Day 32 Paris

We have walked for about 13 kilometres today, and have had a good day, even though it was misting rain all day.

We started out about 9.00 and walked to Notre Dame, which is celebrating the 850 years since it was commenced.  It took over one and a half centuries to complete. We enjoyed a wander around inside.

We then headed to the fountain on the Place St Michel, where we joined a walking tour that took the next 3 1/2 hours.  Quite a large group were waiting but they divided us up, so it was quite manageable.  Our guide was very interesting and informative and it was a nice introduction to Paris.

We crossed back to the Île de la Cité, then walked along the banks of the Seine where we saw a police divers boat, and some divers trying to climb the arches of one of the bridges.  When they fell in they swam down stream to the boat and were hauled on board.  Different!

We crossed over the Seine a couple of times, and then walked through the courtyards of the Louvre.  We had a coffee break and then walked through the Jardin de Tuileries to the Place de la Concrorde, where the tour ended.

From there Alan and I walked the length of the Champs Élysées to the Arc de Triomphe.  There were some quite large Christmas markets at the Place de la Concorde end, and Alan was fascinated to see some soldiers wandering around, armed with machine guns!!!

We crossed under the road to the Arc, but didn't bother lining up to climb to the top.  After so much walking we weren't keen to stand in a queue for any length of time.

Then we walked back the way we came and crossed back to the Left Bank and then headed back to the hotel by a slightly longer route than necessary. We turned right instead of left and it was a few blocks before we realised.  Darn!

After a bit of a rest with feet up, we headed back out for dinner.  We stopped at the Boulanger just up the road on the way back for an eclair each.  We felt we deserved them.  And you can't come to Paris without having a pastry or two!

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