Walking in the City of Lights

BTW, Paris isn't called the City of Lights because of the lights. It is a reference to all the brilliant minds that came from Paris. Many of them are inscribed on the Eiffel Tower. 

I had a rough night sleeping, but I did get enough in that I was feeling much better today. The weather is great today so it was time to get some walking in. 

I talked with the folks at the front desk and they suggested i start out by the train station on Rue St Michael and stay on it till I got to the Seine River and Nortre-Dame. Good idea. 

From there i could follow the Seine to the Eiffel Tower and have a more scenic walk than zig  zagging through the city. 

That worked for me! 

All along the way I was thinking of the 2024 Olympics and the parade of nations in boats on the river, and also the poor competitors that had to swim in it. It definitely isn't comparable to a pool and I would be very hesitant to swim in it, let alone swallow some of it, myself. Turns out they had to use the river because the swimming complex wasn't finished yet. 

Right beside the Seine is the Louvre museum. I had decided already that i wanted to see it but wasn't really interested in going in. It is HUGE and it would take days to do it justice. 

I continued on along the river and enjoyed seeing the boats, othr people sightseeing or jogging, and more of the architecture. 

Finally, after more than 7 miles, I arrived at the Eiffel Tower. I think it is a replica of the one in Las Vegas. 😄  I had no idea of how massive and tall it was! All the steel work that went into it is amazing. It sort of reminds me of a giant Erector set. Pictures cannot do it justice, but here I am! 

I didn't want to retrace my steps so I veered toward the city center hoping to find something to eat. 

I decided on a Nutella and coconut crepe paired with a Coca Cola. Not high class, but that's just my style. 

There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to the street layout in Paris. Several times I took what I thought was the correct turn only to have to go back to an intersection and try again. But I had no specific schedule or route so that was no problem. 

My erratic route treated me to a number of extra interesting sights. That can be a side benefit of not knowing exactly where you are going! 

A very small Renault

Random intersection

A wooden, but functional, bike, aside from the flat tire

As it turns out traffic lanes and pedestrian walk signs are all merely a suggestion here. Horns are also a frequently used tool of communication. I thought Puerto Rico traffic was bad but it can't hold a candle to Paris. 

After 13.52 miles of walking i made it back to my hostel, texted with Susan, and got the blog together. 

Here's some random pictures to enjoy. 

My route

I think we saw this show  on Netflix. 😁

More boats on the Seine

They have KFC as well

Yes, you really can take a leak along the streets of Paris. The other side is a proper sit down toilette.

Cheese vending along the Rue St Michel

One more view of Notre-Dame

Not the Arch de Triumph, but I walked through anyway. 

The American Church of Paris

A little free library. Only 2 books in it. 

Ping pong in the park

And here's the park. 

Thanks for following along with me! See you tomorrow.