Sunday, January 9, 2011--Let's Get Moving

We awoke to a crisp but wonderfully sunny day and decided to walk along the Seine, heading from Ile St. Louis and heading all the way down to the Grand Palais at the foot of the Champs Elysee.  Don't ask me how long it was--miles and miles (how's that)--but it was plenty long.  The view was spectacular.  Of course we wandered by Notre Dame; it's impossible not to stop and take picture after picture; the place is imposing and iconic, but I'll not fill this with countless pictures of the place.  We passed the Hotel de Ville once again, and here's a shot from the side along the river.

I especially love the many bridges, no two of which are identical, so I've recorded many of those.  Here are a few.

Pont Neuf

Pont Notre Dame

Pont des Arts

We passed by the Musee d'Orsay, the beautiful old train station that is now home to the massive Impressionist holdings, and Annie will be delighted to see that Chanel bling dramatically displayed there.  I decided to focus on one of the two clocks to test out my new camera's telephoto lens (which I'll spare you).

One of my favorite buildings is directly across the river from the Louvre, the Insititut de France, which houses among other things the Academie Francaise, the protectors of the French language.

As you head south along the river, the Eiffel Tower quickly comes into view, and like Notre Dame one feels compelled to take shot after shot of it.  Of those I took that day, the ones with Pont Alexandre III 

in the foreground are my favorites, as is this ornate, gilded spectacle.

From here we strolled past the Grand and Petit Palais into the gardens of the Champs Elysee, and then on to Place Vendome.  Mary was determined to visit the Ritz in search of the spectres of Fitzgerald and Hemingway, but the doormen took one look at us and claimed the joint was closed for repairs.  I then sought entrance at Chanel, but they too barred us.  Discouraged, we headed home.

Place Vendome--Ritz side

After dinner, we headed out again, assuming we'd have a nice short stroll over to the Pompidou museum.  Thus began what has been a mainstay of our adventures--getting hopelessly, frustratingly lost.  We wandered and wandered and wandered--no Pompidou in sight.  Finally we said screw it, turned down a street and guess what popped up before us--

Pompidou Center