This is December in Paris, so if you’re lucky as we were and if perchance the days are sunny, the sky is blue and the air is chilly then take a long stroll in Paris along the banks of the river Seine.
We were staying in the 7ème arrondissement, the south bank, rive gauche and a few minutes from the Eiffel tower.
After a good breakfast we dressed warmly, hats and gloves and headed towards one of the worlds most iconic shapes. The morning air was cold and walking along the streets which still hadn’t seen the sun accentuated the feeling.
It is only when you stand below the Eiffel tower that you can appreciate who immense the construction really is.
We cross the river Seine with the Pont d’Iéna in front of the Esplanade Joseph Wresinski and the Jardins du Trocadéro, then turn right walking upstream along the Avenue New York. Cargo barges are busy transporting the goods and the sightseeing boats are beginning to cruise up and down the river with the morning tourists.
We pass beautiful Pont d’Alma and walk along the Cours d’Albert 1er, with the Sunday traffic being sparse there is almost a countryside feeling to the promenade. There are plenty of people cycling, jogging, walking with their children and all in a casual attitude.
Statues and memorials are regular encounters as we head towards the our goal.
Place de la Concorde, Paris
This place is so different on a Sunday to the rest of the week. You can almost cross the roads as a pedestrian. Built in 1755 the square covers more than 20 acres, 9 roads converge and provide some important traffic congestion. Decorated with two fountains, La Fontaine des Mers (the fountain of the seas) and La Fontaine des Fleuves (the fountain of the rivers), in the middle is the Luxor Obleisk, 23 metres high and a “gift” from Egypt.
On the Place de la Concorde the Luxor Obelisk stands proud in front of the Grande Roue
The big Wheel is 12€ for an adult. We really enjoyed the ride and the clear skies offered us a spectacular vue over the capital.
The Christmas market aligns the Champs Elysee and spreads out towards the Arch de Triomphe, in the background the tall scrapers of La Defence. There is a certain relaxed festive atmosphere in the air and hundreds of people are enjoying the market stands.
Looking towards the Jardin des Tuileries, families and couples soak up the sun.
There is so much history and so many events that have happened along the banks of the Seine, above is a another reminder of tragic events at the corner of Rue de Rivoli and Concorde.
The afternoon sun still shines on the south facing buildings which align the famous street built in true Haussmann style. From here we go down into the Métro and head back to the hotel.