Paris

Saturday we arrived in Paris at Orly airport...the last time I remember being in Orly was when JC and  I picked up my sister a few days before our wedding! Its been a long time! In those days you parked right in front of the airport and we could see Lena-Liis coming down the airplane steps from where we had parked the car! How things have changed!

I took this photo from the backseat of the taxi...first view of the Eiffel tower even if it was just a poster.

Our apartment is on rue Legendre in the 17th arrondissement not far from the Mairie where we were married. The street is filled with cafés, shops and restaurants and we are lucky to have a place in the inner courtyard of the building so we do not hear a thing.

This picture is looking out of our main sitting room window into the courtyard...the street is through the double doors on the left.

First thing was to grab some lunch which we did down the street in a place called Les Puces

 They were serving "brunch" here and all the tables had these colorful bowls:

Then we had to get some groceries and went around the corner to the Super U...the food section of this store is upstairs and you pay downstairs so this is how the cart comes along since there is no elevator...or at least not one that works:

The way this system works is...you get to ride up an escalator with your empty bags and the cart follows in a side cart escalator...then when you are loaded with groceries you must walk down stairs (!!!!) and if you have a cart it rides down the way it came up...see our cart to the left? This is a bit like in the Metro where there is a ramp in case you have a suitcase to roll along but then after the ramp you must climb up two sets of stairs carrying your suitcase(s) to get to the trains. Not sure why this is...does not make sense to me!Could be part of the keep French women slim plan! 

Since it was a sunny day we walked over towards the Square des Batignolles where our boys used to go to ride the merry-go-round when we would visit. It is always filled with people like all of these readers... 

everyone was reading from a different thing...newspaper, book, kindle.

In an area nearby where there used to be a huge railroad yard with warehouses and ugly buildings the city of Paris has created a giant park which would have been the Olympic site

...this is the name:

 Parc Martin Luther King....as you can see in the poster it was just dedicated so it was full of people:

on scooters and strolling

having a nap ON THE GRASS!!!!(I remember from before when you put your foot on the grass the park guard would blow a whistle and even give you a ticket if he really wanted to be mean!!!!)

There were kids doing roller blades and skateboards...

or just running up and down the various platforms around the area!Also playing soccer or basketball...it looked to me like the whole neighborhood was there for the long weekend.

Many chaises longues were set out in several areas and these were waiting for the grass to grow more before they could be used.

The park is about 20 acres and there are ponds and the new extended 14 Metro line goes there too. Around the perimeter are hotels, apartment buildings and commerces...I found this design rather unique:

Here is another view of the various buildings from farther away

Sunday was a little bit chillier so we took the Metro and went over to the Champs Elysées

When we stepped out of the Metro we saw this "sculpture" of Tintin going to outer space in the courtyard of the Figaro newspaper (I think).

Nice gates though right?

We walked up the avenue to check out possible movies and just see what was there...

they are doing some work on the Arc de Triomphe but can you see all the people up there on the left???? What about the line up of Pizza Pino with that very modern building in the background? We were going to go across and see what it was but we got distracted.

Guerlain had a special promotion going on and the entire store inside and out was draped in roses.

Pour célébrer la femme qui vous est chère le 68 se métamorphose...

There is always something incredible to see on the Champs Elysées! We went into the Mercedes Benz showroom where they had all the new cars in the Paris Dream Stars...first me

then JC:

The theme colors were hot pink. silver and black and the cars were amazing...there is always a great car display on the avenue and even fun for people who are not that interested in cars.

We decided to take the bus back to rue Legendre so we walked over to Place de Ternes past this café...can you see the Arc peeking in behind the trees???

We passed this art nouveau hotel called Ceramic Hotel...here is a detail view of the front windows

 and the front door

There always seem to be some red geraniums in a window box somewhere like these:

 or these....at the Hotel Napoleon.

Our bus was quick and we enjoyed the scenery as it drove us home. This very elegant lady was waiting at the bustop.

 a poster glimpsed on the way...

 our bus route:

Back to rue Legendre

Walking up the street from the bus stop we saw this rather "unique" restaurant...Thai/Mexican food....

I wonder what that might be like????

Back home and ready to relax...

 that is our sitting room window on the far right. The weather forecast says rain for Wednesday and rather glum weather in between so I think we might take in some French films and an exhibit or two. See you soon again!