Second Day in Paris

First of all a visit to Notre Dame (of course) where I took some photos inside and outside the church - its amazing architecture - and after a walk up to the tower, the lovely view of Paris. 

"Hi pal!"

"I'm bored sitting here looking out of Paris all day!"

"Oh, come on, this is not the worst place to be!"

Trumpet solo

A photo a bit blurry but...

The Square René-Viviani with the oldest tree in Paris.
More about this below.

'Shakespeare and Co' is our next stop.

These fountains (below), called the Wallace Fountains,
are to be found in different places in Paris and all over the world.
Most people however link them to the French capital.
They were designed by Charles-Auguste Lebourg, a French scultpure.
The name Wallace comes from the Englishman and philantropist
Richard Wallace who financed the construction of these fountains.
They are a blessing as the water is cool - and - good!
This one is placed right outside Shakespeare and Co as you can see.

There are or has actually existed two bookstores by this name. 

The first was opened by Sylvia Beach, on 19th of November 1919, at 8 rue Dupuytren, before moving to larger premises at 12 rue de l'Odéon in the 6th arrondissement in 1922. 

It was a gathering place for many then-aspiring writers such as Ezra Pound, Ernest Hemingway, Djuna Barnes, James Joyce and Ford Madox Ford. 

It closed in 1941 during the German occupation of Paris and never re-opened

The second bookstore, still in operation is situated at 37 rue de la Bûcherie, in the 5th arrondissement. It opened in 1951 by the American George Whitman.  He was a contemporary of writers such as Allen Ginsberg, Anaïs Nin, and Lawrence Durrell, and a lifelong friend of the poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti. A short visit to a parc in the Square René Viviani-Montebello (the 5th arrondissement) with the oldest tree in Paris. It's a Black Locust, also called false acacia (Robinier faux acacia in French) planted in 1601 ! The plants was brought here from America by a botanist by the name of Jean Robin, close to the king Henri IV.

Quartier Latin. Rue Galande with a cinema that every week shows 'Rocky Horror Picture Show' and besides that so called artfilms. 

Sainte Andrés des Arts with a theater by the name of Theatre Chochotte. But my wife is no chochotte I think?

We now start to walk towards 'L'Odéon but before that we went in to a small alley where the oldest café in Paris is situtated – Café Procope (below).

At Place de L’Odéon I take a photo of a statue depicting Danton.

Blandine – an old friend of Aurores cousin Hervé - calls. 
She wants us to meet her at La Défense  (photo below) from where she is going to drive us to another cousin of Aurore, namely Xavier, with his wife and two sons, to whom we are invited to dine this evening.

We meet her at La Défense, as decided and on the way to Xavier, we pass Bois de Boulogne  but without duelling. 

A lovely dinner where I - being a lacto-ovo-vegetarian - actually eat meat! Blasphemy! 
A very nice evening ending a nice day!