Velib, Velib!

I am now of the opinion that the only way to navigate and see Paris is by Velib - that wonderful bicycle system with stands all over Paris.  It costs so little that it's almost free. We rode hundreds of kilometers during our week in Paris.

There is also only one way to take on the Paris traffic - take a deep breath and ride like the wind!  Go with them - the cars and the busses.

Our first morning in Paris monseiur and I left early for the Palais Royale to meet S, who was staying with her old friend V who lives in a lovely apartment above a glove shop in the Palais Royale.

We'd ride from museum to museum, lock the bikes, enjoy the Louvre or the L'Organerie and then a few hours later unlock the bikes and ride to the next one.  On Wednesday we rode, peleton-style, around the Place de la Concorde and up the Champs Elysées - thrilling!  A cafe stop at L, S and E's favourite Lauderee, then around the Arc du Triomphe and down Ave Victor Hugo, then turned off to the Palais de Chaillot and over the Pont d'lena to the Tour Effel.  From there it was down the quais, part the bouquinistes and their world heritage listed green boxes.

Another day we rode to Hotel des Invalides, toured the war museum and Napoleon's impressive tomb, to the Musee D'Orsay and the current Manet exhibition and on to the unmissable Musee Rodin.

Perhaps, though, our favourite rides were those after dark.  Three nights we had dinner at restaurants in the winding Rue Mouffetard, up on the hill in the Latin Quarter.  Such fun to ride home after dinner, down the hill of Rue Monge in the warm evening air, Paris twinkling all around us.  Or maybe home through Saint Germain des Pres looking in gallery windows, and a late night coffee stop on the way.  Or maybe my favourite rides were the ones around 'our' neighbourhood - the narrow streets of Ile Saint-Louis and Ile de la Cité, discovering the squares and places - Place Dauphine a favourite. I can't decide!

We also took walking tours with French students and sailed on the vedettas of Pont Neuf up the Seine, past the Tour Eiffel, turn around and sail back down the river past Notre-Dame and around Ile Saint-Louis.  A perfect way to spend an hour floating in the sun.

We went to a late evening performance in Notre-Dame - Rejouis-Toi - a nocturne beginning at 9.00pm.   It was still light outside but inside the great cathedral it was dark.  The magnificent Rose Window still full of bright colours, and as the hour performance passed and daylight in Paris changed to night the colours drained from the stained glass.  It was beautiful to watch and listen in the darkened cathedral to the music of Josquin de Pres, Monteverdi and Verdi.  Also attended a wonderful choral performance of the Singers of the Seine at St Julian de Pauvre - Paris's oldest church.

Enjoyed a few shopping hours on the right bank - Rue Cambon and Chanel delights, Galleries Lafayette, and Champs Elysée again.

I've been a Hemingway fan since I read "A Farewell to Arms" when I was about 19 or 20 and I indulged a little desire to go to some of Hemingway's haunts (or 'emmingway, as the French call him) and to read some books that I had not previously read.

I love that the clichés of the Parisians are actually true - they DO ride bicycles; with baguettes in the front basket; they DO eat croissants each morning; they DO wear berets.

The bells of Notre-Dame rang us to sleep at the end of each wonderful day, and also seranaded us in the morning.  

Sigh,  I love Paris - and the great treasures that she holds.

A favourite corner of Paris - Shakesepeare and Company

 

Dear L, I love your scarf.  Mum x

Palais Royale lime trees

A very chic robbery.  One day four years ago there were four statues on the Police headquarters building.  The next day there was only one (left).  No one saw, or heard anything, and no one has seen the three missing scultures since!

Don't take the metro - ride a velib!