Day 2 Gate 1 - May 2 Paris

Thursday May 2 2019 - Paris France

Italics are Gate 1 descriptions.

DAY 2, May 2 Thursday - Arrive in Paris
Arrive in Paris, “City of Lights” and transfer to your hotel. The rest of the day is at leisure to rest, relax and enjoy the endless delights of Paris. 

STEPS 14,369 10.9 km 6.8 miles

We are on our own until 5 PM.
As we head out at 10:30 we meet Laura, our tour guide, introduce ourselves and get our tags.

We then stopped for coffee before heading to the Rodin Museum.



The mansion that now houses the Musée Rodin was built in the Rue de Varenne, Paris, between 1727 and 1737, for the wealthy financier Abraham Peyrenc de Moras (1686-1732). The project, eventually overseen by Jean Aubert, Architect to the King, is a shining example of the rocaille architecture that was fashionable at this time. Constructed on the outer limits of Paris, it was both a town house and a country residence. Abraham Peyrenc de Moras died in 1732, before his new home, notably the interior decoration on the first floor, was completed.

Monument to Balzac is a sculpture by Auguste Rodin in memory of the French novelist Honoré Balzac. According to Rodin, the sculpture aims to portray the writer's persona rather than a physical likeness.

Aphrodite

It's started raining lightly.

The Gates of Hell is a monumental sculptural group work by French artist Auguste Rodin that depicts a scene from the Inferno, the first section of Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy. It stands at 6 metres high, 4 metres wide and 1 metre deep and contains 180 figures.

It's still raining but not enough to bother us so we just wandered and came across this plaque to Edith Wharton.

The plaque outside her house at 53, rue de Varenne says Edith Wharton was the first American writer to come to live in France for love of this country and of its literature.

"When I think of Paris, I think of heaven,” says Margaret Murray, who is president of the Edith Wharton society. “That’s what Paris was for her.”

Very cool sign!

We decided we should head back to the hotel and have a late big lunch at a local restaurant that we like.

WE put our feet up for a while and headed down to the welcome drink.


Your tour begins at 5:00 PM when you join your Tour Manager for a Welcome Drink and orientation meeting on the wonderful journey that awaits you in France. 



6 PM  Afterwards, a delightful cruise on the River Seine introduces you to the sparkling beauty of Paris at night. DURATION 1 hour

In addition to the historic landmarks lining the Seine,you can't help but notice the many splendid bridges which span the river (35 in all), some of them several centuries old and designated as Historical Heritage sites in their own right. The oldest of these is the Pont-Neuf, whose first stone was laid in 1578 by Henri III in the presence of the Queen Mother, Catherine de Médicis.

Pont Alexandre III

Musee d'Orsay

Notre Dame

Since we left the hotel at 6 and the cruise ran from 6:30 to 7:30 it is not a "night" cruise with all the monuments lit up, it is still daylight! The boat is full and the cruise is nothing special if you have been in Paris for any length of time.

Dinner? On our own


Overnight: Paris
Mercure Paris Centre Tour Eiffel


Links to previous posts about this trip:
April 27-28 Toronto to Paris
April 29 Paris
Love Locks
Russian Orthodox Holy Trinity Cathedral
April 30 Paris

May 1 Day 1 Gate 1 Paris on our own