Walk to the Eiffel Tower

I walked from my hotel near the Eiffel Tower to catch Bus 69 on the other side of the tower. I passed this brasserie on the way. My Gate 1 tour director, Simeon, later told us of the different food places that are in France. A brasserie is the French version of a pub which serves meals such as steak frites (steak and fries) and mussels. A cafe is for coffee and light snacks such as croque monsieur or a large salad. A bistro is an intimate restaurant serving traditional dishes. A restaurant has a more extensive menu of starters, main courses, and desserts with the menu often changing. If you want a sandwich and a pastry, a good bet is a combination boulangerie (bread shop)/patisserie (pastry shop).

Walk to the Eiffel Tower

Looking up and seeing the statues on a building.

The Eiffel Tower

I had mapped my walk from my hotel to the bus stop for Bus 69 but there was so much construction near the Eiffel Tower and paths were blocked. An 8.2–foot–high bulletproof glass wall is being built around the tower as protection from terrorist attacks. This made me take a different route to the bus stop.

The Eiffel Tower

My new route took me farther away from the Eiffel Tower and to a different bus stop for Bus 69. I had read about Bus 69 in Rick Steves’ Paris book. It is a low–cost way to get to all the main places that you want to visit in Paris, especially if you don’t want to navigate its subway system. Each ride costs only 2 euros and you can pay on the bus. So I waited at a bus stop that had a sign that the 69 stopped there and I was picked up by a bus but the driver said he wasn’t going to Notre Dame and he took me, without charge, to the next bus stop. I thought he said that I could catch the bus at the new stop but what he had meant was that I was on the wrong side of the street. The next bus driver pointed me across the street. On the Bus 69 website was a photo of the tobacco kiosk where the bus stopped, but that was on the wrong side of the street. The bus came at my new stop and the driver said, yes, he was going to Notre Dame. The conversations with the three bus drivers were with them speaking French and me speaking English but was in the end successful.

Les Invalides

Passing Les Invalides where Napoleon is buried and one of the places to visit in Paris. The photos I took from the bus came out with a green tint. There was a stop here.

On the Bus Route

Passing beautiful French buildings.

The Seine

Crossing the Seine River.

Book & Poster Sellers

One of many book, poster, and souvenir sellers along the Seine. This one seemed to specialize in posters.

The Conciergerie

Passing the Conciergerie on the Ile de la Cite, the prison where Marie Antoinette was held before she was guillotined.

Pont d’Arcole

The bus driver told me to get off here––at the Pont d’Arcole that connects to the Ile de la Cite where Notre Dame is located. He was very nice to tell me where to get off as all the stops were given in French. So that is one problem about taking Bus 69: you may have to hope you have as nice a driver as I had to tell you where to get off as the bus does not stop right in front of your destination.

Notre Dame

I made it to Notre Dame. In front of it was the Fete du Pain, a bread festival.

Fete du Pain

A bread festival is held here every year with, this year, six recreated bakeries, eight ovens, and about 100 bakers. It is the 23rd year for the 10–day festival.

Fete du Pain

It was free to go inside the festival. My camera bag was checked out by security as it was also at department stores and at Notre Dame. Much of the bread creations were for sale.

Fete du Pain

There is a contest at the Fete du Pain for making the Best French Tradition Baguette. I think these young men were entering the contest.

Breads of the World

There was a display of bread from throughout the world at the Fete du Pain. The USA was represented by our bun. Algeria was represented by a matlouh.

Breads of the World

An Arabic bread from Somalia and khob from Tunisia.

Breads of the World

Pide from Turkey and Berlinerbrodt from Germany.

Breads of the World

Pita from Greece and baps from the UK.

Breads of the World

Paneto from Peru.

Notre Dame

Now to visit Notre Dame, which was begun in 1163 and completed in 1345. Extensive restoration began in 1845 and more restoration began in 1991. It has French Gothic architecture.

Inside Notre Dame

Notre Dame is a functioning cathedral. A mass was going on when I was there. There is much to see inside the cathedral, so much that you might miss seeing it all. I would suggest renting an audio guide. I also suggest buying a book on Notre Dame that covers its outside as there is much to view and to understand on it. I didn’t do either but I wish that I had.

My photos of Notre Dame are on a slideshow. Go to
http://www.peggysphotos.com/notre–dame/
(Slide Shows, Western Europe, France, “Paris: Notre Dame”).

Cafe

After visiting Notre Dame, I had some time before my tour of the Marias neighborhood was to begin. We were meeting in front of Notre Dame. I went across the street to a cafe for a cappuccino. The French and especially French waiters have had a reputation of being on the rude side to tourists. But not my waiter and other waiters and also citizens that I met this time in France. They were all very friendly and very helpful. I was wondering if I really was in France. I have been told that much of this change has occurred after the Paris terror attacks. Visitors were no longer coming to Paris and to France and a be–friendly campaign was started. I also noticed that the French were really enjoying being friendly and helpful and were happy with their new personalities. I call them the New French.

Marais Pastry, Wine, and Cheese Tour

I met my small group Marais (pronounced Ma–re) pastry, wine, and cheese tour in front of Notre Dame at 2 p.m. There were six of us plus our tour guide––two couples from Vancouver and a single woman from Calgary. I booked the tour with viator.com and it was given by Urban Adventures, a company that I had taken tours from before in various cities.

Hotel de Ville

We walked across the Pont d’Arcole, the bridge which connects the Ile de la Cite with the Hotel de Ville across the Seine.

The Marias

Before the French Revolution, the Marias was the area where the rich lived. After the Revolution, it became bohemian and also was once the largest Jewish community in Europe. The Marias has more pre–revolutionary buildings and streets than anywhere else in Paris. It escaped Napoleon’s remaking of the city. It also is filled with many restaurants, interesting shops, churches, and narrow streets. Definitely an interesting area to walk around. There is also a Picasso Museum here––as well as other museums––full of Picasso works that his family donated to France instead of paying inheritance taxes.

Aux Mereveilleux de Fred

On our tour, we visited three pastry shops, the first one was the Aux Mereveilleux de Fred where we had meringue cakes.

Pierre Herme

Our second stop was at Pierre Herme, said to be one of the best if not the best macaron maker in all of Paris. We had our choice of a macaron.

Maison Georges Larnicol

Our third stop was at Maison Georges Larnicol which sold candies, pastry, and cookies from Brittany. Here we had a choice of kouignettes, a Breton butter cake––buttery and gooey and very tasty.

Rue St. Antoine

Our last stop was at a wine and cheese bar but either I forgot to take photos there or else the photos that I did take have disappeared. I had some wine (okay) and some cheese (also okay). After I left, I walked down to Rue St. Antoine as I had seen some pharmacies there when we were on that street. I had an order for some French products from my daughter that I could buy at a pharmacy. When I told my tour guide where I was going, she remarked that going to a pharmacy to buy French products is a popular thing for tourists as the products as less expensive than in their home countries. From here, I took a taxi back to my hotel and ate dinner there.

I have put my photos of my Marais tour on a slideshow. Go to
http://www.peggysphotos.com/paris–marais–pastry–wine–tour/
(Slide Shows, Western Europe, France, “Paris: Marais Pastry & Wine Tour”).