Paris, here we come..........are you ready? Are we ready???

THIS BLOG POST COMES WITH A WARNING:
PARIS IS SENSORY OVERLOAD

Day 38 - Wednesday - July 20
Hotel Thurot is only about 5 minutes bike ride from the train station but we left a couple of hours early so we could see how it all worked.

One really old yew tree in the hotel's courtyard.

Walter and Susan are from Bad Ragaz, Switzerland and are headed home. We helped them load their bikes and gear on the train which really helped us understand the process. They also told us about Swiss bike routes and potentially following the Rhine River after visiting Paris.

When our turn came, we looked like seasoned TGV train travelers instead of the neophytes we really are. There are only 4 bike slots on each train so you need to reserve them. 

The TGV is France's bullet train system. We reached a speed of 168 mph according to our GPS. Thus the blurry picture - the train moved  about 1 foot during the 1/100 second exposure. Trifocals don't help the viewing either!

At the Paris train station reversing the process - 2 minutes of pandemonium then you can relax.

Outside the station eating lunch and trying to figure out which way to  go, harder than you think it should be.

We rode along the Seine River on the Left Bank parkway. This was our first view of Notre Dame.

The New Era makes its debut in France. We've been carrying it all this time but forgot to get pictures in Portugal and Spain.

These were serious cobblestomes.

One of the many bridges we rode under and over. Every one of them is different.

7 Rue Guenegard, our front door for the next week.

The entry hall and the next door to pass through on the way to 6 flights of stairs. We had to carry the bikes up those stairs because the elevator was too small. In fact, it was so small that the 2 of us filled it up. We called the eye doctor to confirm Doug's appointment for Friday and they had no record of the appointment and the doctor Doug had contacted in March had left for vacation. We weren't even sure we talked to the right office so we decided to walk there to make sure that address matched, even though we knew they would be closed by the time we arrived.  Though a little stressed (Doug needs the injection or we'll need to head back to the US) we did take in a few sights along the way.

The Pont (Bridge) du Arts and its railing decorated with locks of every size and shape. They are put there by couples often with names and dates inscribed on them. 

Our first Nutella crepe and probably the best and cheapest one of the many we had later.

Found the doctor's office and found the Eiffel Tower. Next was figuring out the bus system because it was still a long way home .

The St. Germain area has more than its share of art galleries.

If we ever consider getting a tandem, we think this one would be just right.

Day 39 - Thursday - July 21
We figured out the bus and the right bus stops and are headed back to the doctor's office to talk to them in person. We've found that works a lot better with our limited French. This time the receptionist told us that a different doctor could see Doug tomorrow and he could get the injection on Wednesday or Thursday next week. (Yesterday they said it would be August before there was an opening). Things are looking brighter!

Next on our agenda was to scout out the Champs-Elysees so we would be ready for the Tour de France on Sunday. This is THE Arc de Triumphe.

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

That is Mark CavenDESHH on the billboard. That's the only name we've understood the French announcer say the whole month as we've followed the Tour, and he said it a lot.

She was here everytime we passed this way all week. At least we think it was a woman. She never showed her face and never stood straight or sat.

Besides hundreds of tour boats there is commercial barge traffic on the Seine.

This is the first day of Paris Plages, a month long imported beach on the Right Bank of the Seine. This mile plus section is closed to all vehicle traffic and converted to a play area. Disneyland Paris employees are building these sand sculptures.

Notre Dame from the front. It is about 6pm and there are still long lines of people waiting to go in.

We decided to walk around the outside and come back early in the morning.

Everyone has a camera and Paris must consume multiple terabytes of pictures every day.

The pedestrian bridges are popular sites for all types of musicians, including this group from Peru

There is lots of partying on the water as well.

We arrived home that evening to find an email that said the American Hospital would do Doug's injection at 5:30pm today. Not very helpful since it was already 8:30pm when we saw the message.

Day 40 - Friday - July 22
What a difference a few hours make! It's 8:30am.

Joan of Arc

This was on one of the pillars.

St. Michael's Plaza which is about 3 blocks from our apartment.

Art gallery window just down the street. We walked by this one every day.

Are you tired of the Eiffel Tower yet? We are on the way to the doctor's appointment and arrived  in the area with plenty of time to spare.

There was a photo shoot of some kind occupying this plaza.

This cemetery was perched above the street with the roundabout in the prior picture. We must have walked by it four times before we realized it was there. Most of the families had a member who had received the Legion of Honor.

Celebrating a successful visit to the doctor with a Starbucks..........yes, even  in Paris. The injection is for sure scheduled for next Wednesday. Hurray!!

Our cozy kitchen/dining/laundry room.

Our post-dinner entertainment was street corner1920-30's American jazz, with this "young" woman dancing along. The leader had quite the voice and was pretty good on the trumpet too.

This is the landmark we use to find our street.

Fat Tire Tour group crossing the Pont du Arts

Sunset on the Seine is a pretty darn romantic way to end what has been a fine day. We are just going to have to find our own lock to add to the bridge.