After saying our good-byes to Philippa and Alan, we packed the car and left for Paris. We stopped at a lay-by for lunch and were surprised by the large, shady area which provided toilets and lots of seating.
After a long hard day of driving and with a sigh of relief, we delivered the car undented to the Eurocar drop off point.
Our Paris exchange family advised us to catch the RoissyBus from the airport to the back of the Opera House building where they would meet us. After several unsuccessful attempts to ring them from the airport to let them know we had arrived, we asked a stranger what the Paris code was and, voila, we were successful. We caught the bus, a non-stop delivery to the centre of Pars, where they were waiting. They were double parked and in the midst of the mayhem led us to the car and quickly drove from the square to their home. They explained the necessary details over a cold beer, handed over the keys and headed for their house in the country, 150 kms from Paris. They are a warm and welcoming couple of our vintage.
The small apartment is on the 5th floor and very comfortable and central with considerable security. The nearest metro station is Voltaire.
Sunday June 18
We ventured out in the late afternoon to explore our immediate area and found the nearby parks and streets full of Parisienes relaxing and kids playing.
There were three basketball courts, a large playground, seats occupied by oldies watching the passing parade, kids swimming in the fountain, boule players and onlookers, sun- bakers, sleepers and lovers, all within a block of our place.
Eventually we joined a large crowd at the corner bar and relaxed with a spritz. We rate it the iconic drink of this trip!!
LOUVRE MUSEUM.
We walked down to the Voltaire metro station, bought tickets and caught the train directly to the Louvre Museum stop which was easy. The entrance was a sea of people entering and leaving so we squared our shoulders and went for it! We had a plan of attack and stayed with it except for a detour to see the Mona Lisa. Strangely, she hadn't aged a bit since we saw her last in 1975!
We surged in with the crowd and found our way to the Islamic Art (700-1800.)
On display were ceramics, miniatures, glassware, wood panelling, carpets and ceremonial weapons. They reflected the splendour of a civilasition that extended from Spain to India.
We queued from lunch which we ate on the ramparts with an expansive over the palace, the pyramid, and the triumphal arch with a view towards the Tuileries Garden. We sat at table with a Canadian couple and chatted about our shared experiences of house exchange.
Lastly, we saw the Spanish paintings (1400-1850) by El Greco, Ribera, Murillo and Goya. We were interested in the drawings, prints and engravings, pastels and watercolours from 1350-1850 which are held by the Louvre. They are the world's finest collection by renowned Eurpoean artists, but are light-sensitive and can only be presented for short periods in temporary exhibitions. We were lucky to see them.
After deciding 'enough was too much' we caught the train home.
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