Paris July 27-30

After an easy flight got on a packed RER train into the city, then grabbed a quick baguette sandwich, dropped our bags at les Tournelles and met up for a free tour of le marais with Adrien. Unlike much of pariis, this area was not rebuilt in 1800s so there are many original narrow streets. Its also a Jewish area and LGBTQ area - checks all the boxes for cool place to stay. The current mayor is on a pact to remove cars from city so main drag has huge bike lane and few vehicles, we saw no rush hour or traffic jams - another box checked. Lots of small gardens (although paris not as green as London) and piazzas around., and zero trash on the streets. Even the rubbish bins look like they're empty. Walked around Place des Vosges, the oldest square in paris and into national archives, set in an old private "home" which feels more like a small castle with its huge rooms and ornate details. We met up with Shira and David for coffee and snacks and a walk along the river, so fun as almost everyone is slowly arriving in paris, after various adventures in Israel, Iceland, azores! Jen, stylishly dressed, was mistaken for a Parisienne. After falafel dinner, managed to stay awake until 9. Good first day.

Day 2 after breakfast we started with a walk through Latin Quarter with Sam, missie, kenny and Rochelle towards the Pantheon and Luxembourg Gardens.  Beautiful gardens and kenny, as a former Parisienne, acted as tour guide convincingly telling us about what we were seeing.   Had 3 croissants and 3 coffees before noon.  Then over to rodin museum.  Lots of famous sculptures, and some other paintings he traded/was given by other Paris artists, all in a restored workshop he used.  Nice sandwiches in the sculpture garden for lunch, with a drink that was actually cold. Kept walking towards the eiffel tower, but skipped the crowds and just took a photo.  After failing to secure a rental bike (twice) took metro back to the hotel where more bikers are trickling in.  Another quick dinner (sushi) and onto a haunted walking tour with Anne & jj of the isle de la cite (notre dame) and les halles, hearing about all the gruesome things the french did to each other in the middle ages,  including torture,  executions and cannibalism.  And the black plague of course.  Met up with Glasgows and Victors, and went to holocaust museum - powerful reminder of how the French shipped off their citizens to the nazi death camps - hmm, maybe should be part of the haunted tour.   Full day, 34,000 steps.  

Last full day in paris was Friday.  After walking much of the left bank yesterday, the plan is to take it easier today and go to a couple small museums (musee dorsay and the louvre) - will see how the crowds are. Another nice breakfast at different Cafe to start the day - good croissant and fresh squeezed OJ (and coffee) is so much better than a bagel, and you can linger as long as you want, watching the stylish, thin Parisiennes walk by. Scootered (jon) and ebiked (jen) to the musee dorsay, which is my favorite - cool old train station, innumerable famous paintings and good views of the city through the clocks. Got in early enough to beat the crowds. After short nap in tulieres garden (the French put nice chairs in their parks), hit the louvre for an hour and a half. Yes, we queued up to see the Mona Lisa, and then went to the other wing where it was way less crowded and equally amazing art. Took the afternoon off - reading in the park and napping, before dinner at 1000&1 signs (moroccan, with deaf owner/cook - thus the name) near La bastille- a pretty hip neighborhood with lots of bars. Mostly just me & Jen today - was nice. Down in Blois, a minyan of bikers found our hotel and got settled in. Tomorrow the rest of us join them.