Pont Alexandre III. Big bridge with golden statues, across from Les Invalides, crossing over to Le Grand Palais. Reminds me of the bridge of Angels in Rome and of the other similar bridge in Berlin. I locate a big "wheel" in the distance and decide to walk to it.
A girl approaches "Is this your ring?" she shows me a fancy golden ring, looking like a discarded wedding ring. This is a known to me distraction method: she will ask for money as a finders fee,and the sucker tourist will give her 50 Euros for it, thinking this is a golden ring. I must look like the regular american with my big camera. I wave her off and keep walking.
Apparently, I am close to Les champs Elysees. There is a nice statue of Clemanceau here, decorated with colorful combinations of flowers. I take some more pictures and turn right. Another Christmas village is been erected here, little white houses on both sides of the boulevard. I am certainly coming back after dark to see the lights and the decorations. Across, I can see the presidential palace and next to it the embassies of the "great powers", a reminder that Paris is "still" occupied by the British and the Americans, 60 years after the war. Same as in Berlin.
A few steps further and voila, La place de la concorde! In the middle of the enormous square, the obelisk that Napoleon stole from Luxor. Straight ahead, Les Toulieres. A big garden that leads to Le Louvre. The garden is lined with big trees and has art in every corner. It also has cafes, but again, not yet open. A little lake with chairs in front of me, surrounded with sculptures, not very interesting ones. Once again, I am the target of gypsies, this time a young boy with some kind of petition. I tell him I sign your petition, but NO MONEY. He goes away disappointed. I will spot those gypsies with the "petitions" many more times around Paris. I also find them mentioned in the tourist information pages of the Paris police, right after the "pickpockets in the metro" section.
A small triumph arc separates me from Le Louvre. In the middle the famous glass pyramid. Long lines of people waiting to enter. Today is not the day for the Louvre, however I am ready for a pit-stop. I notice two american girls holding Starbucks cups and I turn to the left to exit the Louvre and find a Starbucks. I exit to Le Palais Royal square, once again confronted by the smell of hobos. The next opening is La Comedie Francaise and the small Andre Malraux square. At the end of the big avenue I can see the golden dome of L'Opera. Safe haven in a Starbucks.
I am very very hungry and very very cold. Also my feet and back hurt. No wonder, I am walking non stop for four hours! With no breakfast! I occupy a seat in front of a window and after I have another English-french-pantomime conversation, I can finally sit, have a coffee and two sandwiches and use my iPad to go online. I access google maps to see were I am and how long I am walking. I also typed up a part of the notes that became this post.
Took the metro back to the hotel. Got into the room, room is UNFIXED! Got out again to buy some water from Monoprix (a small convenience store around the corner). No milk! No water also? I ask the girl at the counter and she directs me to a small "annex" room were they keep the empty crates. Hidden in a dark corner I find bottled water. How is this possible? a whole refrigerator stocked with all kinds of cheese but no milk and no water? Whatever...
Back in the hotel, I take a shower and go to sleep. At some point the cleaning service was banging at the (locked) door. Of course I have a "No Derranger Pas" sign on the door, but they are ignoring it!
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