At the Paris Cafés.

I love the different colours, shapes, sizes and textures of the Paris café chairs!

And of course each one has a different view!

Where would you choose to sit at to enjoy your coffee or apero? 

Travelling to the Lot Valley

We said "Au revoir à Paris!" this morning ... or should I say "à bientôt!".

Today we are travelling by train from Gare d' Austerlitz Paris to Cahors. 

I have many more "Postcards" to write from Paris and will do over the next few days.

Petit déjeuner à la gare.

Which train will we take?

Some views from our train window ...

It was a five and a half hour journey with five short stops along the way ... les Aubrais - Orléans, Limoges, Brive, Soulliac and Gourdon arriving in Cahors shortly after three in the afternoon, where we picked up our rental car.

Limoges train station

Gourdon station 

Ah on the road in Cahors the capital of the Lot Valley... 

Stay tuned for more "Postcards from the Lot".

Trotters ... Part Two.

We were thankful that we had looked down a side street spotting this classical Citroën HY delivery van, we followed its "nose" to the square - Place du Ste. Catherine to find a cafe for our lunch.

Fuelled by a delicious lunch our "French Trotters" were ready to continue following in the steps of Victor Hugo and the first Duc of Sully "Maximilien de Bethune" in the heart of the Marais.

You never know what is around the next corner, behind the enormous doors, gates and archway lined entryways.

At 62 rue Saint Antoine we discovered a private mansion "Hotel de Sully" built in 1624 which became a historic monument in 1862. 

The private mansion was built with a garden and orangery that opened onto Place Royale (now Place des Vosges.)

The buildings have a long history ...

Since 1967 it has been the Centre for National Monuments.

We even got a little silly at the "Sully" ...

Next a visit to the oldest planned square in Paris ... Originally the Place Royale now Place des Vosges.

In 1604 King Henry IV built a Royal pavilion of red bricks and blue tiled roofs. 

His orders were that all 35 buildings bordering the square were to be the same. 

Victor Hugo, French writer (Hunchback of Notre Dame / Les Miserables) lived on the 2nd floor of No.6

Place des Vosges ... now a Museum.

In the centre of the square of town homes is a peaceful green park with lots of park benches and water fountains ... a perfect place for the residents to have some outdoor space.

Place de Bastille ... Colonne de Juillet with the Opera House in the background.

A unique water fountain ...

            

   

Where will we venture tomorrow?

Our French Trotters' Tour.

We've been so busy seeing and doing things in Paris, that I'm struggling to find time to download, edit and write my photo "Postcards"! 

We are thoroughly enjoying our time here but I think we must spend much more time in "Gai Paree".

We learnt many years ago that you sometimes have to take a vacation from your vacation.

Otherwise you become exhausted and won't enjoy all the experiences that travelling to a new destination has to offer.

Friday was one of those days that we had no destination in mind, starting out just exploring our immediate neighbourhood... operative word being "starting out" but where will we end up?

Monsieur Honey said lets just see where our feet (nicknamed "French Trotters") take us!

There is a beautiful park right around the corner where you can watch and hear young children playing,  their nannies chatting while keeping an eye on their charges, the older generation sitting on park benches visiting with their neighbours and friends, and young adults doing their daily jogging and walking. A lively place!

And these young ones thinking the grass is always greener on the other side... they squeezed under the fence!

Our local "Maire"!

Taking time to smell the roses or beautifully scented lilacs in bloom.

Again we saw some interesting architecture.

An old railway station renovated and repurposed as a "Cultural Centre".

Grand entrances ... Guarded by Egyptian Pharoahs and angel cherubs

Before we knew it time was flying by ... soon time for "déjeuner".

A little retail therapy first ... an interesting shop with "Limoge" pottery where we found some miniature pots that we can use for dips and sauces on our cheese boards at home.

Place du Marché Ste. Catherine was the chosen setting for our lunch.

Come back to see where our "French Trotters" wander to this afternoon!

À bientôt!