THE WEEK IN PARIS ENDS

Every good thing must come to an end and so it is with our trip to Paris.  We wanted to end it just enjoying the ambiance  that Paris projects.  After looking at a few things to do we decided to go to the Marais area and just walk around.  A little walking tour on Trip Advisor (City Guides) suggested starting at the Hotel De Ville. We had a plan.  Walked to the subway and having just missed the train as it departed we sat down to relax a bit.  I looked over and here's what I saw.  Now "those shoes are made for walking" but ...   She was looking at the map and I just hope she wasn't planning on walking too far.  Always entertaining to be in the subway.  There was an instrumental quartet playing and their sound was fabulous.  Like music in a Cathedral.  

Waiting for the metro - notice you don't see my shoes - practical old lady ones.  I crop those out!

Even on the train itself you can hear entertainment.

Of course a cup was passed before the door was opened and I had  just taken his picture and was  inches from him so kind of felt obligated to give him a donation.  Besides, I'm keeping track of all donations. With no house, I need all the deductions I can get.  I probably should have given him more than a euro.  Next time.  

We got off the Subway and were greated by this musical scene - a carousel.  What fun.  We asked someone to point us to the Hotel de Ville and on our way looked for some of the streets that were mentioned on the walking tour.  

Almost immediately we foune Rue Vielle du Temple touted as a gorgeous street for walking.  Rue Vielle du Temple is the heart of Paris nightlife.  What were we doing there in the middle of the day?  Well we found that there are plenty of bars, cafes, restaurants and shops to keep you busy.  "...and thepeople  watchng is great." Next we found the Rue des Rosiers a little street with a whole lotta history.  The  Rue des Rosiers ( or Street of the Rosebushes) is the center of Paris' Pletzl ( or Jewish quarter).  The street had some fun, trendy shops and a lot of good eaterys as well.

We stopped in the Kusmi Tea Boutique and tasted some "love"ly Iced tea.  Sharon bought a box of the "love tea" to take home and I bought some" detox tea '.  I think a little detoxing after all the French food I've indulged in might be a good idea.  Besides it really did smell good,  So if tastes as good as it smells and it has the benefit of detoxing - what a smart purchase!

We found a little spot for lunch which turned out to be so good.  I had a carmalized onion, blue cheese, pecan Pernod quiche that came with a small cup of gaspacho and a side salad.

Oh yes, I almost forgot  and a glass of wine.

Finally what we sought out to do - find the Hotel de Ville.  We circled everything that we saw saying "Hotel du Ville" but could not find the Hotel.  We saw Shopping Plaza Hotel de Ville, Restaurant Hotel de Ville, etc.  Finally it occured to us that we were right in front of the Hotel de Ville.  Not a Hotel at all but the City Hall.  

Until 1114 when water merchants created the port de Greve ( shore harbor) to relieve Paris's busy port the site was merely a shingle beach.  The square  was known as the 'place de Greve.  In 1246 the first municipality was created when the Parisian trade guilds elected aldermen as representatives to the King.  There was no building until 1357 when one of the guild men bought a house near the place de Greve. 

In 1553 King Francis I decided to build  a dedicated city hall.  The building was completed in 1652  A revolting  commune which had occupied the Hotel de Ville for months set the building on fire in May 1871 destroying it and all the valuable papers inside.  A competition was held to design a new Hotel de Ville and the architects who won had proposed designing the new building in the same style as the original.  Construction started in 1873 and nine years later was completed.

The building is decorated with 108 statues representing famous Parisians and 30 statues which represent French Cities .  The clock at the central tower is adorned with several feminine sculptures representing the Seine River, the city of Paris "Work" and Education.  

From 1310 on, the Place de Greve was the square where most of the executions in Paris took place.  Here people were beheaded, quartered, cooked up or burned at the stake.  In 1792, a guillotine was installed which would prove useful during the French Revolution.  The last execution took place in 1830 after which the square was renamed Place de l'Hotel de Ville.  Today it is still a place of a lot of activity. today we saw games being played in "sand boxes" and I'm told you never know what could be going on in the square, no beheadings however.  

The square was later enlarged to its current size as part of the modernization of Paris.  In 1982the large   square became a pedestrian zone.

We walked home along the Rue du Rivoli, one of the biggest shopping streets in Paris.  We arrived home in time to rest before going out to a casual dinner.

GOOD BYE PARIS!

To the train staion. A little coissant and coffee while waiting for our train.

And home to Amsterdam. Our corner of the world  Brouwersgracht and Prinsengracht.