Day 3 - Sat 18th - Walk along the Seine, Champs Elysee, Ile de la Cite

Sorry,  this is a day late!
Thought I was meeting the Trafalgar crowd last night,  and we'd be leaving this morning on our trip.
Not so!!!!   Maureen had the days wrong - can't count!!!!
Did I tell you this in the last blog???
Anyway,  decided to do the Champs Elysee and Place de la Concorde today.   Lady at the metro told me Concorde was closed,  but didn't know why.
Quick thinking Maureen did a repeat of yesterday,  and bought a ticket to Ile de la Cite.   Could walk across one of the bridges to the Right Bank,  then up beside the Seine to where I wanted to go,  thinking that the line was closed for maintenance or something.  
Found out from Bruno,  our tour guide,  yesterday,  that the police are closing the Champs Elysee to traffic on weekends,  and surrounding Places and metro stations altogether,  because of the threat of distruptions and demonstrations by the yellow shirts.   Apparently,  there are some radicals who are not happy with the concessions given by the President,  and are continuing to protest.   Most of the original protesters are happy with the outcome of their demonstrations,  and have returned to normal life.
Anyway,  you can walk up and down the Champs Elysee,  in the middle of the road.   Look one way to see the Arc de Triomphe,  and the other way to see the obelisk in the Place de la Concorde.   Fabulous!!!
Before I made it that far,  I'd walked along the towpath beside the river,  from Pont St Michel to Pont des Invalides,  under so many bridges,  the photos of which I will insert later!!!   Lucky you!!!!   I assumed it was the towpath from hundreds of years ago because of the huge mooring rings set at various heights in the block wall,  and even bigger ones on the path's edge.   The path is made of very uneven cobblestones,  and is used by joggers,  walkers,  bike and scooter riders,  as well as we strollers.
When I left the towpath at Pont des Invalides,  and went up to street level,  there were police,  men and vans,  all over the place,  keeping we ordinary folk away from the potential trouble areas.   No sign of any protesters anywhere,  so I guess their strategy is working!!
Anyway,  walked past the Grande Palace,  the Petit Palace,  round the Place de la Concorde,  down Rue de Rivoli past the Jardin des Tuileries,  through the Louvre to Quai du Louvre,  across Pont Neuf,  back to Ile de la Cite,  to the flower markets and bread festival.   What a mission!!!   Nearly 17,000 steps,  if anyone's interested.   But a great journey!!
Bagel and water for lunch again today!   Ate it in the square,  then headed for home.   Important meeting with the Trafalgar people tonight!!!!!
Just after 5pm we all hop on the bus and head for the Eiffel Tower.   Not to climb it,  but to have a group photo taken in front of it!!   We'll all be given a copy at the end of the tour.
Drove around Paris,  to and past various famous landmarks,  to dinner,  more driving around,  up the Champs Elysee,  round the Arc de Triomphe,  through the wealthy area,  through the Louvre (where I'd walked in the morning),  then home - to bed!!!!!

View in front of our hotel in Levallois-Perret

The walk along the towpath,  and all the bridges I walked under.

What they do when they no longer need the scooters and bikes!

Back to the bridges!

The Seine is lined with these houseboats,  but only on the Right Bank.   The Left Bank seems to be for the cruise boats.

Walk from the Pont des Invalides to the Ile de la Cite.

Some finished products of the Bread Festival

That's all Folks!!!!!!

Day 2 - Friday - Still Paris

Hello again.
Buffet breakfast this morning about 8am.   Took some WW1 stuff with me to sort out while eating.   Ha ha.   Sat,  ate,  people watched!!   Geez Mum,  you've got a lot to answer for!!!!
Checked at the desk how to get the train to the city,  where to get on,  where to get off.   Finally found the station - round the corner from the hotel!   Because they are underground,  you have to look for steps going down into the ground.   No signs or symbols to indicate a railway station!!!
Anyway,  had to change trains at some station,  hop off number 3 route and hop on number 4 route.
Well,  well,  guess who did it all without a single hitch??   Yes,  MOI!!!!!
Spent most of the day on the Ile de la Cite,  one of the islands in the middle of the Seine River.   It just happens to be the home of what's left of Notre Dame Cathedral.   You can't get near the place.   The police have closed off the streets around the site,  and each barricade is manned by up to ten or more officers.   French Revolution all over again!!!!
This island is the old part of Paris.   Narrow streets,  more like lanes,  with huge houses built right to the edge of the road.
In the Square above the metro station,  there was a Bread Festival going on.   Teams from different countries were competing - for the honour,  I think - making breads (surprise),  danishes,  pastries,  and lots more healthy stuff.   They had a huge audience,  as everyone passing through the Square was stopping to have a look.   The finished product,  after it had been judged,  was for sale nearby.   That area was very popular too.    I bought a chicken and salad bagel for my lunch,  and ate it in the Square people watching again!!

Caught the two trains home,  had a rest,  and prepared to meet the Trafalgar people in the lobby.   Total stuff-up - had to have one - not meeting them until tomorrow night!!!!!    Thank God I'm not doing the Naplan tests this week - can't count!!!!
So,  another day in Paris.   Plan to do the Champs Elysees - up one side,  down the other.   Like the bridges from the Ile de la Cite to the Right Bank - up one side,  down the other!
Heap of photos to follow.
Love Maur

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Left Bank artist

These scooters are left anywhere.

That's all folks!!