Out and Around and About in Paris
We started out at one of the cafés we like for morning photography. And after our p’tit déjuner, we took in more of the Tour de France photographs, both new and vintage, around Jardin de Luxembourg.
We stuck with our original assessment that the vintage ones are far more interesting than the modern ones.
It seemed that more people stopped in front of the old, black-and-white photographs more than the color ones.
We loved watching others who appreciate photography studying the exhibition.
We found ourselves at the Musée National de Moyan Age (Middle Ages Museum) and went inside. We found all sorts of things to photograph.
A little French boy was doing what little boys around the world love doing, jumping in puddles, the dirtier, the better.
I love old things, historic things, textured things, and I have always loved old hardware. This door was magnificent with its various components.
The skies were getting dark, but the sun came out on the side of some very old buildings that actually do tilt back.
Six hours, and probably a mere kilometer or so later, we arrived at the river, usually only a 15-minute walk, sans stops, of course. And we had made many, many stops, including a light lunch, a carafe of water, and glass of wine.
It remained cloudy, so it was easier for photographs. We didn’t have to watch out for harsh shadows and too-bright light. We looked down at the Seine, admired the bridges, and watched people and boats.
The skies turned more ominous and contrasted well with the reflections on the water and light buildings beyond.
We always enjoy Pont des Arts. Now, the railings along the sides of the bridge, even the lamps above, are festooned with padlocks proclaiming undying love. Paris is, after all, a city for lovers, young, old, and everything between. Here a couple kiss after checking out their padlock.
It was time to meet the extended family who were going to go up la Tour Eiffel. We bought a two-day BatoBus ticket and enjoyed the ride along the Seine to the Eiffel Tower stop.
We found the others quickly on the other side of the river and caught up with stories as we looked for a place to grab a bite to eat and a sip of wine. Most of all, with all the walking, we all relished the idea of sitting down for a bit!
With smokers surrounding us (a hazard outside of France, and Paris in particular), we look our leave. We weren’t going to climb the tower.
The skies got increasingly darker and set off this statue.
We got off the BatoBus, the last one of the day, at Notre Dame and headed directly to one of our favorite restaurants.
A grilled Camembert to share for Arnie and me, some Sea Brim for Arnie, Tartare de Boeuf for me, and a delicious bottle of Saint-Émilion, and we were happy. Because we got to dinner so late, after 10:30, we dug in and never thought to take out the iPhone! Suffice it to say that everything was beautifully prepared and tasted wonderful!
On the way back to the hotel, we happened to go by the same street we had photographed earlier. It looked, of course, totally different at night. We chatted with some folks on the corner, talking about art and photography, then wended the rest of our way back to the hotel.
The rest of the group were bleary-eyed after lots of walking, so we found a restaurant fairly close to our hotel. We shared stories from the day, and after dinner was over, it was a welcome collapse into bed for all of us.
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