Travels with Forty Roses: Whirlwind Paris

So, how does one celebrate their anniversary in France? Go to Paris! And that’s just what we did. Took the fabulous TGV train from Lilles-Flandres station at 6:41 AM Thursday arriving and stepping off the train at Gard du Nord at 7:43AM. Now the TGV is a wonderful way to travel, fast comfortable and so easy. The national transit system flows seamlessly into the city and local transport systems as if they were all managed by one department. And fast. The TGV (in French, Train à Grande Vitesse) is a high speed intercity train service that would be wonderful to have at home. It’s 204 km from Lille so to arrive in just over an hour means we were fast!

Hit the Metro which just happened to be free for the two days of our visit and went directly to our hotel in the 8th to drop our valise and get on with the itinerary. Another free trip on the Metro to Place de Bastille and the Bassin de l’Arsenal to visit with Sacha, the head of the Marina as a follow up to our application to over-winter there next year. We have our fingers crossed and will find out this February if he can fit us in.

Then on to walk and sight-see and lunch at Violin d’Ingres on Rue Ste. Dominique. Some wine and good food and the sights and sounds of Paris is all one needs to make it a late night with champagne.

Late Friday, as we walked from the Eiffel Tower which is lighted and stunning, we encountered the largest Christmas Market we have seen so far…Sorry, no photos as we had run out of battery power. And, much to our chagrin, we never made it to the Paris Boat Show either…so much to see so little time!

Below are some pictures we took of our whirlwind trip. Never forget that Paris is the City of Lights and with the moon rising over the Seine, as we take the wonderful Batobus round trip just one more time to get the feel of barging in this amazing city, it is a 25^th anniversary experience we shall never forget.