Over three days we’ve walked the cobbled roads of Paris. Along the Seine, Derek’s Fitbit recorded 31000 steps / 24km in one day.
It was nice just to be in Paris. The people are helpful, polite and friendly. We stayed in an Airbnb apartment with creaky floors in Le Marais, an old part of Paris. The views through the full-length windows were wonderful but we didn’t quite get used to the five flights of stairs (no lifts in the old buildings).
The Lonely Planet was a good guide for Paris – I think the writers probably went to these places. Here’s a run-down. We didn’t ascend the very elegant Eiffel Tower but admired it through the wire fencing. The Louvre was interesting and vast. We spent a respectable four hours mostly looking at the masterpieces (including the Mona Lisa, gradually moving to the front despite the beautifully dressed groups in my path taking selfies and then gazing at their phones) and then at the art of the ancient east. I breathed a sigh of relief as we left the dark Cathedral of Notre Dame but could have spent far longer in Sainte-Chapelle, gazing at the breath-taking thirteenth century stained-glass windows depicting the books of the bible. We enjoyed an evening river cruise along the Seine. It was a small boat, it’s quieter on the water, and the other people on the cruise were quiet too.
An unexpected highlight for me was the abundant supply of lovingly produced sans-gluten food. I’ve consumed the best bread Derek has ever had, in addition to flans, pies, croissants, macarons and crepes.
Seats are provided all over Paris with stunning views, and lovely parks. People of all ages mingle in the streets, parks, cafes, and by the river. Paris seems a very liveable city if you have a high threshold for noise, crowds and smells. Parisians probably do, because they enjoy their lovely and interesting city, on foot, bicycle, scooter, and skateboard.