The last full day in Paris. This is when you realise what you haven't done and that time didn't allow you to do more anyway.
The Harrises went to Versailles today.
The workmen at the apartment building advised that they needed access today so we waited for 90 minutes but weren't prepared to hang around and certainly weren't going to leave the apartment unlocked.
So we headed off to La Defense to see a completely different side of Paris. Since the 1950s this area has been developed with businesses and hotels to keep skyscrapers out of the centre of Paris. It contains a big shopping complex which helped relieve us of some of these weight euros we'd been carting around. The centerpiece however is the Grande Arche. Opened in 1983, this cube shape humanity and humanism as opposed to the arch at the other end of the axis, the Arc de Triomphe which glorifies war. There is a good view down to the Arc from this vantage point. Sadly it is no longer possible to go up to the Panoramique on the roof following an attempted terrorist attack in 2010. The building currently houses government offices and some tertiary education facilities. From here we caught the RER back to see the Galeries Lafayette. This is chic shopping, although the staff are no different to those "helpful" assistants at Myer.
We made our way back to the apartment to relax and make a final pack.
The Harrises returned from a great day out and we all eventually headed out to Rue Toquetonne to see the Halls. Their apartment is lovely if small. It is a suitable staging post in central Paris and has all you need, including a stuffed owl. We all headed out for a final Parisienne meal at a local restaurant on Rue Montorgueil. The waiter's English was "tres mal" - like my French! We managed though and had a fun time. Home to bed and pack before heading back to Australia.