France - Paris 1

Hi, Ruthe and I departed on March 28 for a 2 week trip to France.  During that trip we spent 10 nights on a river boat on the Seine and 4 nights in hotels.

We arrived in Paris late on March 29 and immediately were taken to the ship.  That afternoon we had a walk around the dock area so we would know where we could find a grocery store, ATM, and public transportation.  We also began to learn about life in Paris.

 

Bicycles are positioned at many locations around Paris by the municipal government. For a payment of 20 Euros per year an individual may take a bike from any rack, use it for up to 45 minutes, and return it to any rack without charge.  For times over 45 minutes the charge is modest.  The city monitors the racks and moves bikes from racks with an over supply of bikes to ones where demand is heavy.

Charging stations for electric cars also are located around the city and the cars can be rented by the hour.  Again, they can be picked up at one location and left at another.

In addition to the ship's walking tour I wandered around the area on my own 3 times.  On one of these walks I photographed some of the river traffic.  This boat with a car aboard, probably the captain's, caught my attention.

I found this scene interesting as it juxtaposed the boat with buildings typical of the older parts of Paris.

A building with awnings and a terrace with flowers yielded a burst of color.

Taken from across the Seine, our boat was docked (the dark one) with the Eiffel Tower in the background.

The day after our arrival we had a driving tour around Paris; including two stops.  The first stop was at the Eiffel Tower for photos.

During our drive we passed Notre Dame  Cathedral and

what some call the Little Arch de Triumph.  This arch is located across the street from Louvre.

We made one more stop, at a park called Jardine du Luxembourg.  It was interesting to people watch.  The ladies above were part of an exercise group.

This gentleman just laid back and took a nap.

The garden is home to the Luxembourg Palace which houses the French Senate.

It was spring and love was in the air.

The real Arch de Triumph as seen through the front window of our bus.

Thanks for looking.