We are further from Paris centre than we would like to be but the site we wanted to book, where we've stayed in the past, was full all through June, July and August. We had to drive 12 miles to the NCF station at Cergy le Haut where we caught a train into the city.
The signs said the journey was 40 minutes, in the event, it took and hour and a half, for what reason we will remain forever totally unaware. The explanation was given, I'm sure, frequently, in rapid French throughout the journey.
Because we had only the one day to spend in the city, we wanted to see Notre Dame following the fire and so we left the train at The Arc de Triomphe and walked the 4 miles to the Cathedral.
Quite warm now with a clear sky and temperature of 30 degrees we dissolved into the mass of tourists that, like us, were walking the streets of Paris.
Sat resting here for a short while, camera in hand, when an American lady approached and asked if we would like her to take a picture of us two.
American tourists were everywhere, it used to be all Japanese but the Americans seem to have taken over as the largest foreign group.
We strayed off the main tourist path and found some interesting back streets to reach our destination of Notre Dame.
Notre Dame from the front, and a picture for Nick.
We sat and had a late lunch at a restaurant with a view towards Notre Dame. Following lunch we decided to slowly make our way back to the rail station via the back streets, at least that was the plan. As we set off we were suddenly startled by the noise of low flying aircraft, and large ones at that plus they were being shadowed by fighter jets. One after another streamed across the sky, immediately above Notre Dame. We found out later this was a practice in readiness for Bastille day on Sunday, 14th July.
Watching the planes made us later setting off than planned so we took the Metro to our station and were home by 6.30pm after a 40 minute train journey.
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