Today was our last full day in Paris. The agenda for today was the Seine boat cruise and Notre Dame.
We took the shuttle bus and the Metro in via Charles de Gaulle to Bir Hakeim, just a short walk from the Eiffel tower.
Walking to the tower, we passed the famous (to movie buffs) double-decker bridge, Pont de Bir Hakeim, where trains go over the upper level and cars go beneath them.
The port for our Canal Cruise was just on the other side of the Pont d'Iena, the one we had crossed when walking down from the Trocadero to La Tour Eiffel.
It was a dull and fairly cold day, so Suzie took up her station inside the glass canopy of the boat, while Warren went out to the stern to take photos. This was almost a bas decision on his part, as the diesel fumes were rather strong! Bot stay there he did, braving the cold and the fumes, for the whole trip — and got a few rather good shots as we cruised downstream, round the Île de la Cité and back again.
There were some lovely opportunities with the many bridges we passed under — remember the old French song Sous les ponts de Paris? — and the buildings we had seen from the land were just as familiar from the river!
Les filles toujours adorent les pompiers!
Under the Pont de l'Alma is the statue of a Zouave which is the unofficial depth gauge for the Seine. When the water reaches his feet, the river is in flood and the underground needs to be shut down — this last hsppened in December 2010. In 'the flood of the century' in 1910, the waters rose by 8.62m and reached his shoulders!
At the end of the cruise, we took the RER (Réseau Express Régional) line round to St-Michel Notre Dame. These trains, unlike the Metro, are double-decked, as what underground lines they pass through are a lot taller. They also seem to be a lot older and clunkier — but they're fast!
As we walked across the Pont Saint-Michel towards Notre Dame, we got a good view of the oldest bridge in Paris — the Pont Neuf, or 'New Bridge' — ironic, isn't it?!
Notre Dame is all you expect and then some. The front (Western) facade, completed in 1225, is renowned as the most perfect medieval facade to be found anywhere.
The rose window in the west facade is substantially obscured inside by the magnificent organ — but in the two transepts are two slightly later — and larger — rose windows to be seen in all their glory.
The interior is massive, with the stone pillars having a presence all to themselves — but there are elements of lightness, particularly in the openings high in the walls.
We spent quite a time wandering and enjoying this magnificent cathedral, and remembering a previous time we were here, when were treated to the choir in rehearsal!
Reliefs from the Choir Screen
Leaving the cathedral, we walked round to its eastern end, where there is a delightful garden, well used by the locals and visited by tourists.
Talk about holding one's head in one's hands!
Some of the famous gargoyles
Talk about holding one's head in one's hands!
Some of the famous gargoyles
Then it was time for a bite to eat. There is a Brasserie on the corner near this garden, Brasserie Esmeralda, and we can swear they serve superb omelettes!
We then walked back bast Notre Dame, and the long queue of people waiting to climb the towers. There were also queues of tourist pedal bikes waiting for customers.
We were going round to Sainte Chapelle, hidden within La Conciergerie (the administrative buildings of Paris). Unfortunately, the queue to get in was snaking around upon itself, and we estimated that by the time we reached the head of the queue, the place would be closing its doors. So we decided to fall back on our memories of being here in 2008, and to move on.
We crossed back over Pont Saint-Michel and turned west, walking along the Rive Gauche. We perused the stalls of the bouquinistes that extend for 3km along the left bank.
We walked close by the Pont Neuf, and passed one of those intricate water fountains that you come across throughout Paris.
We crossed the Passerelle des Arts, a pedestrian bridge from the Rive Gauche to the Louvre. This bridge has become one of the main sites in Paris for 'Love Locks'. The authorities don't like this, as the sheer weight of the locks can be dangerous. Neverthe less, they keep on being added — somewhat assisted by the entrepreneurial lock salesmen who stand at the end of the bridge!
We slowly made our way back to the Louvre, where we dropped down into Les Salles du Carrousel before taking the Metro back to Porte Maillot. This time we were a bit too early for the first shuttle bus, so we caught the 244 bus, which passes very near the campsite — and which was already paid for in our daily Paris Visite card that we had been using for the Metro and the RER.
We got to the Les Moulins Camping bus stop, and had a bit of a nature walk back to the van. The trees are now magnificent, in full autumn colour.
Distance driven — today, nil; to date, 29,782 miles ( 47,930 km )
Loved the natural beauties, the stained glass and gertie in autumn, Love ya Cathy
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