Eiffel Tower and Paris Villages

Thursday 4 July

I don't think Jess and Baptiste had much sleep but they were keen to visit the Eiffel Tower this morning with Mel.  Baptiste, our Parisian, last went up the tower ten years ago - not something the locals do on a regular basis!  Of course it was to be a first time for Mel.
A couple of line changes on the Metro and we popped up to ground level a couple of blocks from the ET.  I do love the Metro - it is like an underground magic carpet.

Jess,  Baptiste and ET

More queues but ET was a "must do" so Maree and I left the young ones to the line  up, wandered a few blocks and  found a charming café where we could enjoy a leisurely breakfast.  Later we sat in the sun and did a bit of people watching until the intrepid ones arrived back from a triumphant ascent to the top - a two hour round trip!.   Jess was craving pizza and the rest of us were feeling a bit peckish too so it was across the Seine, past the Palais de Chaillot and up the hill to the leafy neighbourhood of Passy.  And there it was - a genuine Italian restaurant with  all the pizza and pasta a hungry horde could wish for.  Go Jess!  It was lovely to relax, enjoy some good food and chat in a traditional Paris "village" - a local area where there are schools, shops, parks and a nice feeling of community.  It was bustling, but not chaotic like some other parts of the city.  So began our afternoon getting to know some of the other villages  in this city of villages.  Jess and Baptiste were badly in need of sleep so they left us for the afternoon.  
Our next village, La Muette, was a pleasant walk almost to the  Boulevard Peripherique  and the Bois de Boulogne.   We were in search of a store which, despite its website presence, apparently no longer exits or has relocated.  Never mind, we got to experience another community where families of Paris live, work, shop and hangout.  Tree lined streets, pretty, well maintained apartment buildings, little corner parks, interesting small shops and plenty of cafes - again a really community vibe.

So what to do on our final afternoon in Paris?  Although we were staying in Le Marais so far we had not really explored this area - perhaps a stroll through the narrow streets which are so unlike the wide boulevards of Haussman Paris. The Metro whizzed us across the city to St Paul, a funky, villagy area of the Marais with its medieval townhouses, 16th century mansions and plethora of quirky shops and markets.  The streets are arranged in a haphazard manner and history oozes out of very corner.   However St Paul is not a museum but a vibrant and lively Parisian village.  We made our way through the busy streets and finally came to the stunning Place des Vosges - a wonderful place to eat an ice cream or to lie on the grass and read a book.  The place has a perfectly manufactured look about it but at the same time it is quite stunning - something about perfection and symmetry maybe.

All four sides of Place des Vosges are identical!



A favourite place for old and young.

A coffee break in the colonnade that surrounds the park revived us for the final leg - our own village, Le Marais.  More history, a hotchpotch of little streets and ancient buildings give the Marais its unique character and appeal.  The contrast between the old exteriors and the modern, up beat interiors of the boutiques and galleries is quite stunning.  One senses a more transient population in this village of Paris and it is certainly more tourist orientated.  Nevertheless it is vibrant, charming and lots of fun.

 

It will be goodbye to Paris in the morning and of course we have barely scraped the surface of all there is to do and see.  Hopefully Maree and Melanie have seen enough to absorb the atmosphere of the city.  As for Jess - I suspect she is planning to move here.  For the moment however, she and Baptiste are very excited about the Eurockeenes Festival in Belfort tomorrow.