Paris

A little bit stuurrk. At the airport.

first place we visit is a Mosque! Institut Musulman - Mosquee de Paris.  Beautiful tiles etc

Walked around, staying awake. Awe inspiring. We are here. Notre Dame.

Sienne

Walked around and past Louvre and Tuileries Gardens

Eiffel Tower

Pantheon

Bought Museum Pass for 2 days. Found out Sunday is free in many museums.

Took Batobus. Nice easy glide up the Seine. "8 stops to explore Paris" True.

Went to Eiffel Tower. Found a toilet. Booked for Sunday night.

Looked in to the Arenes de Lutece at Monge. Watched kids playing football

Walked up Champs Elysses from Place de la Concorde. Long way

To Arc de Triomphe, ceremony with lots of Inspector Clousseau

284 steps up to the top.

Short rest before off to France v Bielrussie (Belarus) in the Euro 2012 Qualifier at the Stade de France.

lovely town. Avenue of trees

Long queue for tickets at the Palace of Versailles (Musee National des Chateaux de Versailles et de Trianon) and not knowing where to pick up the Audio. Not good symbology

Chateau was quite ostentatious. Met girls from Sex in the City…breast cancer survivor trip. Saw Murakami's contemporary sculptures being put in. Locally very controversial

Changed to light rail on way back at Pont du Garigliano through to Porte d'Ivry past suburbs and exhibition areas.

Musee L'Orangie - Monet's water lilies and others. Huge. Few people there.

Free day for many Museums

Musee D'Orsay. Old railway station. Renoir, sculptures etc. Fantastic atrium, cavernous space. Room of Van Gogh's

Musee de Armies (Invalides) not free so fuck off today.

Over to Sacre Coeur Cathedral. Excellent stain glass windows. Veronica uncomfortable…..lots of ‘pay to view’ like Foxtel

Walked around Montmartre. Had a Beer and Rose and spoke to a local. Veronica introduced to cigarettes.

Walked 5 kms along Rue de Clichy and Boulevarde de Clichy. And Boulevarde des Batignles. Got to Parc de Monceau but couldn't find toilets. Desperate. Found 'infants only' Finally found them.

Waited to our allotted time to go up (6:30pm). No one on the Reserved Ticket queue, but we still weren't allowed on early. Did Veronica have to point out that the lift curved up the leg? Up we go. Scared little white guy. Tony no get out! Veronica got out at Level 3. I went down. Supposed to meet at point X. I was siting at point Y. Veronica not happy.

At the Musee du Louvre most of the day. Entrance under the pyramid is spectacular. Café in the Louvre. Too many big painting with Croix and Saints.

Walk to Gare D'Austerlitz. After long queue got a day ticket, and assured could use on the ferry nearby. Got to ferry, no such luck.

suburban ferry Vogueo on the river, run by nicely named Stif. Into Maine off the Seine. Took bus towards Bastille. Bastille RAB amazing. 5 lanes, stopping, riding bikes one-handed

Lots of stalls setting up. Got baguette where students were lining up. Met Aussies in Q. I wanted to eat in bus shelter as no traffic because police had blocked road. Went to Victor Hugo Place (Place des Vosges) instead. Amazing space.

Crush. Finally out. Got to Metro at Place de Republique.

To Invalides. Musee de L'Armee at the Hotel National des Invalides. Napoleon's Tomb (Tombeau de Napoleon 1) in Saint-Louis des Invalides Church. Aussie girl on steps took our photo. Looked at the Antique Department that had lots of old armour. Resistance stuff and Charles de Gaulle at the Historial of Charles de Gaulle. Also Museum of the Order of the Liberation.

V stayed at the Museums and  t off to Pantheon. Took ages and got there at 6:15pm too late and was closed because of strike anyway. Walked around and got lost. Only had 200m to get to our 'local' road and ended up 1km in other direction and about to catch bus out of city, not in.

T met V at entre George Pompidou (Musee National d'Art Moderne) but closed for strike. V took us to Café Oz. Ate at a place near Café. Bus to Eiffel Tower, saw night lights of Paris as well as Tower.

Wed

At Rouen Rive Doite. Where's the symbology? Looking for Tourist Info, ask at Bus Station. Very helpful. We are looking for the Rouen Museum for Impressionist Normandie Exhibition. Back up main road to find it. No signs!

Musee des Beaux-Arts, Avenue Marcel Duchamp, Rouen. A City for Impressionism exhibition, featuring Monet, Pissarro and Gauguin who painted the Cathedral in Rouen. Fantastic open air area. Had coffee. Great. Pictures of Monet's Cathedral series and the cathedral by other artists. Aussie group. Quick look at the outside of the Cathedral. Back at Gare, a few seats but none on the Platform. Weird.

Train to Vernon then bus. Giverney is lovely little village. Monet's garden great at the Foundation Claude Monet (Academie des Beaux Arts). Places you in the pictures. Rain had stopped. Light was fantastic and few people. Monet's house Beer and rose at Ancienne hotel. Walked back to Vernon on the old railway line path. Beautiful.

Missed train by a minute. Had dinner at Vernon. Pizza nice.

Thursday

Went to Galeries Lafayette in Haussmann. Put prices up then promote a discount, T went for a walk.

Walked to Madeleine. Then Metro to Pasteur where Marilyn lived when first in Paris as refugee. Very nice to do that.

Taxi to Gare de Lyon.