Today nothing was planned. So what to do first? Slept way in. Way in. Till 1130. Man I was tired. I still am from oversleeping but I had to do it. Emily was right with me. Wish I could sleep like that every day.
Kids went for breakfast because for once they were up before us. And being so sweet, they brought us coffee. A note, all French coffee is excellent. So far. But really, all very good. I can’t wait for Italy which everyone says has the best coffee. And I have a thing for coffee.
So what else to do when nothing going on? We do laundry. This place has lousy facilities and the dryers don’t do much more than tumble. And it’s pricey. But these clothes don’t wash themselves. Sadly.
By some time in the day we got on the Metri and headed into town. Paris. A town without pity. Just kidding. Everyone says Parisians are rude. I don’t know. I find most quite friendly and helpful. I note on the subway several instances of people giving up their seats for other riders in need. Offering by getting up and giving the seat. No questions. I have ridden here in USA and I think no one ever does that. In France it’s notable how often and at home notable when it happens at all. Different cultures.
So, our first event of the day, a visit to the Arc de Triomphe. Center of city. Five roads lead into it. Surrounded by a huge traffic circle that is totally scary and insane. I spent five minutes standing and watching the traffic go by. Not gentle driving. Glad I am not in it. Or even at home driving through it.
The Arc is beautiful, as are most Paris landmarks. It impresses from far away and up close. Size and detail. Very similar in that sense to the Eiffel Tower. We decided to not go up inside the Arc. We have already burned a lot of daylight. We did walk around the Arc for an hour. There is much to see. The tomb of the unknowns is under the Arc. The view down the Champa Elysee is one of a kind. The street is beautiful in all respects and makes me wonder why can’t all streets be this beautiful? Because no one tries. Urban planners forget about beauty.
Lunch finally was next on the agenda. We usually go to some cafe or other. There are so many cafes and brasseries in Paris you can drown in them. Most serving French or that style. We walked a block or two off the Champs and found a nice quiet area for lunch. The cafe was was excellent. Not all are. We sat around for an hour or so. Drank wine and enjoyed the view of the street. All cafes, damn near, are open to the street and the street tables are, or seem to be, always full. Though we seldom wait for a table.
After lunch we went to the Hotel/Hospitale. de Invalides. Still a working hospital but also a French monument. Napoleons tomb is here and is quite majestic and also huge. I am guessing Napoleon had a Napoleon complex. In addition to the tomb, there the rest of this huge complex of buildings is a museum or actually several museums. French cultural and military history on display. The French display all of what they have and they have a lot
We spent several hours at the Invalides. Well worth a visit next you are in Paris.
The River Seine runs straight thru Paris. I believe Paris has 39 bridges or so. It’s didficult to not cross it several times a day. We decided to take a sunset cruise on the Seine. Large open air boats used by tourists to get a nice river view of the city. I’m a tourist so we we took a cruise. I got lots of great pictures and saw a different view of many of the monuments we already visited. This being France, there was a bar right at the embarkation area and we had to have a nip. The French drink everywhere and all the time. Gotta love it. So we were relaxed for the trip up, and down, the Seine.
We got back to the hotel quite late. And right to bed.