And still well in Paris in early autumn! Crowds of European tourists begin to thin out rapidly, turn in museums and cathedrals lose substantially in length, and even clochards (local homeless) look particularly colorful. Despite the fact that we went to France with some prejudice, a long time giving their heart and soul into the power of the South America, the main city of the country enjoyed extraordinary. Almost from the first minute on French soil, the journey went as it should, as planned, almost without fail, and overlays. One of my favorite things to do in Paris for us were ordinary walk through the streets and the waterfront, surrounded by people, and in some places - all alone. The result of such brodilok and started this and subsequent reports.

One of the best ways to explore the city (as well as give respite tired legs), this swim on a boat in a tour on the Seine. For example, Vedettes du Pont Neuf depart every hour from the same bridge, which we have used after a busy day at the Louvre. Boats present a live commentator that the French and English (very mediocre) tells the story of the buildings along the banks. There are also brochures in many languages, including in Russian (with grammatical errors :). In general, useful information on these tours is not much, it can be gleaned from other sources, but again, that such a boat trip very enjoyable in itself. We bought tickets in advance, even from home, on the Internet (9 euros for one, Children under 4 years free). In addition, the site can print a coupon for a discount of 2 euros per adult ticket, which also turned out to be very handy. The usual cost for a tour, if you buy directly at the box office at the bridge - 13 euros.

Couple on the banks of the Seine:

Locks of love on the bridge of the Archbishop after another sweep. In the worst case, it looks like this. "Couples from around the world support the custom fix locks engraved with the names and declarations of love on the parapets of some bridges in Paris, and then throw the keys into the Seine. This tradition creates problems of the Paris City Hall. More than 1,600 'locks Love "were removed from the Pont des Arts during the last" clean ", while the oldest of them dates back to 2008. The names engraved on them, suggests that couples from around the world fell in love with this tradition. One family from Slovakia to attach a lock railing and hand over the keys to his eight-year storage son, so that he could take this "confession" in the love and loyalty of his parents when he becomes an adult. Hotel de Ville is not against tradition itself, but the metal locks damaging historical monuments. Now thinking about how City Hall to install metal trees, specially designed for lovers of castles tourists. "

Car in Paris decided not to take renting it until the end of the first week, when I went into a circular journey through France. In the capital, moving on foot and by subway, an ode which I sang in the introductory part. In principle, nothing wrong with the Paris road traffic have not seen. At least until the Peruvian Lima, which at the moment is for us the apotheosis of chaos, it is still far, and it pleases.

Police cars are leaving from the slot. Then, a few hundred meters away is the famous promenade Orfevr (quai des Orfevres) to the Palace of Justice, which houses the police department, which for a long time "served" Commissioner Maigret.

Champs Elysees - one of the main thoroughfares in the 8th arrondissement of Paris. Extend from the Place de la Concorde to the Arc de Triomphe. Length of 1915 meters. The drivers were very polite and gave easy to take pictures with the center of the avenue. Without asking, and thanks for that.

Another way to discover Paris closer - this bus tours L'Open Bus Tour. We do not go, so no personal experience. On the Internet conflicting opinions from absolute delight to complete rejection. In such cases, I usually sort reviews by reading the first thing most negative to understand the basic cons, and how they can be corrected. Besides, someone's "minus" may well be a plus for you. As the saying goes: one person's trash is another person's treasure.

Parked rarity:

Electric bike - a new way of postal delivery service FedEx.
Somewhere over the last month before we got to Paris, FedEx has introduced in its fleet four elektrovelika promising future almost tenfold their number. Due to the fact that the city planned to build about 650 kilometers velopolos by 2014-th year, e-Veloso is a good alternative to conventional trucks, especially where the last hard squeeze. Maximum speed - 20 km / h, load capacity - 150 kg.

And if we continue the theme of bicycles. Since 2007, the year in Paris there is a public bicycle rental system Vélib '. Its extensive network of bicycle parking and 1 450 20 600 bicycles, is the most extensive of the systems of this type. The word "Vélib '" - an abbreviation of the French phrase vélo libre, ie, "Free wheel". Vélib 'is now also used as a verb in everyday terms, substituting words like "go", "get", etc. Vélib' use of self-service system that is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Numerous parking (every 300 meters in the city) make it possible to get or keep the bike. During the night, the company distributes bikes depending on the locations where they are most needed, as well as conducting repair work. In order to use the services of Vélib ', you must buy a ticket for the day (1 euro) per week (5 euros) or year (29 euros). If the bike is not returned to the parking lot, with a bank account is debited 150 euros. As part of the subscription, the use of a bicycle for free for the first 30 minutes, further time is rated from 1 to 4 euros. During the subscription amount of travel is not limited. The introduction of Vélib 'was not without problems: one can often see abandoned bicycles. It is estimated that around 3,000 bikes were stolen in the first year of operation of the system, and to date has been lost, stolen or deliberately spoiled more than half. Some bikes are found even in the Seine, because of what the municipality had to compensate for environmental losses. But, despite the difficulties, in recent years, bicycles still well positioned in life and Parisians and tourists. 

I already wrote that we not well developed relationships with a French restaurant, and it turned out that for all the trip was not _ni odnogo_ where I would like to return, which is rather strange. The problem was solved in that a "home", ie in a rented apartment at the time of the trip. In the presence of the freshest products on the mini-markets on every corner, is there is no difficulty. And favorite stores Monoprix did not lag behind, hitting the giant fruit and vegetable and meat departments. Monoprix - This French retail chain stores which represented 85% of French cities with a population of over 50 thousand people.

Living under capitalism, it is difficult to amaze products. However, in Paris, we were immediately on the spot diabetes department at the supermarket "La Grande Epicerie". It would seem, well, how many types of sugar can be sold - in the form of sand, refined sugar, but sugar substitutes. Well maybe even brown cane. Not a bit of it! Do you want to eat sugar, mixed with the powder of rose petals? A Rock candy (something like the males on a stick)? A sugar with spices - cardamom, cinnamon, even hot pepper? Even a mixture of sugar and salt (!) Too. Just some sugar paradise! In contrast remembered the hungry 90s, when going to the store, except shelves laden with dense bundles of coffee beverage "Golden Spike", but packages of salt and a box of matches, was nothing :)

And of course a different story about the cheese. They can be bought in the supermarket, but much more interesting and authentic go to one of the specialized cheese shops fromagerie. Fromazheri in Paris a lot, most are located in a small street, away from the busy boulevards. At one time, I caught the eye of one of the culinary blog foodie who made ​​a compilation of the best fromazheri city, noting them on the map.  Almost all fromazheri, where we were allowed to try cheeses, and even the owners were advised to do it, not to buy pig in a poke. Many French cheeses selected, feeling them through the wrapper to determine the elasticity. Also, when choosing a cheese, you should pay attention to the cheese "tears." "Tears" in cheese - a droplet of water, milk and salt saturated sodium chloride. They serve and penetrate the "eyes" as a result of complex biochemical processes occurring in cheese ripening, and their appearance is a sign of his full maturity and good taste. Therefore cheese "tears" are associated with a very pleasant taste, and make you want to taste a slice of cheese with a "tear".

Strolling through the city, do not miss another culinary "icon" - the famous bakery "Poilâne". This family-run bakery about eighty years old, but the peak of her fame and popularity came in the 1960-70s, when people here became a regular at the famous painter Salvador Dali. The bakery all say that the eccentric Spaniard once made ​​an order for a full-size sculpture of bread ... women. Dali ordered to deliver her to his bedroom, he says, he wanted a way to check - is there a mouse or not? What is actually needed bread and baba Dali, this history is silent. However, yeast bread, which specializes in the manufacture of bakery, could not eclipse the glory of French baguette. But thanks to a Parisian wine restaurant, which brand of Poilâne bread rolls served with cheese as a snack with drinks, the brand quickly gained popularity in high society. So far, neither the technology nor the range from Polanyi not fundamentally changed. The result was a kind of a bakery, where loaves (9 euros for the whole!), And pies "Grandma-style" all the same baked in wood-burning stoves antiquated. And besides, a rich assortment of hits: bread with nuts, raisins, brioche, croissants, apple tartlets, garlands of biscuits in the shape of hearts, but then there just is not! Confirms: apple pies at them is perfect! And the bread, after all, more like it made ​​sourdough, not by leaps and bounds - it is more fragrant obtained. Well, as they say, tastes differ, but this is definitely worth a stop by the bakery.

And the next sketch on the theme "How to get to the Louvre and avoid standing in line?" The answer is simple: you need a baby :)
We had planned to visit the famous museum on the first Sunday of the month, when visitors can enjoy free entry. In principle, this should not be: 9 euros saving you due to inactivity huge queues (for free and vinegar is sweet!), Which, in addition to a large proportion of tourists and locals, the output after all. But! If you are traveling with a child who is still sitting in a wheelchair, then open very different perspectives. Mother with a stroller (as well as all the other members of her family) museum staff "caught" in the queue, spending round. If the baby yet (or already :) the company does not, in turn still have to stand. Ironically, the fact that in the Louvre, there are several inputs, known not for everyone. You can save a lot of precious time, entering the museum through an underground shopping center «Carrousel du Louvre» (99 rue de Rivoli), directly from the station «Palais-Royal - Musee du Louvre», or through the entrance, located near the Arches Carousel. But for the owners of the museum map «Carte Musees et Monuments» acts priority entrance to the Richelieu wing (93 rue de Rivoli). And under any sauce, do not use the entrance, where the glass pyramid - where the wild crowd. Better yet, do not rush into the Louvre in the morning and during the day and come for 2-3 hours before closing, especially on Wednesdays and Fridays the museum is open until 9:45 pm

Impressed me with its elegance elevator cabin in the Louvre. Left - only begins to move to the right - almost there. Elevator as it rises out of the floor, carrying tourists up to the next floor of the museum. I do not know what, but it was hooked and like the fact that I have a long time to break away from the contemplation of this miracle of technology.

Cab futuristic elevator inside the pyramid at the Louvre. Despite the fact that the first lift is designed for people in wheelchairs, in wheelchairs, old, visually impaired and hearing, in fact, you can ride in it to any person:

And who also photographed all of these people? Well, of course, is its! :)

Street Band at one of the boulevards:

The guys played so enthusiastically that does not stop it was impossible:

Tables in a Parisian cafe, as usual, are very close to each other.

I have always wondered: Is someone buys these variegated stamping "Eiffel Tower" made in China that sell black illegals, which abounds below the tower? However, buying. When you are law enforcement officers, souvenir sheet was folded deft movement of the hand, and is thrust into a bag or throws a "hideout" under a bush (seen in person). When the danger has passed, trade takes place again.

Holidaymakers on the chairs around the pool, overlooking the Place de la Concorde. Where now stands the Egyptian obelisk, once beheaded King Louis the 16th and Queen Marie Antoinette with the help of a giant guillotine (18th century).

Shooting advertising on the street. The girl, in my opinion, advertised bags:

Dad with daughters feeding pigeons in the square in front of Notre Dame:

French heels :)

Catherine Andreyev.
Place: Paris, France.