I decided to try taking the bus today instead of the metro so I could see more of the streets of Paris.  The bus map is a little intimidating, and rather confusing, but I am starting to figure it out.  Wednesday’s life drawing class is in the evening, and although I am feeling quite comfortable walking about by myself in the daytime I don’t really want to be out at night, so no drawing class today.

I took the bus from my place to the Pont Neuf right beside the Louvre, popped inside for a quick visit to la toilette, (more on toilettes later…) and then walked towards the Tuileries.

Looking towards one wing of the Louvre.

These are the beautiful gardens just west of the Louvre.  They even have an off leash area for dogs at the end closest to the Louvre.  I can’t believe how many dogs, and all the big dogs that people have in this city.

I stopped for lunch at a cafe in the park, and then continued on to the far end of the Tuileries which is Place Concord.  This is a huge square with an Egyptian obelisk in the centre, flanked by two identical ornate fountains.

There is so much to see here that it is hard to know where to look.  Sometimes I just stand in one spot and slowly rotate, every direction I look brings some new amazing sight into view.

The end of the Tuileries and the entrance to Place Concorde, with the Eiffel Tower thrown in, as though there isn’t enough to look at here.

Soon I am walking along the Champs-Élysées and realize that Autumn is almost here, the leaves are beginning to change colour.  It has been sunny and warm every day since I arrived, temperatures have been between 21 and 25 every day, so it feels very much like summer.  I couldn’t ask for better weather.

The parks here are so very well maintained, and the flowers everywhere are magnificent.

There is an art exhibit along the street.

Many of the photos moved me to tears.  War seems so very senseless.

This is the Grand Palais National Gallery, I check it out but it is a 30€ entrance fee!  I don’t know what the exhibits are, I’ll have to see if it sounds worth such an expensive entrance fee.

One of the things I love about Paris are the incredible details, if one remembers to look.  It is so easy to be overwhelmed by the grandeur of all these buildings, but when one looks closer there is almost always more to see..

And then even more to see.  I think this  beautiful mosaic frieze is probably not even noticed by many tourists.

Across the street is the Petit Palais, and it is free!  It is a beautiful building full of  beautiful art.

Checking out at a Rembrandt painting, 

Taking a photo of the floor in the Petit Palais, it is all beautiful mosaics.

I decide I will come back here another day but want to continue my walk.  I do stop for a much needed pot of tea in the museum cafe. It is a bargain at only 3€ and they are happy to supply more hot water to refill my pot.  I do a few quick sketches of people while sitting in the cafe, and then head back out towards the Arc de Triomphe, along the very busy Champs-Elysées.

Yes, I was standing in the middle of the street to take this picture….but on a cross walk. The tree lined paths soon give way to very expensive shops.  I walk into one of the shopping Galleries to have a look around.

Again, remembering to look for details..

And then there are the shop windows…

Notice the price for the tin of macaroons, 52€!  I think there were 25 little macaroons in the tin.

There is a McDonalds on this very fancy street of shops!  Bob and I stopped there for tea when we were in Paris several years ago, so I decided to stop and go sit upstairs overlooking the street just as we did before.

I finally make it to the Arc de Trimphe.  It is in the middle of a very busy traffic circle so there is an underground tunnel to get to it.  I was going to go to the top for a fee of 9.50€, but it was getting late and a bit hazy so I decide to save doing this for another time.

There was a remembrance ceremony happening so I stayed to watch for a while.  It seemed as though family members were placing flowers in remembrance, not sure though.  There were a lot of dignitaries and important looking people there too.  This picture gives a good idea just how big this monument is.

Something must have been going on nearby because there were lots of sirens and seven or eight big Gendarmes paddy wagons type of vehicles came flying by, all in a row, along with several other police vehicles.  I wonder what it was all about?

I find my way to the street with my bus stop and take a bus back to the Gare de L’Est, and then walk home.  I am pretty tired, but had an interesting day.

I took so many more pictures, but I have to stop somewhere…..