A very busy Tuesday.

Museums, Lunch with Fredi, a walk along the Champs Elysees and climbing the Arc de Triomphe.

Our day started with a train ride to the Tuileries metro station and then a walk across a curious pedestrian bridge over the river Seine. In recent years, many tourist couples have taken to attaching padlocks with their first names written or engraved on it to the railing or the grate on the side of the bridge ( the Pont des Arts), then throwing the key into the river below, as a sign of everlasting love. There were a lot of padlocks on the bridge.

Then we visited the Musee d'Orsay, a museum famous for its impressionist paintings and Van Gogh collection. Madeleine and Daniel enjoyed finding the original paintings that they had studied and copied at school. Madeleine found Monet's Blue Water Lilies and Daniel found Van Gogh's Starry Night.

Daniel on the Pont des Arts otherwise known as the Love-Lock bridge or the Padlock Bridge.

Mum, Dad and Daniel on the Pont des Arts

Madeleine and Mum on the Pont des Arts

Musee d'Orsay Clock

Musee d'Orsay

 After visiting the Musee d'Orsay we took a bus to meet our friend Frederique (known as "Fredi"). She took us to lunch in the Cafe le jardin du Petit Palais.  Quite a lovely cafe which we would visit again. They serve all sorts of food including steak tartare (which made Daniel remember a particular Mr Bean episode). He decided not to try the raw beef and had a bagel with ham and ricotta instead. Madeleine enjoyed her Club Sandwich. It was great to catch up with Fredi again. 

Dad, Fredi, Madeleine and Daniel. Lunch at the cafe in the Petit Palais.

Jardin du Petit Palais

After the Petit Palais we visited the Palais de la Decouverte. This is a museum a lot like Scienceworks in Melbourne. It is specifically designed to teach children about science and would have been really great if there was slightly more English explanations and if it was not so hot inside.

Palais de la Decouverte

Madeleine at the Palais de la Decouverte.

Daniel at the Palais de la Decouverte

A demonstration of the power of light to detect distortion in a bridge as a train travels over it!

We then walked up the grand Boulevard - the Champs Elysees. As we were all so hot, a chocolate sorbet from Laduree was very welcome indeed.

 

 A Chocolate Sorbet from Laduree - No raw egg! YUM! 

Daniel and a dinosaur on the Champs Elysees

After walking up the Champs Elysees we then walked up the Arc de Triomphe. There are a lot of stairs in the spiral staircase but the view from the top is worth the climb.

Arc de triomphe

The start of the climb to the top

I saw the Eiffel Tower here somewhere.

Avenue Victor Hugo. Our apartment was down this street.

Arc de Triomphe -  Going down

Tomb of the unknown soldier - Arc de Triomphe.

 The local flower shop - Au nom de la Rose.

Walking home to Villa Victor Hugo after a huge day in Paris.

Today the Arc de Triomphe, tomorrow the Tour Eiffel!