Walk pictures

Introduction

R and I spent a few days in Paris. R has never visited before (and I haven’t been for years), so we spent the time sightseeing.

Saturday

We took the Eurostar from London. In Paris we got the metro to Blanche station and walked to our hotel (a small one in Montmartre). After settling in there, we took a short evening walk to Sacré-Cœur and around Montmartre.

Sacré-Cœur domes.

1/250 at f8, 23mm, ISO200 48°53′10″N 2°20′36″E

View down to the Rue Lamarck and across the city.

1/250 at f8, 23mm, ISO200 48°53′10″N 2°20′36″E

Looking into the sun at the Eiffel Tower.

1/2000 at f8, 23mm, ISO200 48°53′9″N 2°20′30″E

Another Eiffel Tower view.

1/1000 at f8, 23mm, ISO200 48°53′9″N 2°20′28″E

Tree behind classical-looking building and nice fence.

1/125 at f5.6, 23mm, ISO200 48°53′10″N 2°20′28″E

Saint-Pierre du Montmartre church.

1/125 at f8, 23mm, ISO200 48°53′12″N 2°20′29″E

Sunday

In the morning we started from Place de la Concorde (which, despite the name, has no aeroplanes - instead it has a giant pointy Egyptian obelisk). We took a walk east along the line of the Seine, beginning through the Jardin des Tuileries.

The Tiber (river-god) considering a ride on the big wheel.

1/1000 at f8, 23mm, ISO200 48°51′53″N 2°19′25″E

We passed the Louvre (without visiting).

Louvre pyramid.

1/1000 at f8, 23mm, ISO200 48°51′38″N 2°20′6″E

Doorway.

1/500 at f8, 23mm, ISO200 48°51′42″N 2°20′6″E

After getting lost a bit, we made it to the Jardin du Palais-Royal.

Nice fountain.

1/500 at f8, 23mm, ISO200 48°51′54″N 2°20′16″E

We walked across Pont Neuf and along the Île de la Cité to Notre-Dame cathedral, and queued (not too long) to get in.

Four nice statues above the entrance.

1/125 at f8, 23mm, ISO200 48°51′11″N 2°20′56″E

Joan of Arc.

1/15 at f4, 23mm, ISO1600 48°51′11″N 2°20′56″E

Large circular stained glass window.

1/60 at f4, 23mm, ISO800 48°51′11″N 2°20′56″E

Painted columns and statues.

1/60 at f4, 23mm, ISO800 48°51′11″N 2°20′56″E

We continued across the Île Saint-Louis.

Boys’ school (wrapped in netting).

1/250 at f8, 23mm, ISO200 48°51′6″N 2°21′26″E

The river had flooded a few weeks before, and was still rather high.

Steps down into the Seine.

1/1000 at f9, 23mm, ISO200 48°51′10″N 2°21′10″E

Corner of Rue Poulletier or Poultier, depending on which vintage of sign you prefer.

1/250 at f8, 23mm, ISO200 48°51′4″N 2°21′29″E

Light through archway.

1/250 at f8, 23mm, ISO200 48°51′3″N 2°21′32″E

View back down the river of Pont de la Tournelle and Notre-Dame.

1/640 at f8, 23mm, ISO200 48°51′0″N 2°21′30″E

Edge of Île Saint-Louis.

1/640 at f8, 23mm, ISO200 48°51′0″N 2°21′30″E

We crossed the river and continued through a slightly flooded sculpture garden as far as the Gare d’Austerlitz.

Riverside walk.

1/500 at f8, 23mm, ISO200 48°50′58″N 2°21′25″E

Pont de Sully.

1/500 at f8, 23mm, ISO200 48°50′57″N 2°21′27″E

At the station we took a train to the Eiffel Tower.

Eiffel Tower.

1/500 at f8, 23mm, ISO200 48°51′29″N 2°17′29″E

Looking up from the base of the tower.

1/250 at f8, 23mm, ISO200 48°51′29″N 2°17′39″E

I decided we should walk up (you can walk to the second level - not to the very top). By walking you get nice views from the stairs, as well as that important sense of achievement. This choice was not universally acclaimed, but we did make it up.

Shadow of the Tower, with Montmartre (Sacré-Cœur) visible on the horizon.

1/500 at f8, 23mm, ISO200 48°51′29″N 2°17′41″E

Jardins du Trocadéro across the river, and La Défense skyscrapers behind.

1/250 at f8, 23mm, ISO200 48°51′30″N 2°17′40″E

Looking up at the top of the tower.

1/250 at f8, 23mm, ISO200 48°51′30″N 2°17′40″E

View southwest along the river into the sun.

1/1000 at f8, 23mm, ISO200 48°51′29″N 2°17′39″E

View southeast along the Champ de Mars. The ominous office tower is the Tour Montparnasse; the shiny gold dome is on top of Les Invalides (army museums).

1/250 at f8, 23mm, ISO200 48°51′29″N 2°17′41″E

Last view, as the sun begins to set.

1/250 at f8, 23mm, ISO200 48°51′29″N 2°17′41″E

We made our way back down the 674 steps, which was easier than going up them.

Sunset through the tower framework.

1/250 at f8, 23mm, ISO200 48°51′29″N 2°17′37″E

Looking down at the street and people below.

1/250 at f4, 23mm, ISO200 48°51′29″N 2°17′36″E

After we left the tower we walked across the river and eventually to the Arc de Triomphe.

Tower from Passerelle Debilly footbridge.

1/30 at f5.6, 23mm, ISO200

Arc de Triomphe.

1/30 at f2.8, 23mm, ISO800

Monday

It rained most of Monday, so in the morning we followed a specific walk from our guidebook – a tour of covered shopping galleries.

Passage des Panoramas (allegedly the oldest), with stamp shops.

1/60 at f8, 23mm, ISO200 48°52′15″N 2°20′30″E

Between galleries we passed the Bourse.

1/250 at f8, 23mm, ISO200 48°52′9″N 2°20′25″E

And the Bibliothèque Nationale (French for ‘national building site’).

1/125 at f8, 23mm, ISO200 48°51′59″N 2°20′18″E

Galerie Colbert.

1/250 at f8, 23mm, ISO200 48°52′0″N 2°20′21″E

Galerie du Passage.

1/60 at f8, 23mm, ISO200 48°51′46″N 2°20′22″E

Galerie Vivienne.

1/125 at f8, 23mm, ISO200 48°52′1″N 2°20′20″E

More or less galleried-out, we then took the Metro back to the Musée de l’Orangerie, where we had to queue quite a while to get in (even in February). They have two large oval rooms with some of Monet’s water-lily paintings.