Our first job was to return our car to the Renault dealer
which put us on the west side of Paris and walking distance to the old city. We
explored the city by the water taxi system along the Seine and got a feel for
where we were, since so much is built around the river. We knew there would be too much to do for one week and that
compromises would need to be made. This initial lay of the land helped us get more
comfortable, as did relieving ourselves of the burden of our faithful steed, Bridgette.
Merci et au revior!
Day two we discovered how to use the bike share system
(called the Velib). Since our house was on the east side along the Seine, this
allowed us to pick up a bike by our house, ride along the river and access all
parts of the city. Paris is amazingly bike friendly and the locals are used to
these huge Velib bikes making erratic movements through traffic. Also it was
August many Parisians are gone creating a little less traffic. With the Velib we biked to Notre Dame, art
museums, Pere Lechaise cemetery and up to Montmartre and through all
neighborhoods in between.
One of our favorite finds was an outdoor photo exhibit which was 100 photos to mark 100 years since the start of WW1. Remarkable photos that helped us see a glimpse into some of the human side of this brutal war that played out on this soil. Photos of men from all around the world who came to fight and mostly die. The exhibit of black and white photography lined the Champs-Élysées; getting great exposure for all the tens of thousands of families and tourists that were walking that street. The photos made me think about both my grandfathers who served and survived but especially my mother's father who stayed on after the war and studied at the Sorbonne before returning home.
Our neighborhood was just beyond the Peripherique (perimeter freeway) in a former industrial area. We enjoyed seeing how real people live in Paris and croissants and desserts from our fabulous local boulangerie. When we needed packing material to get the folding bike packed for shipping, our neighborhood had the perfect hardware store. Paris through the back door. We saw a lot of the Siene, the houseboats and restaurant boats, neighborhood places, many closed during August since their clients were vacationing. We enjoyed seeing the African men and women in traditional dress and people from all over the world in our neighborhood.
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| Ellen cruising across the Seine on her Velib bike |
One of our favorite finds was an outdoor photo exhibit which was 100 photos to mark 100 years since the start of WW1. Remarkable photos that helped us see a glimpse into some of the human side of this brutal war that played out on this soil. Photos of men from all around the world who came to fight and mostly die. The exhibit of black and white photography lined the Champs-Élysées; getting great exposure for all the tens of thousands of families and tourists that were walking that street. The photos made me think about both my grandfathers who served and survived but especially my mother's father who stayed on after the war and studied at the Sorbonne before returning home.
Our neighborhood was just beyond the Peripherique (perimeter freeway) in a former industrial area. We enjoyed seeing how real people live in Paris and croissants and desserts from our fabulous local boulangerie. When we needed packing material to get the folding bike packed for shipping, our neighborhood had the perfect hardware store. Paris through the back door. We saw a lot of the Siene, the houseboats and restaurant boats, neighborhood places, many closed during August since their clients were vacationing. We enjoyed seeing the African men and women in traditional dress and people from all over the world in our neighborhood.
The rest of the week flew. We all decided when we come
back, we’ll spend more time just walking around neighborhoods and lingering in
cafes. Personally, I'll do more art history with all the treasures that Paris holds, many we saw and others will have to wait. Merci Paris et à bientôt!
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| Notre Dame |
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| The Louvre from Bonapart's Apartments |
