Lots more group sightseeing today, beginning with a metro ride to Cite, on Isle de la Cite where the city began & where Notre Dame is located, our first destination.
We were joined this morning by Declan's family, including Henry (8) & Georgie (5) - you're never too young to be a Global Explorer!
At Notre Dame we joined the line (arriving with just 1 person there) & waited for opening in order to beat the crowds. After about 30 minutes we were able to go up & enjoyed fantastic views over the city & close-ups with the famous gargoyles!
Those who didn't relish the 100s of steps were able to visit the inside of Notre Dame again, or browse the nearby souvenir stores.
From Notre Dame a short walk took us to the Hotel de la Ville (City Hall) & the metro to our next stop.
At the Louvre we established our meeting time & place, then crossed Rue de Rivoli to enter the courtyard of the Palais Royal, once home to the notorious cardinal Richelieu.
We enjoyed the modern art installation, then made a short walking tour of some of Paris (& the world's) first shopping malls!
At one point there were over a hundred of these malls, dating from the late 1800s & early 1900s in Paris. Now there are around 20 left, with a concentration in the area between the Louvre & the Opera Garnier. Though not exactly secret they make for a great little walk to see a part of the city many tourists would otherwise miss.
We finished our walk at the Opera Garner, Paris' original opera house.
The rest of the afternoon was free for independent sightseeing, before we met-up this evening after dinner at the Louvre.
Lae-night opening on Wednesday night meant there were far less other visitors during our visit &, although we didn't exactly have the Mona Lisa to ourselves, it makes for a much more enjoyable & relaxed visit.
No comments:
Post a Comment