Weekend Wander in Paris

We have a whole day to wander around Paris and we get up early and head out onto les rues de Paris.  We walk from our hotel near the Louvre over to the Seine, following the river toward Place Saint-Michel, then through the Left Bank streets to the Luxembourg Gardens.

Walking to the Seine, Eiffel Tower in the distance

As we cross the Seine, we get great cold-weather views up and down the river.

Up and Down the Seine

In the Luxembourg Gardens, near the Sorbonne and the location of the French Senate, we find people enjoying themselves in the brisk weather and the fall/winter plantings.

Luxembourg Gardens

In the distance, the Senate

Continuing through the gardens

Returning to the Seine, we view the repairs in process at Notre Dame, restoring the roof, spire, and parts of the stone sanctuary that fell into the cathedral in the 2019 fire.  The work is projected to take 15 to 20 years.

Notre Dame

Continuing along the Seine toward the Eiffel Tower, we pass bridges, barges, quais, and people out enjoying the beautiful walk along the river or just sitting and contemplating as they watch the water and river traffic go by.

Along the Seine

Cutting through the Jardin des Tuileries, stretching from the Louvre to Place de la Concorde, we find a new small sculpture garden (at least, new to us), some of it made to resemble parts of the forest and gardens.

Sculpture gardens in the Tuileries

We walk a short loop around the Tuileries, passing Place Vendome and Place de la Concorde, then heading back past the Louvre, the city hall, and 56 Rivoli, the Aleliers d'Artists, also known as the Paris Art Squat, that we toured on a previous trip to Paris.

Place Vendome, Place de la Concorde

City hall, art squat

We circle back, further into the Right Bank and pass the Centre Pompidou modern art museum in the Beaubourg area of the city.  Unfortunately, the mechanical fountains are not running today, but we get a great tour of the area.

Centre Pompidou and it's fountains

Continuing straight, we end up back at the Jardin des Tuileries, near our hotel, after another long and fabulous stroll through one of our favorite cities.

Back at Jardin des Tuileries