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For the wanderers

Jardins des Tuileries…

Sunny Sunday afternoons must be spent in a lovely garden and where better than the beautiful Jardins des Tuileries?

Wandering the length of the gardens, from the Louvre to Place del la Concorde, I marveled at the autumnal tones of the Plane Trees; folk casually settled on the iconic metal chairs the shade of lush green grass, reading, kissing, chattering, dozing, observing. Water fowl snatching crusts as they jostle one another against the light breeze rippling across the circular lakes. Happy snapping tourists, family clusters. Immaculately dressed twins in gorgeous tonal puffer jackets sailing miniature sail boats, lovingly coached by their Mum, the epitome of French chic dressed in skinny white jeans, tailored tan leather jacket and matching boots and sporting the most adorable plum colored YSL cross body bag that I make a mental note to seek out…wait! I digress! A beautiful day mingling with the locals. Just a few of my favourite snaps….

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A black cat and a nimble rabbit…

Le Chat Noir and Lapin Agile to be precise. I’ve been exploring Montmartre and the treasures hidden in the narrow cobblestone streets around Sacré-Cœur and discovered the pair of them reside in this neighbourhood.

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Since ‘Au Lapin Agile’ was a popular meeting place for questionable Montmartre characters including eccentrics, pimps, a batch of local anarchists, students from the Latin Quarter and one or two well-heeled bourgeoisie; seemed a fitting place to start.

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Lapin Agile

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After the obligatory jostle of tourists around the iconic Basilica Sacré-Cœur, checked out the Montmartre Museum housing Toulouse-Lautrec and a host of other famous artists’ works including the iconic Chat Noir by Théophile Steinlen, the posters now more famous than the actual night club they were promoting.

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Aside from cats and rabbits, I also came across a vineyard, a floppy clock, a couple of windmills and a few more space invaders.

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Vineyards beneath the Museum.20131103-010820.jpg

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Salvadore Dali works

20131103-011121.jpgA bite to eat

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20131103-011302.jpgArtists sketching tourists

20131103-011400.jpgOne of the two remaining windmills that once stood on this hill

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It’s sister – that other famous windmill in neighboring Pigalle20131103-011637.jpg

20131103-011645.jpgAnd more of those pesky invaders

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Right. That’s Montmartre and surrounds taken care of…next?

Just a Perfect Day…

The late, great Lou Reed’s words resonating in my ears I take to the streets to make the most of my last days reveling in what beautiful Paris has to offer. One week. Just one more week to explore her beauty, taste her culture, forge lasting memories. The sun is shining and as the man says – ‘it’s such a perfect day’…

Today’s highlights:

20131101-220402.jpg Le petit déjeuner (small breakfast) in a quaint outdoor cafe.

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Hôtel de Ville20131101-221006.jpg Love locks on the Pont des Arts behind Notre Dame

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20131101-222527.jpgL’Hôtel national des Invalides (The National Residence of the Invalids) war memorial and Napoleon’s tomb

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20131101-223139.jpgThe Place Vendôme and Pont Neuf

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20131101-224635.jpgWandering home after a coffee stop

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20131101-225017.jpgBack at Republique...just another perfect day indeed.

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