We have now being in Paris for ten days and have done lots of sightseeing and shopping. We have been here before a number of times before as we both love Paris. Therefore we did not revisit the usual well known places like the Louvre or the Eiffel Tower so instead we went on a walking tour of The Latin Quarter – The Sacré-Coeur, via a tourist train, on top of Montmartre Hill (great view of Paris), Pigalle for lunch,  L’ Opera and many more.

Emma Helping Bruno to steer past the Eiffel Tower

We re-visited the Seine in our own boat on Sunday, from the Arsenal Marina to the Eiffel Tower. Bruno from the SVP  International Paris office , Mari Carmen his wife and daughter Emma came along for the trip. Having Parisians who had never been on the Seine in a boat and loved the trip made the journey all the more enjoyable for us.

Lines of people waiting to visit Notre Dame

But we are getting spoiled for choice. It is great when we have the good fortune to be able to say we have spent long enough in Paris and its now time to leave! A big shock for me was all the people and the noise. 

We had spent the last month in rural France working our way to Paris on the canal system- small towns and fewer people. When we stopped on Friday night at Port Van Gogh, on the South West side of the City and I walked up hill to the main road and straight into Friday night rush hour traffic I could not believe the noise and smell of fumes. Traffic noise – horn blowing and ambulance sirens.

Crowds at Sacre Coeur

Everywhere we have visited in Paris, there has been loads of people, either tourists or Parisians. Some of the local Parisians are getting worried at the sheer number of tourists and that the city might turn into one big museum. Look at all the people in the photos. I who has always been a lover of the city rather than the country  now suddenly seem to prefer smaller towns and less people. Another change! What’s happening to me?