On the advice of the desk clerk at our hotel, we purchased mobilis tickets and catch the train into Paris. We exited on the Right Bank at the Chatelet' train station at the Fontaine du Palmier so as to to pick up our Batobus excursion. The Batobus is a hop on-hop off tour boat that stops at all of the major sightseeing destinations.
In Paris, even the streetlights are fancy.
As we leave the train station we encounter the Fontaine du Palmier. This fountain was designed to provide fresh drinking water to the population of the neighborhood and to commemorate the victories of Napoleon; it is the largest of the fountains built during Napoleon's reign that is still in existence today.
Here is Mom in front of Saint-Jacques Tower. This is is all that remains of the 16th century Church of Saint-Jacques-de-la-Boucherie (Saint James of the butchery) which was leveled shortly after the French Revolution.
As we cross the Pont au Change bridge enroute to the Batobus pick up location, we encountered a Busker .. this one is a sarcophagus.
The domed building over Mom's shoulder is the Institut de France.
The Batobus is going to take us up and down the Seine River. Our pick up location is on the Left Bank. Here's Jeff standing next to the River Seine on the Left Bank
We thought we should ride the Batobus for a full circuit and then decide where to hop off. There were lots of tourists on the Batobus .. and according to Mom, Gérard Depardieu was along for the ride. Somehow, I'm not sure about this last part.
One of the first landmarks we pass is Notre Dame. We are standing on the back deck of the Batobus as we pass the cathedral.
And here we are in front of the Notre Dame Cathedral .. Formally known as Notre Dame de Paris, which translates to Our Lady of Paris. Construction of the cathedral begin in 1163. Yep, that's right ... 1163. The cathedral treasury purportedly houses the Crown of Thorns.
This statue depicting Charlemagne sits in the courtyard of Notre Dame.
The Paris Fire Department (Sapeurs-pompiers) has a presence on the Seine River.
Along our Batobus route we passed the Jardin des Plantes, this botanical garden part of the the Natural History Museum and is situated on the left bank.
Built in 1889 and standing more than 1,000 feet tall (think ... 80 story building), the Eiffel Tower is one of the most recognizable landmarks in the world. The Forth Bridge (see the April 30, Stirling Castle post) is built of similar construction.
Here is the Pont Alexandre, with the Eiffel Tower in the background and a Batobus in the foreground. You have never seen more impressive bridges than Parisian bridges.
You can't really travel to Paris and not take a picture of a kiss. So here's a gratuitous smooch!
We stopped at the Louvre, the most visited art museum in the world. The treasures housed here include The Mona Lisa. The museum is housed in the Louvre Palace which began as a fortress built in the late 12th century.
The Saint Germain L'Auxerrois, more commonly known as the Church of the Louvre
We have seen all this .. and all before lunch !!
Wonderful day in Paris, so much to see, and I got to have my snails at a sidewalk cafe while the rest of you looked on....
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