Birthday in Paris

June 13 th was JC's birthday so I told him I would take him out and about...first a visit to the old high school, Lycée Carnot.

We were lucky to get inside for a look around since the site is being used for the Baccalaureate exams and no real classes were in session.

Building designed by G. Eiffel this is "le hall Eiffel"

It was great to walk inside and see all of the famous people who have also attended this school.

Le cour d'Honneur

Louis Aragon was a graduate as well as  François Michelin ( of the tires), Jean-Claude Peugeot, Jacques Guerlain, Jacques Chirac former French president and Jean Reno the actor. The young Guy Moquet, who was executed by the Nazis at the age of 17 (he was involved in the resistance), also attended. There is a metro station named after him in the 17th arrondissement among other things.
The lycée has added a modern wing and the whole establishment takes up the whole block.

Inner courtyard from a window on the street

Next on the agenda a was a trip back up to Montmartre

in the little electric bus but this time for...fabric right here:

I know, it was not my birthday but since we were already in Montmartre

I just thought I could look around!! I did find a few treasures and JC didn't have to wait for me too long!

Anyway, after a picnic lunch at home I took him to the Parc du Vert Gallant by the Pont Neuf and for a ride on the bateaux-mouches on the Seine.

The weather was PERFECT and it was so nice to glide along and see all the various sites. We were more focused in what was around the quais than the monuments ....for example the hammock with someone lounging in it

Also this class of painters just below the Louvre

What do you think of these barge homes? I think it would be great to be able to rent one to live on for a short time in nice weather!

This one is actually a restaurant:

Of course we passed by the Eiffel Tower with the merry go round below.

There was also this Oasis Brasilienne set up just for the coupe du monde I think...people were watching the game on a huge screen under the white round tent:

 Then we saw this park created along the quais...this is part of the banks of the Seine I wrote about in an earlier post.

Once we passed Notre Dame near the Jardin des Plantes there is the spot where people gather to dance the tango or lindy on the shore.

It was Friday evening and everyone seemed to be out and strolling along the Seine:

Here is a barge named Alma and some more boats...we also passed by the smallest house in Paris...it only has two windows do you see it sandwiched between the big buildings?

We returned under the Pont Neuf with its carved faces.

After the nice ride in the cool breeze we went over the Bd. St. Germain for the birthday dinner at Brasserie Vagenende which has been there since the early 1900's with wood in the style "nouilles" of the art nouveau period. They nearly took this down to build a supermarket!!!!! But André Malraux and even Charles De Gaulle intervened to save it and it is now classed as a "Monument Historique!" Thank goodness!!

Most diners sat outside but we did not want to smell cigarette smoke and wanted  a little peacefulness in the bustle of the Quartier Latin so we chose the elegant inside.

For starters....escargots...they were HUGE and delicious!

We toasted with a nice Rosé and finished with a SHARED creme brûlée....yum! The perfect meal really!

It was a nice evening...here are some views as we walked homeward! It was close to 9:45...look how light it still is!

JC was delighted to get his Skype birthday song from Carpentras when we got home but so sorry to miss in person the trapeze performance by Maya! We hope this train strike will end soon!