Paris and sore feet!

While Paris is very easy to get around so through no fault of Paris - ooohhhh my aching feet! You can tell the tourists from the real Parisians by their footware - the tourists are wearing sneakers or comfortable looking walking shoes and the locals are in more fashionable shoes though mostly flats for the ladies. 

(I am having trouble placing the photos so you get to see them first and then my commentary us below)

Notre Dame

Hotel de Ville (City Hall)

Place de la Concorde - Arc de Triomphe in the distance

Tuesday I walked from my hotel in the 10th district down to Ile de la Cité - around Notre Dame, Hotel de Ville (City Hall) and then made my way past the Louvre to Opera Garnier where I met up with a walking tour (yep! more walking)  Our guide Phillipe met us on the steps of the Opera building - there was a Mum and daughter pair from Arizona too.  Just the four of us toured around the Opera building, through the back streets, about Edward the 7th (I think) he was a very naughty boy in Paris, we learned the origin of the love seat, we went by the beautiful jewelry stores - these have an exeption to the law that requires stores to post the prices for items displayed in their windows - the reason for the exception is that the jewelry is a work of art.  We made it down to the Jardin des Tuileries - wow! and to the Place de la Concorde - whew!!  After that I took the subway back to my hotel!

 The Pantheon

the pendulum

the view from the Panaroma - Paris...

This is where I want to live...

Wednesday - after cafe and a croissant - I love french bread!! with Gabby from Germany, we headed out again - this time on the subway to near the Jardin du Luxemburg. I planned to go to the Eiffel Tower and Gabby to the Jardin and then to Montparnasse.  I got turned around and ended up at the Pantheon so decided to go in - flexibility is key...  there is a pendulum swinging in the main part of the building and it is telling time - very cool!  They offered a tour of the panarama - you climbed up several steps up to the domed area - fabulous views of the city.  After climbing down I figured out the right direction and headed to the Eiffel Tower though encounter police barricades and demonstrations - I understand the President of Uganda is in town - lots of security personnel.  As this seem a bit like work and I saw a bunch of people standing around with what looked like invitations - I quickly scooted away.  I finally made my way to the Tower and had a picnic whilst looking way up - I had not urgh to climb the thing and once I saw the queue I was glad.  I walked along the Seine and came upon a photographic exhibition free and in the park - dont you just love when that happens...

my picnic view - not bad eh!