Our visit to France and its capital Paris had not offered much sunshine. Our fourth day in the city would not be much different. Susann had purchased a ticket to visit the Louvre the day before, so we planned to explore the center of Paris more before her entry time. Then while Susann was acting culturally enlightened, Little A and I were going to go shopping.
A Stroll in Central Paris
Our day began with a walk to the metro station of Laumière. From here we gained access to the Metro Line 5. A line that took us to the Place de la Bastille. This was formerly the location of a famous fortress. A fortress that gained even more fame as it was stormed in 1789 during the French Revolution. During the time of the fortress, it was also used as a prison, housing over 5.000 prisoners over the centuries.
For my part, it was news that the fortress was no longer here. Well, I didn’t know what to expect. However, I did know that the Seine River was not far away and we set off along Boulevard Henri-IV. This meant crossing the southern tip of the island Île Saint-Louis along the bridge Pont de Sully. We had set our target on the Panthéon and Jardin du Luxembourg.
But before continuing uphill from the river we found a small café for lunch. Once more it was time for a baguette and some other small snacks for Little A. Well, she had been hoping for something sweet, which I got her first after we had left the café.
The streets around the Panthéon were crowded and preparation for some kind of event took place. It turned out to be the upcoming move of the remains of two Resistance Fighters or WWII heroes. There was a visible increase in security activity around the site, so we just walked by. We continued our walk to the nearby park of Jardin du Luxembourg. This is a park that is most likely amazing in the summer months. Sadly the February rain did little for the park’s attractiveness.
Our walk back towards the river took us to the bridge Pont Neuf, which we used to cross the river at the northern tip of the island Île de la Cité. We were on the way back to the shopping center Westfield Forum des Halleswe had visited the day before.
Leaving Susann at the Louvre
We did only spend a short time at Westfield Forum des Halles before it was time to drop Susann of at the Louvre. This was one more sight that Little A remembered from the TV Series Miraculous about the superheroine Lady Bug. Especially the small glass pyramid was a sight she remembered. For my part, it was a surprise that the glass pyramid was so small. I had imagined it as a lot bigger.
Something that did match my imagination was the queues. There really is something about all the queues for the tourist sights in Paris. What’s even more surprising is that everything is set on specific entry times, meaning that the queuing is quite useless. The people who queue for a long time only save a few minutes compared to the last-minute arrivals.
Susann did at least get to see the Mona Lisa from a distance as she avoided the crowds to see as much as possible during the hours she spent at the Louvre. While she did that, Little A and I set off along a path of Little A’s earlier wishes.
What Can You Do in Paris When It Rains?
Little A had seen a Miraculous toy she really wanted in a shop along the Champs-Élysées. This was earlier in the week when we were on our way to the Eiffel Tower. So we took the metro to a stop along Champs-Élysées and once we got back up at ground level, it was raining. It was no longer so nice to enjoy the surroundings, so we hurried into the shop. A small purchase later we were back on the metro to get back to Westfield Forum des Halles.
We had seen a large playground in photos from the shopping center. Once back we found out that the playground was actually located outdoors and it rained even harder. Well, back to the many stores within the shopping center. Little A can spend a long time looking at clothes and accessories, so she had no problem getting the time to fly until her mother was finished at the Louvre. We did at the same time make sure to find a bakery to get some French cakes. Something that Little A didn’t object to.
It kept raining when Susann called us to let us know that she was on her way back. We met her halfway before visiting a few more shops and trying to find a restaurant for dinner. We eventually decided to head back towards the hotel and found a restaurant where I had a great steak. It was both cheaper and less crowded than central Paris. And once we had eaten too much, it was a very short walk back to our hotel room. We decided to extend the stay at the hotel for an extra night due to the weather forecast. W
Join Us in Exploring Paris! Read more: A Miraculous Week in France >>
