30/8/2015 Paris
Sky clear, weather warm. I have a "free day" so I thought a bus ride into the "Tourist heart" of Paris and a walk along the Seine. Luxembourg Gardens on the way back maybe. First things first; I need to recharge my Navigo Card at the RER station.
Recharge went seamlessly. A notification came up re the "all zones now covered" so I checked again with the RER Info desk, I got an English speaker and we went through the deal and yep I can get to Versailles without having to pay extra (except the entry fee of 15Euro).
Following that success I jumped a bus to the Louvre, or rather the Seine River Ferry dock just below the Louvre. I found this dock as I was strolling along next to the river on what would have been the tow path for the barges and is now a paved walk/cycle way. After reading their signs I paid my 16 Euro for an all-day, hop-on/hop-off, trip to all the major Paris destinations; Eiffel tower, Louvre, D'Orsay, Notre Dame etc., plus a beautiful day on the water.
I started early before the real crowds so at least in the morning had a very pleasant time cruising past all the landmarks. I stopped off at the D'Orsay Museum for a few hours then caught the Ferry back to the Louvre in the late afternoon. This reduced my exposure to the crowds but it is still "Tourist season". There is a real contrast between the cloister-like atmosphere of the Cite, with no students resident yet, and the Paris centre with its teeming tourist "Hordes".
Back at my room I said some goodbyes to departing summer residents, made myself a late lunch/early dinner and settled down to work on the computer.
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