My friend Alison and I left San Francisco on Sunday and arrived in Paris on Monday afternoon. We took the train to Luxembourg gardens and walked to the apartment we had rented in the Latin Quarter, where Hannah had been staying since Saturday. We dropped the luggage, picked up Hannah, and started walking toward Cafe Constant, where we met Denny and Ellen for a late lunch. Luxembourg gardens:
With my sister:
After lunch, we walked toward the Eiffel Tower, where we people watched and decided not to wait in line to take the elevator to the top (which I have never done and want to one of these days). With Hannah, Denny, and Ellen on the Champs du Mars:
We had a drink, said goodbye to Denny and Ellen, then walked back to our apartment along the Seine. Tuesday morning we took the metro to Montmatre, where we walked around the neighborhood. Sacre Coeur:
We took the metro back down across the river to Au Petit Tonneau, where we had lunch with Denny and Ellen. After lunch we wandered a bit, then took the train to the Marais. After wandering around the Marais for a bit, we were all suddenly overtaken with a case of too much togetherness, so Hannah headed back to the apartment, Denny and Ellen headed back to their apartment, and Alison and I continued wandering. We walked up to Les Halles, the traditional central market of Paris. I wanted to see Forum Les Halles, a hideous, partially underground shopping center that opened in 1979 and apparently is an accomplishment in shopping mall awful-ness. It didn't disappoint on that score:
When we got tired of walking, we hopped on the metro and headed to the Arc de Triomphe, to see the Arc and watch the traffic on the traffic circle:
Wednesday morning we went to the Great Mosque of Paris, in our neighborhood. The Mosque was founded in 1926 and sheltered Jews during World War II. Hannah at the Mosque:
Nice tiles:
Hannah and I walked to Montparnasse to have lunch with Denny and Ellen, then we took the train back to the airport to fly to Berlin.
With my sister:
After lunch, we walked toward the Eiffel Tower, where we people watched and decided not to wait in line to take the elevator to the top (which I have never done and want to one of these days). With Hannah, Denny, and Ellen on the Champs du Mars:
We had a drink, said goodbye to Denny and Ellen, then walked back to our apartment along the Seine. Tuesday morning we took the metro to Montmatre, where we walked around the neighborhood. Sacre Coeur:
We took the metro back down across the river to Au Petit Tonneau, where we had lunch with Denny and Ellen. After lunch we wandered a bit, then took the train to the Marais. After wandering around the Marais for a bit, we were all suddenly overtaken with a case of too much togetherness, so Hannah headed back to the apartment, Denny and Ellen headed back to their apartment, and Alison and I continued wandering. We walked up to Les Halles, the traditional central market of Paris. I wanted to see Forum Les Halles, a hideous, partially underground shopping center that opened in 1979 and apparently is an accomplishment in shopping mall awful-ness. It didn't disappoint on that score:
When we got tired of walking, we hopped on the metro and headed to the Arc de Triomphe, to see the Arc and watch the traffic on the traffic circle:
Wednesday morning we went to the Great Mosque of Paris, in our neighborhood. The Mosque was founded in 1926 and sheltered Jews during World War II. Hannah at the Mosque:
Nice tiles:
Hannah and I walked to Montparnasse to have lunch with Denny and Ellen, then we took the train back to the airport to fly to Berlin.
