Part of the day at the Picasso Museum, then a lovely lunch. In the process of roaming around we encountered crowds waiting for the Gay Pride Parade. It was huge!
Dinner and a walk to appreciate Paris Night Life.
Gay Pride March
We sort of accidentally stumbled on the march. It was truely a monumental affair, lasting hours winding its way through central Paris. There were hundreds of thousands of people easily. This one float; there were dozens and dozens.
After recovering from Versailles, and a short visit to the Louvre, decided to go back out for Paris at night. A walk along the Seine produced music, laughter, and general excitment.
Worthy of note: hundreds of younger people congreating, and TALKING to each other, and hardly a cell phone in sight, le plus inhabituel.
Versailles et au-delà
Versailles, first negative experience. The place is a madhouse – long lines, heat, people pushing and shoving. Generally a bad experience, sadly. Opulent and beautiful, and full of history; the crowds made it impossible to look at or experience. c’est la vie.
I’d love to come back sometime when I could actually see it and not the back of someones head shoved in my face, or their cell phone thrust in front of my eyes every 10 seconds. The crowds were like the Metro at rush hour.
Afternoon at the Louvre and even walk on the Seine, much better.
More Paris Street Music
We had to go check this out more closely, definitely worth it. Stayed for 20 or 30 minutes. The best!
Paris Street Music
Stopped on the Pont Neuf to watch the Eiffel Tower light show and got distracted by this:
Notre-Dame de Paris
Visited Notre-Dame de Paris again, and this time climber to the top of the bell tower. Tiny claustrophobic winding staircases that go on forever, both up AND down. Visited the Louvre again.
view from atop Notre-Dame de Paris
un autre jour parmi les morts
Is this a pattern, an obsession, a SIGN?
Spent another day among the dead at Cimetière du Montparnasse in the 14th. Met many luminaries, who quietly aquiesced to our attention. They even allowed photos! Celebrity paparazzi at its finest. Ended the day at the Jardin du Luxembourg. After dinner enjoyed the light show at dusk curtsey of the Eiffel Tower.
The quick and the dead
The main thing we did today was visit Père-Lachaise cemetery . Among the guest there we found were: Eidth Piaf, Jim Morrision, Chopin, Collete, Molière. As usual, ate great food, and walked a ton.
I’m getting a tan, who knew that an essential item for Paris is sunscreen.
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Latin Quarter
We met an American ex-pat named Robert who took us on a walking tour of the Latin Quarter, which includes the Sorbonne. Glorious day, sunny and warm, and too many sights to catalogue here. Had a long and lovely lunch at Kitchen Ter(re) and ended up at Le Bon Marché.
jeff reeder 