A Quick trip to Paris (November 21-25, 2024) Day one

 

Surprise!   I spent a long weekend in Paris in late November.  I flew to London on November 20, arriving at 11 a.m. to catch a connecting flight to Paris.  It was cheaper to fly British Airways with a connecting flight than to fly direct to Paris.  

I should have arrived in Paris by 3 p.m.  I arrived at my Air BnB at midnight as Paris was blanketed by a snowstorm that closed Charles de Galles Airport. My 1 p.m., flight sat on the tarmac for several hours before being canceled.  We were bused back to the airport.  BA put me on the 5:30 p.m.  I also received two £10 food vouchers and a $70 voucher for my next BA flight.   My flight did not leave until after 8 p.m., and I did not get to my Air BnB (10th arrondissement) until midnight.  

I was up at 7 to start my adventure, which included the Musee d'Orsay, Tuileries, and the Louvre, walking across the Seine, the Eiffel Tower (I walked around but did not get a ticket until my last day), and spending time on one of the bridges overlooking the Seine and enjoying the views.

My comfy room in the 11th arrondissement near Canal St. Martin

Yummy breakfast - the bakery is on Avenue Parmentier near the Goncourt Metro stop.  Huge Pain au Chocolate

You can see me taking the photograph.  Pink sneakers.  This is a huge mirror - the building is behind me.  Yes, it is raining.

My stop was Palais Royal, where I planned to walk across one of the bridges to the Musee d'Orsay.  

The Louvre Pyramid

This is the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel.  It was built between 1806 and 1808 to commemorate Napoleon's victories in the Third and Fourth Coalition Wars.

On the Alexander III bridge - in the distance on the right you can see Notre Dame with scaffolding

Swans on the Seine

The Musée d'Orsay is housed in a former train station - and a grand station.  The clock is fantastic.

I could not get up to the fifth floor fast enough.  Impressionism heaven!  Renoir is my favorite painter.

Yes, this is the clock in the photos above  - 5th floor.

    

One of Degas' dancers

This is from the Clock window. I brought my 18-400 Zoom with me.   Sacre Coeur in the background

La Roue de Paris in the Tuileries 

Sculpture outside the Musée d'Orsay

Waiting for his order at a cafe across from the Musée d'Orsay

The original plan was to have breakfast at the Eiffel Tower, but due to the weather, the tower did not open until 1 p.m.   After having a coffee at the museum, I took the RER  - the station is across the street from the Musée d'Orsay - to Champ de Mars where the Eiffel Tower is located.

"Paris, I love You"

It took an hour or more to get a ticket for the tour - and a meal. I decided I was too hungry to wait that long. I did order a ticket for Sunday night, however. I walked around, took a few pictures, and was thankful for the crepe stand near the Eiffel Tower.   Quite a delicious ham and cheese crepe.

I headed back to the other side of the Seine, walking across the Solferino bridge to the Tuileries Gardens.   As it was late November, most of the fountains were off and very few flowers were in bloom.

It was approaching 5 p.m., as dusk soon turned into darkness.  I bought a cup of hot chocolate as I stood in line to enter the Louvre.  The Pyramid is where you enter the museum, heading down an escalator.

                                                    

the Tuileries

I bought the hot chocolate at a stand near the Arc.

I walked a lot in Paris.  Very few Metro stations have escalators or elevators.  I clocked eight miles on Friday and Sunday and ten miles on Saturday.

Two stops were on my bucket list: the Musee d'Orsay and Versailles.   The weather was cold and damp. Except on Sunday (in the 60s).   The Louvre is open until 9 p.m., on Wednesdays and Fridays, which allowed me to plan my first full day with the Louvre as the final stop.  The Louvre is huge so I made a list of what I wanted to see, which included the Jewel Room,  Venus de Milo, Winged Victory, and, of course, Mona Lisa.

The lady at the Information Desk was helpful.  I told her what I wanted to see.  She gave me a museum map highlighting the floors where I needed to go.  As there were always lines to see the Mona Lisa, I headed up the stairs.  

                                    

Venus de Milo

From the Torlonia Collection

The Sculptures from the Torlonia Museum are on display until January 6. 2025.

https://presse.louvre.fr/masterpieces-from-the-torlonia-collection-1063000219233/

Winged Victory

The Jewel Room (Apollo Gallery)is next to the Winged Victory.

https://www.louvre.fr/en/explore/the-palace/sun-gold-and-diamonds

Empress Eugenie's stunning pearl and diamond tiara

For more about this tiara, please see this article by the Court Jeweller.

https://www.thecourtjeweller.com/2017/08/empress-eugenies-pearl-tiara.html

Louis XV's Crown (1722)

Angoulememe emerald and diamond tiara 

https://www.thecourtjeweller.com/2021/01/museum-week-angouleme-emerald-tiara.html

Duchess of Angouleme's ruby bracelet

This was as I walked toward the Louvre. 

I had seen everything I wanted to see and more.  It was back down the stairs and escalator to the Pyramid.  I did not exit the same way I came in.  I discovered I was in the Le Carrousel du Louvre, an underground shopping mall.  I spotted a familiar store, Ladurée, as there is one in Washington, D.C.

Yes, I did go inside and buy a box of six macrons, including the Marie Antoinette macron.   

That is my green bag with my macrons.

I found an exit to the street, but I did not where I was.  I crossed the street to read the sign and realized I was on Rue St. Honore.   Plenty of restaurants and cafes.   I chose Cafe de la Comedie.  I chose Quiche Lorraine,  profiteroles for dessert, and a glass of chardonnay.  Everything was delicious, and not pricey.

https://www.instagram.com/explore/locations/103565469076985/cafe-de-la-comedie/

This is an entrance to the Palais Royal Metro stop.

As one does, a Selfie with Mona Lisa