiny studio less than a block from the river, and surrounded by galleries and restaurants. We have French windows opening on to a lively streetlife that is keeping us fascinated - crazy drivers, worse pedestrians, cyclists with a death wish and great parking techniques (see pic - same front and back!)

Scooters and bicycles everywhere, ridden by middle aged men in business suits with cigars clenched between their teeth, and gorgeous young things in high heeled boots or white satin slacks.

Long walk in the afternoon - past the Sorbonne (below), Pantheon, Luxembourg Gardens where all of Paris were sunning themselves on metal chairs by the pond, and back to dinner at Le Cafe des Beaux Arts. Extraordinary how with a single 'bonjour' from either of us, everyone breaks spontaneously into English...

Aussie travel pack...

The 'Aussie in Europe' survival kit - courtesy of Col's work colleagues... and the thongs even fit!