Adventure en France part 3; return to Paris.

We awoke to find we had slept long; the country air did is good. After a quick breakfast of rustique bread dunked in fresh coffee, we headed out back to town, where we said our farewells to Melonie.

A sort walk down to the station, and another quick chat with the machine got us two seats on the next TGV back to Paris. Time enough for a coffee in a cafe opposite the station; would we like a pain au chocolat? Mai oiu!

The train arrived; doubled decked and full of comfortable seats; it whisked us back into Paris in under an hour at speeds approaching 170 mph. The fields and villages flew past.

We returned to the hotel, got a shower and changed our clothes before setting out once again into Paris. We stopped for lunch at a Basque place just up the road from the hotel; we had a ham and cheese salad; doesn't sund exciting, but it was great, with a balsamic dressing, and loads of fresh bread, and a pint, sorry, hapfa litre of proper Stella



We headed down into the Metro, and went to Le Trocadero, so to see Le Tour Eifel. With my wide angle lens, I got some great shots; whilst avoiding the Africans selling dodgy models of the tower, but entertained when police on bikes chased them down the Left Bank.



We followed them, and the sun broke through and it got very warm. We saw the river police rescue an old guy who had fallen in the river; and then dozens of other cars arrived, followed by two boats and a helicopter and countless motorcycles. The guy was already out and shaking the hands of the policeman who pulled him out.

We followed the river to Notre Dame, it was packed, and all around the cathedral was a artisan bakers fair. it made me think of money changers, and was it all really needed in such a beautiful place? Notre Dame is not really a church, the chattering classes go there and ignore signs banning flash photography and add it to the album. We walk away to a quiet historic quarter; and whilst nursing a dark beer, the heaven open, and we watch as a real rain washed the streets clean. Thunder echoed around, and lightning flashed. Free entertainment.

Back near the hotel we find a small place that has pepper steak and a cheapish bottle of red. We finish of with Crem Brulee and coffee.

Not bad for an unemployed bum.......