Spring time in Paris.

 So Reader I told you we were off the boat for a couple of weeks and the best part of one week was spent in Paris.  It was really our youngest who had wanted to go for a good few years now, to Roland Garros to watch some of the tennis.  

The first year of planning David and I were invited to an unmissable party so declined, the following year all bets were off as she was invited to a wedding then well Covid and finally this year she came home for a weekend, booked the whole thing so that was that.  

Then her sister announced "You're going where?  I want to come"  this second daughter just had to square it with her husband that is to say her husband having two children for the weekend one of them just 9 months old and Bingo.

Finally the day arrived.  Food played a part in the trip a much bigger ipart than the tennis to be fair.  

Anyway here is the souvenir posting, normal Boaty version will resume very soon.

So the  first day we hiked up the steps of Montmartre to visit Sacre Coeur along with all the world and her mother but that's Paris for you.  As we gazed at the view all over the city from the top of the hill that is Montmartre my eye was caught by a young woman to my left.  She had very very heavy make-up on and a completely bored boyfriend in tow but she had propped up her phone on the railings and was cavorting and blowing kisses all the time filming herself.  Swishing her hair, pouting lips twirling herself.  I nudged a daughter and she looked and informed me that she was probably a "Wannabe Instagrammer" that is to say this is her job. 

Hey ho.

Well its hard to get a good shot of Sacre Coeur unless you are in a helicopter so here it is from the top of the Musee D'Orsay, that is to say a marvellous art gallery.  Its the most striking building formally a train station, the French get this and we get the Tate Modern, ummmm  

Anyway David was lucky this day, he really enjoyed this art gallery, full of masterpieces from Renoir, Van Gogh, Degas, Tissot and Monet.

 

Not  clear glass but in the absence of a helicopter...

Ground floor of the Musee D'Orsay, absolutely gorgeous.

 

So a bit of a hike on a different day took us to view the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe an amazing lunch in a restaurant without any other tourists, quite a feat I felt, then a walk down the Champs Elysees.  There's a reason why all tourists wear trainers...

David ordered Les Escargots. yuk.

 

 

Little bit of a dangerous place to stand posing.

Van Gogh

Renoir

Degas

Renoir

Monet

Another lesser known Monet I think below.  I was instantly drawn to this one as it involves coal barges, its called "Coalmen" and if you look carefully shows men walking up and down planks unloading the coal from these huge barges on the canal but the planks are over the river.  Poor poor workers, contrast them to the carriages going overhead across the bridge. 

Shocking photo bomber.

Reason for the trip.

The match we had tickets for was a quarter final match and he won in straight sets, only it wasn't the winner who had been predicted the win.  

A great experience and I have to say I don't know about retiring to Paris but I think I could manage a six month stay to properly explore all the galleries and restaurants David.  

So that's us done and dusted and ready for some more boating.  I'd quite like some warm sun to go with it.  If there is anyone who would like to see the other 127 photos of works of art just let me know.

 

Just had to include this.  I definitely could find this patisserie encore.