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The first sign that we were not in Kansas anymore. These little bitty electric cars are so cute and convenient. Charging stations are all over the place, in Paris at least.
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Motorcycles and scooters are vastly more popular in France than here. Every few blocks we saw a long line of parked cycles. Kind of reminded me of the horses tied up in front of the saloon in the Old West.
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We were surprised at the number of really lovely, small urban parks we saw in our walk around the neighborhood. Most had plaques like this with a bit of history. This one is a block from the Seine.
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L'Hotel de Sens, built in 1519, and its nice little public park. Walkways, grass, flowers, benches and quiet.
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There are these petite traffic signals. You can see the height and size here. The reason, perhaps, is so that drivers in the little bitty cars can see the lights as they change.
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This is another small urban park, the name of which is buried in some other set of pictures. About half a football field of green, comfortable benches, and bits of very old looking statuary, maybe Roman.
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Our willpower was constantly tested as we passed absolutely gorgeous patisseries. It was too early in the morning for this one. Looking at these was just to whet the appetite for lunch.
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We had lunch at this nice bistro in the Marais district, around the corner from Place des Vosges. It was probably the best meal we had in Paris. We ate outside, braving the drizzle and the smokers.
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A block from lunch, still in the Marais, is the Place des Vosges, laid out in perfect symmetry in 1612. It is a huge green space surrounded by these lovely and ancient apartment structures.
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We thought Cambridge cyclists were nuts, but we saw several bike tours in various touristy locations. Maybe it's less insane on the streets during August vacation. The shrimp at the left is the leader of this pack, she sounded like an American college student,
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The Marais neighborhood is chock full of museums. Too bad the Picasso was closed for renovations.
The graffito on the wall was explained as, well, it is traditionally a Jewish neighborhood, and there was some resentment about new people moving in.
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Our first morning we emerged from the Metro to this sight. This shop seems to specialize in this huge chocolate chip muffin/cookie/cake called a Praluline. If you want a chocolate chip cookie as big as your head, this is the place.
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Next stop was Pompidou Modern Art Museum; quite radical when built in the late 70s. The outside escalator is quite fun.
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The Pompidou entrance has a huge wall of "Open" signs in many languages, sizes, and presentations -- neon, LED, etc. A "Welcome" to visitors.
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A view through a window at the Pompidou on a typically cloudy day, cuts of the top of Sacre Coeur.
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In the Pompidou Plaza is the Stavinsky Fountain - lively, whimsical, and a great attraction.
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More Stravinsky fun. These creative fellows are all around the pool, and water sprays from all sorts of orifices.
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And the last of Stravinsky. We loved it and could have watched the movement and the people for an hour.
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We began our trip to the Loire Valley with Suzanne. She carried us in (relative) comfort for days and hundreds of kms without a complaint.
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First stop was Orleans. We noticed these brass medallions embedded in pavements in the historic cities and towns we visited. Each town had a unique design.
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The local palace at Orleans -- beautifully maintained with great landscaping.
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At the gate of the palace, note the sparkling medallions embedded in the iron gates.
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The very, very imposing Gothic cathedral at Orleans.
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Inside the Cathedral with our guide, Carmen. She was Spanish. This is August, the French guides were on vacation.
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American icons live on in France.
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They remember . . .
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Joan, the maid of Orleans. This is where she had her great battle. Great statue, one of many we saw in our travels.
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The Chateau Chambord, early 16th C. Really big, really white, really drafty, lots of stone, not so many windows.
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They must have had a small army of chimney sweeps. There are hundreds of apartments, each with its own fireplace. We were struck by the variety in the designs.
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Fantastic double spiral staircase, designed by Leonardo daVinci who actually lived his last years not far from this palace.
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The exterior of the double staircase which opens onto this lovely courtyard -- totally paved -- not a spot of green.
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Beautiful leaded glass windows - original design, notice the subtle green tint in the glass, the result of aging.
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Huge stove for heating one of the large rooms. Click on the photo and look closely to see the detailed pictures on the panels.
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Beautiful fireplace with unusual red-veined marble. Fire extinguisher is for scale!
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The queen's bedroom.
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Ceiling in a grand salon at Chambord is embossed with the seal of the noble owners.
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Another view of the roof of this immense palace which has 77 staircases.
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The view from one of the balconies. You could see the invading armies from quite a distance.
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Looking down onto the moat at Chambord. Every little palace needs a moat..
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This bride was having her
wedding photos taken here at Chambord.
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The majestic entrance drive to Chateau Chenonceau.
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This house had acres of gardens - from vegetables and herbs for the restaurant on the grounds, to flowers for the gorgeous arrangements in the public areas.
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And finally you approach the Chateau - built as a private house, but stolen by Francis I, which actually saved it from destruction during the Revolution (it was then returned to its owners.)
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Still approaching the Chateau front door. Built in the 16th century, beside the river, it was later expanded to extend across the river.
The Tower, built in 1512, is the only original piece.
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Finally we enter. The motif around the door was one we saw several times and vowed to find out what it means.
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Leave no stone unembellished. The floor tiles had been painted in this beautiful, colorful pattern -- not much left after a few hundred years.
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Queen Catherine de Medici, wife of Henry II, surrounded by a fantastic sculpture over the fireplace. She was quite a lady -- mother to 3 kings and 2 queens. Her father-in-law stole the house from the Bohier family.
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This is the black room -- everything is black. Louise, Catherine's daughter-in-law, created it to mourn the death of her young husband. (Google "black room at Chenonceau" for more.)