We're just back from two weeks in France, mainly in Bordeaux, but with a few days in Paris at the end of the trip. And since our flight got into Paris at 8:20 in the morning, we were at our hotel by nine....and our room wouldn't be ready until 1 p.m. or so.

What to do? We'll, we had on some walking shoes, so that's what we did. We trooped down to the Seine, where we got a great view from the bridge on the way to Ile de la Cite. Then wandered around that island past Ste. Chapelle and the flower market to Notre Dame. We felt a little more at home when we noticed a pigeon raising a young family in her nest in the crown of the Virgin Mary on the main façade...and then really enjoyed the amazing gargoyles there.


You just don't see many of those in the Sierra

inside the cathedral we spent as much time looking up at the towering vaulted ceilings as anything else.

Then across to Ile St. Louis, where we loved the little cafes and food shops. From there we walked over to the Places des Vosges, the oldest square in Paris, built around 1600, and still looking fresh as a daisy. Ate way too much food at a Corsican restaurant nearby...much to the delight of the owner.

We finally staggered back to our hotel at about 3 p.m. The room was ready, and we were ready for it. Hotel Chopin is an old hotel, continuously operated since 1844, in the Passage Jouffroy. These old passages connect the Grands Boulevards that we rebuilt in the early 1800s. It's not luxurious---doesn't have a pool or a fitness center, and the elevator is tiny at best--but it has great charm and a really fun and helpful staff.


All in all, not a bad hike. And we did it with an ultralight daypack...just to keep in style! The photos....captions to come soon...are here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/YhN2CD1SU4CP1XSO2

I love Paris in the springtime. . . .

Yeah. It was a good trip.

It might not be backpacking, but it sure looks like fun. I didn't know the medieval architecture of France was so awesome! Bordeaux looks like a living fairytale. Thanks for sharing.