Photos on Flickr.
Paris Day 2 2015 – 07 – 18
It’s Saturday. Late start to the day as we were worn out from getting up at 4am the prior day. We have a very nice breakfast at the hotel. Such nice service; the staff address you by name.
Off for some shopping at Longchamp and Hermes. It’s a beautiful day here, not above the mid-seventies. I’m definitely not looking forward to being back home where the heat index is above 100 degrees. As we walk past the Ministry of Justice at Place Vendome, unusually, there’s no one standing outside in the public area in silent protest, and not because of the heat, because it’s very pleasant this morning. And the Ritz still isn’t finished; hard to see any progress, as everything is under wraps.
Being a weekend, it’s definitely a less crowded, hectic, street scene. Still plenty of shoppers, but the streets aren’t full of people and rue Royale isn’t double or triple parked.
At Concorde, le Metro is busy, but not packed as it would be on a weekday. There are families traveling together, and even a few unoccupied seats.
The Sevres Babylone stop is near another Hermes store, but this one specializes more in home furnishings and was built in what was once an indoor pool. Not being at the Mothership, it’s busy, but less frenetic. They have a small restaurant inside, on the street level.
We left Hermes to go to Les Grand Epiceries, part of Bon Marche (large department store), but this section (ground floor of the second building) is dedicated to fresh and prepared foods. We bought some things for lunch in the park across the way. A shady bench under the horse chestnut trees and my wonderful wife to share it.
Musician in the metro, singing opera
In the underground after getting off the Metro at the Louvre, we walked through the underground shopping mall. The glass pyramid in the courtyard of the Louvre above comes down to a point in an inverted pyramid, in the shopping mall below, right in front of the Apple store. There’s an interesting legend about the number of glass panes in IM Pei’s structure.We had taken the Metro to see if we could find the site of one of the beaches they have along the Seine each July. Yes, beaches on the river in the city. Paris Beaches in the summer
We came up from the shopping mall at the Carousel du Louvre, just across from the Louvre itself, right where the vendors congregate to sell selfie sticks, tiny Eiffel Towers, umbrella hats, and whatever other kinds of junk, to tourists. We walked down the Seine, past the Musee de Orsay, as far as Hotel de Ville. It’s still a few days away and we’re surprised there’s no sand as yet. It is not ready yet, but we identified the area where it should be (there are actually three areas where there will be an artificial beach).
One of the bridges (not the Pont des Arts, which was the first bridge with this) also has a lot of ‘love locks’ on it, and despite the damage done to the bridges by the accumulated weight of the locks, they still allow someone on the bridge selling locks!
Now early evening, it’s cooled off some as we walk along the Seine, stopping as we cross over to the Tuileries, for some gelato.
Tuileries
Tuileries, Egyptian Obelisk in Place Concorde. Arc Triumph in distance
Back to the hotel via rue Royale, for a view of Place Concorde and La Madeleine, as it gets close to dusk.
Place Vendome
Photos on Flickr.
TerraTraveler 