Random Experiences and Lots of Pictures

Each evening we lay out a plan for the next day and sometimes we even follow it. Saturday our plan was to head in the general direction of Les Halles, which was the original market area of Paris - someone famous called it the stomach, but lets not go there. It was unceremoniously torn down at some point in the last century and a four-storey deep underground shopping centre was created in its place. It's stores are all the usual suspects that we have in North America, and the ambiance is loud and uninspired complete with fluorescent lighting! The above-ground area was a very un-architecturally-sympathetic structure, that had a giant chess board on the outdoor ground level, among other decorations. The point of all this, is that they are revamping the whole above ground part with a structure that reminds me of the Bird's Nest stadium we all saw on TV at the Bejing Olympics, but I won't say that to a Parisian! It will be a vast improvement. The whole renovation goes on until 2018. We skirted the hoarding and and ran into...

the Bourse. This was the first French stock exchange building. It's now moved to a larger facility, but this building, with the dome, is classic.

From here, turning slightly to our right we could see a church...

well, there are lots of churches here - I think at least a million - but it's not often you see a vast amount of it at one time, because other buildings usually block the view. We had to investigate. Holy synchronicity! We walked over and I found my head. At least a sculpture of a head I had vowed to find this visit.

Who could resist snuggling up to this beauty. I shall research the sculptor. So lovely. St. Eustache, the church is very impressive. with its massive pipe organ and immense volume. 

Seemed kind of friendly too...

And there was evidence the Illuminati had been there. Sh! 

Since I am trying to get the award for the most limped steps around Paris, we continued all over the place - thanks to miracle of Ibuprofen. Past some very fancy-pants apartments like this...

But just to show that, at heart, we are all the same, even in this richie rich neighbourhood
the laundry is hung out to dry...

The Palais Royal was on our way to the Tuileries in front of the Louvre.

Doesn't the light make it look like an Impressionist painting?

Eventually on our 150,000 steps a day program, we found ourselves in the Tuileries garden in front of the Louvre. Well, truth be told, we needed to pee, so we went into the Carousel du Louvre, which is the shopping centre under that cool glass Pyramid. You can actually get to it without buying a ticket, but you have to know the Illuminati, or look for the canopy on the side of the building on Rue du Rivoli. Anyway, the world's most interesting bathrooms are down there and for just 1Euro 50 (the price has gone up) you have a bathroom concierge who takes you to one of several stalls that have been created by designers. The stall is cleaned just before you use it, and there are pristine sinks to wash you hands. When Dennis came out of his side he said, "Best 1Euro 50, I've ever spent." And that's high praise from my guy!

So now we are back in the gardens in front of the Louvre and for the first time this visit, we spy the Lady, just peeking out from beyond the gardens. Ah, we are in Paris, it is true! Look at all the tourists!

And I am definitely riding this puppy on this trip! Perhaps at night to better appreciate the City of Light. Wait, how long do I have to stay up until it's dark?

More to come.