Our coach tour was to start at 8.30 so we went down to breakfast around 7am. So much food on offer, cooked breakfast, breads, fruits.  No reason to starve that’s for sure.

After breakfast we all assembled in the foyer of the hotel to have a head count done.  Do not want anyone to miss the tour.  Of course the 4 of us sat near the back, bringing  us back to our school days.  Our cruise director sat on the very back seat.  He made us laugh with some of his funny little comments as we drove around Paris.

Our hotel was near the Avenue Des Champ-Elysee’s so of course that would be our first part of the tour.  Around the Arc De Triomphe, past the river Seine.

 

 

Our first stop was at the Comedie Francoise and the Palais Royal. The screened entrance court faces the Place du Palais-Royal, opposite the Louvre . The Palais Royal was originally called Palais Cardinal and was the home of the Cardinal Richelieu. On his death the Palais become the property of the King Louis X111.  We took lots of photos here.

Then we drove past the Louvre (3 sisters will visit the Louvre the following day.) Past the Hotel Ritz where Princess Diana spent her last hours.

Then we stopped for a toilet break and coffee.  Narrow little stairs winding down to the basement to the toilets, you really need to be careful you don’t fall down them.  Most cafes have their toilets down in the basement.

 

Stopped at the most amazing place to get pictures of the Eiffel Tower.  However, many coach tours were also stopping so you really had to pick and choose where you took your pictures.  Our tour director went to organise our tickets for the tour of the Eiffel Tower Sadly he came back with the sad news that the night before there had been a failed terrorist plot/attack on the Eiffel Tower so it was closed for the day.  We were sad we were not to visit this iconic piece of Paris but glad that they had managed to stop the attack.  Also glad that security is very tight in France and we were safe.  I vowed I would be back to visit one day.

 

Paris is such a beautiful city, the architecture is stunning, and you can feel the history every corner you turn. Our tour ended early so we were asked if we wanted to be dropped off in the city.  We chose the Jardin des Tuileries.  We had until this evening to wander around Paris, so more in the next installment of our wanderings around Paris.   Our evening would be at the famous Moulin Rouge.