Cruising with the Carters: Paris

Rainy and cold, but you’re in Paris so what do you do? Don a jacket, grab the umbrella and camera and go for a walk. Could have done with Jaqui’s duck boots though. Oooh, I was ever so envious. It was only 6^o, and I forgot to take gloves and hat!

Of course I just had to go and take a look at the remnants of Notre Dame Cathedral. I was amazed at how little damage there appears to be from the outside. I expected to see smoke blackened walls and shattered windows, but it all looked rather serene apart from the missing roof and spire. I’m sure it is a completely different story inside.

The only evidence of black smoke damage that I could see.

All roads leading to the cathedral have been blocked off, with an armed police presence to deter curious tourists from jumping over the barriers, and the best views were from the left bank of the Seine.

A grey and rainy view of the Seine

Even the "bouquinistes" (second hand bookellers in green painted book stalls all along the Seine) were closed...

...except for one hardy soul.

One of the many attractive bridges, note the blue police van blocking the access.

On the way back to the boat I just happened to pass a patisserie and I just happened to walk out with a couple of pastries, a baguette and a multi-cereal sliced loaf.

Back on board Ian had been busy doing more stuff in the engine room, the heater was on and my feet slowly began to thaw. The temperature outside had not increased at all and being wet at 6C for 2 hours is a bit chilly.

While delving under the floor boards for a bottle of wine to put in the fridge, I found an unknown bottle of red. Where did that come from, I asked. Ah, said Ian, Ludo gave that to me in exchange for the two batteries. When he replaced the old batteries, which were still in excellent condition because he is fanatical about batteries (!), we hoped we would be able to sell them somewhere down the line. But, after becoming friendly with Ludo on Narwalo, and discovering that he had a problem with his batteries, Ian decided to give them to him and he gave us a bottle of good French wine. They have gone to a good home.

And our wonderful housesitter, Jacopo, had sent us a video of him playing with Maxie. She looked so content and relaxed.

After lunch (and watching qualifying for the MotoGP in Jerez – Rossi only 13^th on the grid!)

I set off for another walk into the Marais in search of falafels. I love falafel and really wanted to buy some proper ones from the Jewish quarter. But I forgot, today is the Jewish Sabbath so all the Jewish shops were closed and I had to buy them from a non-Jewish stall. Tasted just as good, but it didn’t feel right not to have Jewish ones.

The "July Column" commemorating not the revolution of 1789 but the July Revolution of 1830.

The "Spirit of Liberty" atop the column

The entrance to the Place de Vosges where I went yesterday.

The Hotel de Sully, not a hotel at all but a fancy town house.

On the way back I stopped in at the Church of St Pierre and St Louis. Somewhat different from the mighty gothic cross shaped cathedrals with its short transepts, a very short apse, and a magnificent dome.