Paris you are a stunner

Last full day in Paris today - tomorrow we begin the journey home.  We decided to do the hop on and off bus as that would give us the best look around.  There were a few companies that run these tours here, and I had done my research and picked the one that had the best route.

After breaky we caught a cab to the Eiffel Tower as that is a stop common to all tours.  

ready to tour

Score - the bus was there ready and waiting to go - and was pretty much empty!  We took a few more photos of the Tower and then jumped on the bus.  Nate was so excited as we got front row upstairs so had a fantastic view.

Until now I'd been feeling a little bit ambivalent towards Paris - the area we were in was nice but nothing remarkable really.  Well I was wrong.  Paris is spectacular.  It feels very open - lots of wide roads and quite a lot of parks.  the buildings can be a bit on the dirty side but that just fits with its age.  our tour took in all the main sights so we saw many iconic buildings and places.  

never tire of carousels 

Les Invalides

Musee de la Armee - Les Invalides

Esplanade des Invalides

Grand Palais des Champs Elysees

Obelisk - Place de la Concorde

National Assembly

La Madeline 

Galleries Lafayette

Opera Garnier - National Academy of Music

gothic style cathedral

Place de la Republique

At one of our stops we got to see police in action - they had to move on a homeless man as he was blocking foot traffic on some steps outside a very expensive looking shop.  We got off our bus just around the corner from that in the Madeline area as we needed to change routes temporarily.  We were able to have a quick drink in the cafe right there and the coffee was awesome ( according to the boys).

Maxim's Restaurant

The next bus did a bit of a loop up past the Moulin Rouge - which was not at all spectacular and actually quite small!    This loop took about an hour and again we saw lots of beautiful buildings.  A lot of the apartment buildings have the architects name and the year of building on one of the bricks - it became a bit of a game to try to find them on each set of buildings.  This is also where the camera started to be selective on which photos it actually took!!

Moulin Rouge

Once we got back to the transfer stop we decided lunch was in order.  We went to a cafe that gratefully had crepes on the menu.  My desire was met.  They weren't as awesome as I hoped but at least we got to try them.

Nate with his Croque Monsieur

Back on the bus again and it was off to the Louvre.  We were still undecided if we would go in for the Mona Lisa or not - our decision was made for us in the end as it was closed today. 

Hotel Du Louvre

the external wall of the Louvre

Louvre

Louvre

Musee Du Louvre

Just after the Louvre we went through the riverbank area. Im not sure if I was tired, or emotional to be leaving tomorrow, or if it was the music being played in our commentary but something really got to me there.  Its quite a dark area of Paris and I can see why people say its a very romantic city.  I found myself sitting there looking at the river with tears falling down my cheeks. 

Its really hard to describe, but Paris has a life force all of its own - you can really feel it.  The commentary on the tour called her an old lady, and I guess that sort of fits.  Bangkok is another place that feels alive, but almost in a completely different way to Paris.  He feels alive and exciting and adventurous.  Paris feels like a strange mix of beauty and sadness, almost melancholy.

the Seine

Saint Chappelle

Pont Neuf

Fontaine Saint Michel

Nate looking into the sun

The last leg of the tour was one of my favourite areas.  It was the Champs Elyssee.  Again I didn't really know what it would be like but its spectacular.  The Arch de Triumpe sitting at the top of the road is magnificent.

Place de la Bastille

Notre Dame Cathedral

Arc de Triomphe

the detail is amazingly intricate

the Trocadero

General Foch

Souvenir shopping of course

and another carousel

We got ourselves into a cab at the Trocadero and returned to the hotel.  The rest of the day was for packing and working out how to get everything into our suitcases.  We decided upon a bit of a hotel picnic so Nate and i went back to the supermarket for bread, meat ,cheese, salad and nibbles.

picnic

last chance to enjoy patissiere

We had a pretty early start in the morning so we are went to bed reasonably early, contemplating the journey home.