Brian and John went to Paris for a quick, one-day trip. It was an early start to catch the first Eurostar train from London to Paris. We then caught the last train in the evening to return. John spent much of the day on a boat that circled from the Eiffel Tower to the eastern side of Notre Dame. Brian was off with students enjoying several tourist sites. We saw some places we had seen during our last trip (Notre Dame, the Louvre, the Eiffel Tower) as well as some new places (the Catacombs of Paris, the Luxembourg Gardens). The city was in all its spring glory. The French Open was also in full swing, although we didn’t bother going to Roland Garros Stadium (there’s simply never enough time!).
Here’s a shot of Notre Dame from the opposite side of the Seine (the famous Left Bank near the Latin Quarter).
John arrived at the Eiffel Tower just as the sun was breaking through the morning clouds.
Brian and a student went to the spooky Catacombs of Paris with its thousands of skulls and other skeletal parts.
The Jardin du Luxembourg (Luxembourg Gardens) includes many varieties of flowers, a palace built in the 17th century for Maria de Medicis, several fountains, and numerous statues.
This odd head sculpture faced the center of the gardens.
