Indulgent Sojourns: Random Adventures in Food, Wine, and Travel: Back in Paris

Friday, February 18, 2022

Back in Paris

We're on our way to Hannover, Germany for a few days and stop in Paris for the weekend on our way. It's chilly, but people are up on the roof of Galleries Lafayette to enjoy the views of Paris

Rooftop views of Paris

We even have a great view of the Printemps roof, the other Grand Magazin de Paris, next door.

Printemps roof

We walk through Paris, up the Avenue des Champs-Élysées to the Arc de Triumph, then over to the Eiffel Tower and back along the Seine.

Walking to the sites

On the Seine, a ways down from the Eiffel Tower, we run across L'Archipel Niki de Saint Phalle, a series of small parks on barges in the Seine. What a great idea.

L'Archipel Niki de Saint Phalle

Walking further along the Seine, we come to Pont Alexandre III, crossing over to the Grand Palais.

Grand Palais across the bridge

Along the water, murals and pop-up restaurants fill the quais.

On the quais

Looking up and down the river, we see the beauty and charm of the city and some of the incredible museums of the city, including the Louvre and Musee d'Orsay.

Along the Seine

Musee d'Orsay, Le Louvre

The pedestrian bridge leading over to the Tuileries (the park and gardens between Place del la Concorde and the Louvre) is filled with love locks. The previous love-locks bridge, crossing the Seine from the center of the Louvre had the locks removed due to fears that the weight would damage the bridge. Apparently that is not a problem here.

Love locks

In the distance, we see Notre Dame and a crane for the restation work after the big fire in 2019.

Notre Dame

Crossing the river, we stroll through the Tuileries, where most of the restaurants are closed or offering minimal service in the cold weather, and then stroll into Place Vendome to admire Alexander Calder's sculpture Flying Dragon (1975), part of an exhibition of Calder's work scattered around Paris.