We are certainly getting our share of exercise with six flights of stairs to the apartment. Including all the walking we do, this is one way to keep fit.
After breakfast we headed out to find the local market in Rue Montorgueil. It's literally just around the corner but we headed to Les Halles, Centre Pompidou and Notre Dame before heading back that way.
Les Halles is being redeveloped into a new centre with open space. we didn't hang around there too long.
The Pompidou is arguably the only piece of 1970s architecture that is worthy of classification. It's a large building with the inside on the outside. All pipes and stairways are on the exterior.
We didn't visit the Lichtenstein exhibition showing there and continued on to the Stravinsky Fountain. It contains colourful sculptures representing the Rite of Spring and some of his other works.
We crossed the Seine to Notre Dame. I went inside while the others fetched lunch. Notwithstanding the crowd, in this place there was respect for the silence code which hasn't been the case elsewhere to date. The stained glass are stunning and massive pieces. The cathedral is celebrating 850 years since consecration. Not being religious, I nonetheless lit a candle for Mum. She would have loved to visit I'm sure.
We had lunch on the bleachers opposite - given how bright the sun was, they really were bleachers!
We made our way back past the Palais de Justice and Sainte-Chapelle, Le Chatelet and Tour de St Jacques to finally reach Rue Montorgueil. This street is fabulous. The stores either side of the pedestrian-only street are specialist vendors of meat, fish, fruit and vegetables, breads and pastry, cheese - you name it. The fruit and veg shop was so well laid out it was like walking through a garden. We bought provisions for dinner at a very reasonable price - certainly cheaper than dinner for nine at a restaurant.
We headed back to the apartment for siesta and at 6pm Peter, Annette and Bridget Hall arrived from their nearby apartment. We shared experiences of our respective adventures. Driving in the French countryside with Peter sounded like an experience. They visited Amboise and Chenonceau which looked lovely.
During the evening we were entertained by a band playing outside the window - seemed like a protest rally for some local issue. They were very good though.
A great night was had by the "Inverloch" crowd transported to Paris.