11 July 2016

Looking out over Paris

My short weekend trip to Paris went very smoothly. I got the train at the little Saint-Aignan-Noyers station Friday afternoon at 5:44. I changed trains at Vierzon, with just a 20-minute layover, to board a non-stop Intercités train to Paris. I arrived at the Austerlitz train station in Paris at about 8:35 p.m.

The Panthéon is a national monument so the French flag flies over it. Here I'm looking out over the Palais and Jardin du Luxembourg toward the Tour Eiffel and the Dôme des Invalides.

From there I took a bus (the 89) from Austerlitz station over to CHM's and arrived chez lui at about 9:15. It stays light here in July until after 10, so I wasn't traveling in the dark. There were no surprises or hitches. CHM had dessert waiting for me — I had taken a sandwich to eat as a light supper on the train.

This is the Eglise Saint-Sulpice up close, with the skyscrapers of the La Défense business quarter, west of the city, in the background.

On Saturday morning, I did one of the things I really wanted to do while I was in Paris. That is, I rode the 89 bus back over to the Panthéon in the Latin Quarter, paid for a ticket to go into the old building and take the accompanied tour up into the main tower and out onto the colonnade far above ground. I and about 15 other people climbed the 225 or so steps to the top to see and photograph the views from up there. And take pictures.

Looking north past the Sainte-Chapelle (foreground) past the Eglise Saint-Eustache toward the Basilique du Sacré-Cœur up at Montmartre.

According to the Panthéon web site, the first montée up to the colonnade and walkway at the base of the dome was scheduled for 11:00. I got there at 10:10, and when I bought my ticket (10.50€) I was told that there was a tour up to the top at 10:15. No waiting! Above are three of my photos from the top. The weather was fantastically beautiful — hot but not too hot. Don't forget that you can click on the pictures to enlarge them.

This is not the Grand Bistrot but a little restaurant in the Latin Quarter, near the Panthéon, that I thought was picturesque.

The next thing I was looking forward to doing in Paris, besides just spending some time with CHM, was having lunch with him and two friends of his, P. and M., whom I've gotten to know a little bit over the years. Saturday was M.'s 86th birthday, and CHM had invited them and me to lunch at the Grand Bistrot near where he lives. More about that over the next few days.

8 comments:

  1. I'm glad you finally were able to make it and that the weather coopersted. As usual, your photos are stunning.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Gorgeous photos! I can't decide which view I like best. They're all poster-worthy.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I worked in the neighborhood around the Panthéon for years back in the 1970s, but I had never been up to the observation area before. I'm glad I did it... but I think the view a couple of years ago from the Tour Saint-Jacques was better.

      Delete
  3. Oh how these photos bring back memories ... all so very good .. the photos and the memories :)
    The weather looks good .. I hope you visit continues to be excellent ~

    ReplyDelete
  4. Excellent photos, especially the first with that fresh new French flag!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Wonderful pictures Ken. Ste. The first image with the colors of the flag is particularly nice. Sainte-Chapelle is one of my very favorite buildings in Paris, a marvel of Gothic engineering.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I think that hotel I stayed at near the Pantheon was so nice. This photos make me long for Paris. If you took Latin you may remember the song Gaudeamus Igitur, played at graduations. We memorized a bit of it. It rings true now more than ever...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLUKfU2AOBY

    ReplyDelete

What's on your mind? Qu'avez-vous à me dire ?