Paris

So here I was, in the City of Light, well during the day anyway. That was because I decided, for better or worse, not to sleep in Paris but to stay in Chartres, a free (for me) 1 hour train ride away. In those days I was a bit scared of navigating big cities. Also, these pictures are from two visits several days apart, with trips to Jersey and Mont Saint-Michel in between. To reduce confusion I am combining both visits.

I don't need to introduce the tower in the picture. It is probably the most recognisable tourist spot in the world. I didn't ascend it until years later. I remember the métro station I used to reach Champ de Mars: Bir-Hakeim. I was fascinated by these exotic non-European names. Underground station names are a glimpse into the history of a country. Some commemorate events, some are named after nearby landmarks, and sometimes the landmark is long gone.

Speaking of landmarks, here is the station that is named after the location of Delphi that I visited only a few weeks before. Montparnasse is a bohemian area and many of the famous artists of the 20th century lived and played there.

Another area with artistic connections is the Left Bank, which is the half of the city south of the Seine. Here are some of the famous bouquinistes that ply their trade on the bank. They sell used and antiquarian books.

Nearby is the Latin Quarter, a lively but also very touristy area. It's named thus because the Latin language was much heard in the vicinity of the Sorbonne in the Middle Ages.

One of the famous bateaux mouches that carry tourists up and down the river. Since the Seine passes many famous sights of Paris, this is a quick way to get introduced to the city. I took an excursion on one the second time through Paris.

You caught a distant glimpse of this in the last picture. This is the Notre Dame de Paris of course. It's located on a fluvial island, the Île de la Cité.

I was lucky to catch a service in progress there.

While in the Louvre a girl (whose nationality I will not mention) asked me where The Last Supper was. Um, I think you'll find it in Milan and on a church wall, I probably said. Maybe she thought it would be near the Mona Lisa.

I prefer the Impressionists so I enjoyed the Jeu de Paume more. Le Déjeuner sur l'herbe and other works were moved to Musée d'Orsay a few years later.

The Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel in the Tuileries Garden.

The garden is extensive and a good place to relax in a busy city.

The real thing at the west end of Champs-Élysées.

Finally a little bit of commercial French culture. I probably learnt about it in French lessons. It's probably the quintessential upmarket French department store.