October 06 – 09

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Season 2025

October 06: Arras to Paris

Train station in Arras has high-speed connections to Paris in under an hour.

I booked first class tickets, which are only a few Euros more, and allow for seat selection as opposed to having to grab whatever wasn’t occupied. The seats are also larger and more comfortable. The first class coaches are also usually very quiet.

We have to check-out of our apartment in Arras by 10:00 and the train to Paris doesn’t leave till 13:45 so we go for coffee and breakfast at the Eurostar Cafe near the train station. And then wander around the old city one last time.

Checking out and putting the key back in the lockbox.

We arrive in Paris and walk from the train station to our apartment

Early evenings are the best time to enjoy street life in Paris

The loft of our apartment. A precarious situation for two 70 year old’s to get to bed and more so to get out of bed in the middle of the night in the dark.

Tuesday, Oct 07

Walking around the streets of Paris enjoying the many sights and sounds and smells of the city

The Louvre pyramid. The long lines are nowhere to be seen. I wonder if they’ve changed where the entrance is.

The quintessential French scene. This was not staged or AI. This was a real person on a real street. And when I saw her stopped at the lights I just HAD to capture the moment.

After visiting Paris many times in the past we finally decide to go up the Eiffel Tower

We took the elevator up to the second floor but we took the stairs back down

The boulevard along the side
Of the Parc du Mars on our walk to the gluten free Italian restaurant

Night falling and the crowds gathering to take the all important selfie with lights on

Wednesday Oct 07: Giverney day trip

We have some extra time in Paris and so decided to take the train to Vernon and walk the 5km to Giverny, to the home of Claude Monet and wander around the town a bit

Train stations are special places. This is the station Gare du Lazare where we caught the train to Vernon and then we walk the last 6km to Giverney

Passing over the Seine River as we leave Vernon to walk the 6km to Monet’s house and gardens in Giverney.

Looking back down the lane we came from just as we enter Giverney

Walking from Vernon: we pass several quaint buildings as we enter Giverney

The spot in Giverney where we had lunch.

There is something almost magical about train stations. Airports used to be like that, but they’ve changed and now it’s more like visiting a mall.

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October 06 – 09

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