So much to see, so little time

September 23rd

Walking about Paris is always a treat.  There is such great architecture, gardens and of course the Seine to enjoy.  As we passed by these places we decided to look up a little information about them or at the very least the name of the buildings, fountains and churches.  

For instance, the Institut de France is located at the end of the street we were staying on so the large blue dome led us home each day.  The Institut houses over 1,000 different non-profit foundations having to do with the arts, sciences, politics, the french language and writing. The Palais de Justice is the judicial center and courthouse that contains the Court of Appeals. Both Saint-Sulpice and the Madeleine are Catholic Churches.  Saint-Sulpice's Grand Organ draws people for its weekly preludes before the 11:00am mass.  The Madeleine is surrounded on all sides by Corinthian columns and the interior apparently has amazing frescoes on the domed ceiling.  We weren't able to go inside because both the inside and outside are undergoing a major cleaning and restoration. You can see from the photo below it really needs a good cleaning.  The Hotel de Ville is the official office of the Mayor of Paris and of local government, in other words it's the City Hall.

Institut de France 

The Pont Neuf bridge over the Seine

Palais de Justice

Saint Sulpice

The Fountain at Saint Sulpice

Notre Dame

The Madeleine

The Hotel de Ville

The Irish are in Paris for the World Rugby match between Ireland and South Africa.  I don't really follow rugby but these fans are really excited and they came in droves.  We decided to go to an Irish bar to check it out and as we rounded the corner for the Little Temple Bar we found a street full of Irish men and women getting geared up for the game.  They are a lively bunch for sure!  As it turned out Ireland was victorious!

Before dinner we popped into our neighborhood boulangerie for "our daily bread."  Then off to another great restaurant for dinner.  Tonight was L'Oliveto just a few blocks away and I highly recommend it as one of the best Italian restaurants we've found in Paris.

Delicious Linguine Alle Vongole