Day 3 Wednesday 3rd June 2009 Paris

Day 3 Wednesday 3rd June2009 Paris.
Today is brilliantly fine and warm; not a cloud in the sky. Most of our group went of touring on their own. Fay and I set off on foot; after about four hundred meters we came to an eight street intersection; I tried to find it on the map, but it was very difficult. So we did not venture any further and returned to the hotel where we joined John and about ten others for a hop on hop off bus tour. We did not do much hopping on and off; only once for ¾hour to partake of lunch. It certainly is a good way to see the city for the first time. On top of the double Decker bus a gentle breeze kept us cool. It was very interesting to look down on the passing traffic. I had heard that the Paris traffic can be chaotic and it certainly gave that impression, but on reflection some of the apparent chaos did make some sense. There were very few marked lanes on the many one way streets to follow which meant that small cars and motor scooters could fit into the gaps. There seemed to be some sort of system; the only part I have worked out so far is they drive on the right and give way to the right. What really did amaze me was how close the cars were parked at the curb side. I started thinking that the drivers must have an understanding that every driver left their car in neutral and the handbrake lightly on so that another driver could bumper push the others to get enough space to manoeuvre out. I have a great imagination, haven’t I? We were provided with earphones so that we could listen to an English commentary. We passed a magnificent opera house. Two tour members went through it and said it was very ornate and plush. We drove through a narrow entrance to the Musèe du Louvre where the bus stopped for people to hop off and look at the Mona Lisa painting etc; on our right hand was a huge square shaped archway through which we could see gardens leading to the Avenue des Champs-Élysées which we drove through later on our way to the Arc de Triomphe; this is a large stone square shaped archway the size of which is appreciated more when looking to the top of the structure you can see people who appear to be so tiny by way of comparison. We drove past the police station which is undergoing a facial cleanup. The scaffolding was covered in a white fabric with all types of police personnel pictured on it. We saw other structures with a similar covering but with pictures to suit the activity of the buildings. This covering is a good idea as it hides all the ugliness. We then hopped off the bus at the Notre-Dame Cathedral for a ¾hour lunch break. After lunch we walked back to the cathedral to get a photo, but unfortunately we could not enter it because a large gathering of people at a memorial service prevented us from so doing, so we hopped back on the bus. As we drove beside the River Seine many tourist boats were cruising by; one was bedecked with white clothed tables for dining; this would be a pleasant way of seeing some of Paris; unfortunately we do not have the time. Moored beside the embankment were quite large house barges; one had the decks almost covered with garden growing in large orange coloured containers; another had a car parked on the rear deck. Soon we arrived at that magnificent iron structure the Eiffel Tower. I would have liked to have hopped off here but it was getting late and I may miss the last bus; then I may have had difficulty finding my way back. As it was we did not arrive back to the hotel until about 6pm; the traffic was very slow but interesting to watch particularly at multiple street intersections. The buildings in the old section were all about seven stories high and very ornate; many bedecked with magnificent sculptures; some were covered in gold leaf. There were also many statues of famous people. I know the city has many art galleries, but I reckon the city is a work of art in its own right. While some streets were not wide the main streets were, especially the footpaths. When walking on the wide footpaths we still had to be careful not to be knocked over by a push cyclist; the reason being there was a 600mm cycle lane one meter in from the curb which was quite easy to wander onto even though the lane is clearly marked. Paris is more than 2000 years old but to me it did not look old. The architecture of the buildings seemed to me to fit in with the modern world. We enjoyed our first look at Paris; I would certainly to return one day. In 2005 there were 2,153,600 people counted in Paris.