Thursday 21st July

We decided this morning that we were going to have lunch out and then dinner in. We had an idea that we would head north on our Metro and we got off at Marcadet Poissonniers. We were looking for a La Poste shop and walked south towards the Gare du Nord. Along the way we encountered shop after shop selling cell phones and computer shops. It was very strange that there was nothing else but these shops. We stopped for coffee and Guide Jannie kept looking at the map and said that if we walked down this street then along this street for about five blocks we would come to Sacre Coeur so after we finished coffee we took a turn at the next street and instantly the shops changed to material shops. I have never seen so much material. Bolts of material stacked up along the footpath so obviously unlike NZ there are obviously a large number of people sewing here in Paris. We eventually got to Sacre Coeur and there were people everywhere. There was a long queue to get into the church and lots of hawkers, mostly from Africa.

Wandering the streets behind the church we came upon the square where there are artists of every sort. Some of them were just standing in the middle of the street – no cars allowed – trying to stop people to do a five minute sketch of them. The more elaborate artists ringed a tent city that was full of people eating. Good place to stop and have lunch. They have a system in France where the Plat du Jour is an offer of entre, main and desert all for the price of €13.00. Good value when you get a choice of four or five dishes in each category. Jannie had Pate, Beef Burgeonon and Apple tart and I had Hot cheese in a pastry cake, Chicken in Mushroom and Chocolate Mousse plus the wine and water.

Afterwards we wandered some more and walked down through Montmatre as we were headed to the Gare du Nord. This area was absolutely full of bridal shops! Every second shop had windows full of white dresses and coloured ones for bridesmaids. Even shoe shops with rows of white bridal shoes! We have been here a few times now and have never seen the outside of the building. What a magnificent building it is – just like so many old buildings in Paris. We got an RER train from there to Chatelay – this is a train that only stops at main stops unlike the Metro and it took us right down to the Seine. To get out of this station was a bit of a mission as we went up a set of stairs and onto a long travellator and then around a couple of corners, another set of stairs going down, another long travellator that even went up at the end and then around a couple of corners along another tunnel and the finally up a set of stairs to the daylight. Whew. We stopped for a beer as it’s one way of getting a loo stop without having to pay for it, and some of them are expensive at .70c. Anyway we sat on the footpath and watched Parissienes pass by. There are hundreds upon hundreds of motor scooters in Paris – most of them new and a lot of them have a skirt arrangement that fits over the knees obviously to keep them dry.

After the beer we wandered along the embankment above the Seine looking at all of the stalls that are set up. These stalls are boxes that have a lid on them and that are attached to the wall above the Seine. They get padlocked up each night and they are only about 1.5m x .8 x .8m but when opened they fold up and the lid that locks becomes a little awning. Very clever! At the next set of stairs we went down onto a roadway right alongside the waters of the Seine – only walkers down here. The whole length of the roadway the Parisiennes have built up a small timber wall that curves it’s way along the length. They then filled it full of sand, a bit like a beach, and on the sand there was a kids play area complete with a flying fox, and there were blue lilos that people were lying on. Some of the people were reading, some had their eyes closed listening to music, some I think were asleep – further along there was a potted plant area that had these fine, fine mist sprays high above and people were wandering through this area and standing having their photos taken – stupid eh! I couldn’t get Jannie to do that but she did volunteer to sit on a lilo. We walked up the ramp back onto traffic level and went across the roadway into the grounds of the Louvre. Magnificent buildings in every direction – they are just stunning and perfect photo opportunities. The glass pyramid was sparking in the sunlight – this was great and although we have seen it all before it still has that same thrill looking at buildings that are so vast, so old and so beautiful.

The sun was hot and we both had sore feet once again so we set of for home. Across a bridge over the Seine and walked along the left bank until we got to Musee d’Orsey, took a turning here and headed for the Rue de Bac Metro station, two trains to our stop and then a short stop off at the Marche (supermarket) for a few things and then home to put our feet up and have dinner in.

Jane and Paul arrive tomorrow and we are looking forward to seeing them again.