6.13 MONDAY- PARIS ON THE RUN

OR

How we saw Paris in 3.5 hours… well… at least some important stops.

Morning came hard, Chucky had a rough night with multiple leg cramps with a bruised ankle still swollen from the 13 hours in the air. [He’s outta shape and tomorrow we find some Quanine Water!] and still DL also tossed and turned all night so rolling out for her was a chore as well.

No time for coffee in the flat, we headed out to Charles Michel Metro for a trip to the La Sorbonne stop and then a short hike to meet WEGOWALKING  - Paul and Pauline - at Pont  au Double in front of Notre Dame.

Getting on the Metro was fine, getting to Pont au Double proved a challenge.

After several back and forth’s looking for the tunnel connecting La Sorbonne to Saint Michel-Notre Dame Sortie [which Chucky knew was there - just a block long hike] she insisted on backtracking to Sortie Saint Michel and found their way to a Café Stop on the Quay Orsay for a Croissant and Café.

Pastry in hand we found Paul on the Pont that leads to Notre-Dame checking in what was to be later referred to as his “Family”, as in “this Way Family” each time he bolted off to the next lecture spot .

Notre-Dame is one of those Marvels that you wonder how it got built and after all the abuse, how it’s still standing.  After you digest all the info in the link above, you'll understand why.

The tour had us galloping from point to point, Pont to Pont, monument to monument.  Starting at Notre- Dame past Kilometer zero [km 0 the spot where all distances in France are measured from Paris located in Parvis Notre-Dame - Place Jean-Paul II ], it was onto the Palais de Justice the Musee d'Orsay and The Louvre, through Jardin Des Tuileries – with a quick stop at the “Cleanest” public toilet in Paris [according to Pauline] then onto Place de la Concorde [where a lot of folks lost their heads during the French Revolution.  Not unlike the FUTBOL FANATICS roaming the city after several Pints before, after and during the EURO 2016 matches. A VERY Rowdy bunch even this early in the AM]

From the Place de la Concorde to the Grand Palais and Petit Palais’, past a remarkable statue of Churchill, across Pont Alexander [recently dubbed Adelle’s Bridge-you have to have seen the “Someone Like You” video to get that one - where just about every Bridge Scene in the movies is shot including Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris, more on this one later] and into the park in front of Les Invalides, once a hospital for the wounded warriors of France, now a Military Museum and home to Napoleon's Tomb, where the tour ended.  

Whew… outta breath yet? 
We were.

The tour was supposed to end at Le Tour Eiffel, but increased security for the Euro 2016 and Fan Zone on the Champs du Mars - which we would later experience first-hand - dictated the change.  

But one last word on WEGO WALKING, Paul and Pauline.  There are people who are passionate about a subject and there are PASSIONATE PEOPLE who are consumed by their love of their subject.  Paul is the latter. One of the best and most informative walking tours we have taken. 
Yes he ran us... well truth be told, I would stop for a picture here, a picture there and then have to run to catch up, but he did keep a strong pace to each stop.
And Pauline was great at filling in tid bits here and there as well as giving suggestions, or helping some of the Family with advice on A to Z.  If in Paris, for the first time. Book these folks, they are TOPS!

After wrapping up the tour, which consisted of lots of anecdotes and “atmosphere” Paul thanked the “Family” and began answering delayed questions and giving directions etc, as did Pauline, who directed us to her favorite spot for lunch, which was on the way to the Tour Eiffel where we had tickets for 3:30PM.
And the journey there Dear Hearts, with all the drama that ensued is for the next post.

Now, I gotta crash, its still catching up with me.
More Monday in Part II

Ciao Pour L’instant,

Uncle Chuck & The foot tired

Dragon Lady