Now the Adventures Begin!

Friday 30th May

Today is pack up day. Boo hoo, but now the real fun starts.

We pick up our car at the Invalides Museum .  When we booked we thought it was almost on the edge of the city. We have Sat Nav so will be sweet! We have to walk two blocks to the underground car park with all our bags and we are down 5 floors . There's a lift, but it's just our luck the lift is broken. So down we go with all the bags. 

Finally we find our car a nice little Peugeot 208 diesel. We load up and head out onto the streets.

Put our destination - Bayeux in the sat nav and off we go!

We make a few wrong turns to start, but then all seems OK until we find we are headed for the Concorde and Champs du Élysées ! I get the giggles which doesn't help, only because Sam had said the day before, "I'd love to drive up the Champs du Élysées - NOT!"  The traffic is 4-6 wide, going both ways and there are no lanes. You just choose where you might fit. Crazy! We both have our eyes on sticks keeping watch. Finally we get onto the A14, before too long we reach our first toll - There are different lanes for credit cards, t tickets and cash. Managed that fine, right line paid our 3 euros. There are 2 more within a short time, first one great, next one, we get in wrong line .  The cars pile up behind us and we have to tell them to move on so we can get out! Sam stressing, me the giggles - can't stop!

It's a learning curve. Great roads 130kph on motorway, 90 - 110 on other roads. Tolls a bit of a rip off!

Only one stop before we get to Bayeux - Giverny to see Monet's gardens. Absolutely beautiful. The town itself is picturesque. Cute little cottages and lovely gardens everywhere. We queue for about 30 mins to get into the garden, but certainly worth the wait. Monet's house sits at the top of the garden and we wander through the cottage gardens down to the waterlily garden. 

 

The famous waterlily garden.

I can see how the gardens would have been so serene and inspiring for Monet with no one around, but today there are hundreds like us reliving the magic.

There was a class trip - at this garden paints etc set up for them to paint the poppies. Wouldn't mind that as a class trip. The kids here are so lucky to have all these experiences so close.

Gorgeous cottages in the village in the background, picturesque spot!

Back on the road and off we go to Bayeux. This was the first town in Normandy to be liberated in WWII. We arrive in time to unpack and head out for a meal and a quick orientation of the town.

Carrier we past on motorway carrying military vehicles to the D Day celebrations

Bayeux Notre Dame - very similar styles

The Main Street of Bayeux, all the buntings for D Day celebrations

Typical buildings - just gorgeous.

Lovely dinner at this restaurant. Beautiful savoury crepes and wine of course!

Tomorrow is D Day discovery day! It will be a big one, so an early night needed. Not before a few red wines and delicious Camembert 

Hop on Hop off Bus, Orangerie, Musee d'Orsay

Thursday 29th May

Last day in Paris and still lots to do. 

Today we took the Hop on Hop off Bus. These are great value and you get a live commentary with a bit of background to the main sites.  There are 4 different routes. We take the loop to Bastille.

When we hopped of the bus there was a huge market on. You can buy everything - clothes, flowers, veges, meat, fish. They are very popular. Lots of locals filling their bags up.

This wee man was cute with his wind up music machine!

Next Pere Lachaise Cemetary to visit the legendary Jim Morrison - The Doors. He certainly gets lots of visitors. There are a steady stream of people visiting today. Oscar Wilde is also buried here, along with lots of other important French dignitaries.

Head back to hop on the bus to do main tourist loop past lots of the sites we have seen. A few we haven't as yet.

Hotel de Ville -

Pont Neuf - the oldest of the bridges that cross the Seine. Opened in 1607

Bridge with Thousands of Padlocks. Ours is there too!

Fountain at the Concorde

Champs du Elysées - the traffic is crazy. 

Eiffel Tower again - love. It!

We hopped off here and went to the Orangerie Musee mainly to see Monet's Nymphiads (waterlilies). 

They are housed in 2 oval shaped rooms giving a real surround experience. Stunning! 

The room is so peaceful and the paintings mesmerising . Didn't want to leave. No photos allowed here.

Tummies rumbling we head for the bus to find a gorgeous little spot the night before in Montmarte. On the way walk past a few more well known spots.

 

Place Vendome - the real posh area. Ritz is in behind here. 360 degrees of these buildings. Beautiful. Built in 1699.

Amazing inscription all around this column which celebrates the Battle of Austerlitz and it's victor, Napoleon 1st, whose statue stands on top.

The famous Paris Opera House where the "Phantom of the Opera" was said to have lived down in the sewers beneath the Opera House."

Found our little restaurant in Montmarte. The Sacre Coeur - the church that overlooks Paris was absolutely crazy - it was a Bank Holiday.

Our meal was delicious - traditional French onion soup, Beef bourginon and crepes for dessert.

Last stop for the day Musee 'Orsay. This gallery is set in an old rail station building.It houses a very big display of artworks. Monet, Renoir, Cezanne, Van Gogh just to name a few. Incredible to see such art close up . Stunning! No photos of the art but I shot some of the clock from inside and out.

We strolled back along the Seine and had a coffee on the way back to the apartment. Day done!

Sacre Coeur in the background.

Looking across to the Louvre.