More Paris

Sunday 17 August

Change of plan for the day.  Decided we needed more time in Paris and had seen plenty of chateaux in the Loire Valley, so moved away from the bike tour to Versailles.

Breakfast at Cafe St Regis (an old favourite - but now dropped off a bit).  Walking across Pont Marie it seemed like the swim leg of a small triathlon in the Seine.  Then Metro to Sentier to experience Rue Montorgueil (referenced in a couple of "living in Paris" books we have read recently).  Nice and quiet on a Sunday morning - but local shops, cafes and market stalls where the locals hang out.  As always, many magnificent buildings and statues with quite a bit of restoration work proceeding - but a lot more needed.

Wander then toward Palais Royal via Galleries Vivienne and surrounding streets.   Apart from cafes, shops closed because it's Sunday.   Through Palais Royal and its gardens and up Avenue de Opera to Opera Garnier and Rue Haussmann to Galleries Lafayette and Printempts but Pat had to do with the windows (thank heaven for Sunday in Europe!!).  Onward to the Champs Elysees and a late lunch in one of the "pay for position" restaurants on the "Champs"  (value for money?? - but we were seen!!).

Shopping time for Pat, but the Champs Elysees is drowning in people (queues to get into YSL, a Thai wedding, even three Ferraris to test drive - very popular with the middle easterners) and it's not the sort of shopping that Pat enjoys (how lucky am I??).  It is  amazing how the Tour de France riders race on the Champs Elysees with its poor surface, exposed cobble stones and cracks that often seem wider than the riders narrow tyres.  On to Grand Palais and then, just before 4pm we crashed (after walking 10km+) so Metro home for feet up.  We have now had four Metro rides for a total waiting time of less than 7 minutes (on a Saturday and Sunday!!!).

Went to a wonderful Orchestral concert (Vivaldi Four Seasons) last night at Saint le Chapelle.  Lucky to get walk up tickets as there were only a handful of spare seats.  Saint le Chapelle was an amazing venue - 180 degrees surrounded by 12m high stained glass windows and with good light coming through for first half hour.