Walking Paris, day 3 continues...stopping to check out the Petit Palais - Musée des Beaux-Arts de Paris

Our disappointment at not having lunch in the Petit Palais garden was more than made up for by taking in the exhibitions within the site. It had been a few years since we had been there but it all still felt so fresh.

We were lucky enough to visit on the first day of an exhibition of 20 paintings by artist Bilal Hamdad including two new ones created for the occasion. We liked the way his work was placed between the classic canvases of the museum's permanent collections. It is said he draws his inspiration from great masters such as Rubens, Manet and Courbet...we loved his work.

One of his works really interested us as it was of a cafe just around the corner from our accommodation where we had been sitting in the night before!

Friends and fireworks...

Another lovely evening last night (remember,remember) hosted by friends in Le Grand-Pressigny, excellent company, food and entertainment. I even had a lovely violin accompaniment for one of my efforts.

A view from our window… and it could be yours!

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Une vue depuis notre fenêtre… et elle pourrait être la vôtre !

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We’d be delighted to share more photos, details and pricing information upon request.

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Walking Paris, day 3 continued...heading for lunch at the Petit Palais

After our visit to the Museum of Modern Art, we headed along the banks of the Seine past the Pont de l'Alma, with a view across to the Russian Orthodox Holy Trinity Cathedral and the tower rising behind it.

We then strolled along the avenue Cours Albert, where French royalty once took the same walk. At the start of the avenue sits an elaborate bronze monument dedicated to Adam Mickiewicz, the Polish poet and writer.

We carried on into the Cours la Reine section of the avenue, which begins just after the Pont des Invalides with its monument in memory of the Russian Expeditionary Force and the bronze of Lafayette on horseback standing tall on his high pedestal.

We knew we were getting close to our destination when we caught sight of our favourite Paris bridge, the Pont Alexandre III.

Turning onto Avenue Winston Churchill always delights, the Grand Palais on our left, and our destination, the Petit Palais on our right.

As one of our ‘things to do’ on our anniversary trip, lunch in the Petit Palais garden was high on our agenda and having a lovely sunny October day to enjoy it made the thought of it even better.

Imagine our disappointment to find the building currently undergoing an ambitious restoration of its peristyle and frescoes, which had begun to show signs of wear. Still, we spent a lovely short while sitting in the sunshine before heading inside for lunch. We’re sure it will be well worth the inconvenience and we’ll definitely be back to see the results.

Our Sunday bench took us back to where it all began — Montmartre, love, and a little déjà vu.

Mon banc dominical in Montmartre — a seat, a memory, a little déjà vu.

During our anniversary walks in Paris, we found ourselves once more in Montmartre, just as we did fifty years ago on our honeymoon — retracing those steps that have, over time, come to define our Paris.

Place des Abbesses is one of those cherished places. Its charm has only grown, now watched over by the Mur des je t’aime , the Love Wall. We’ve often sat there on a bench, quietly people-watching, feeling that sweet hum of Paris all around us. Of course, that wasn’t something we could do fifty years ago,the wall was only inaugurated in 2000 but it feels as though it’s always been part of this little corner of Montmartre.

This time, however, our bench, the one inside the tiny Square Jehan Rictus, beside the wall, was fenced off for renovation. We found another close by, but it wasn’t quite the same. Still, sitting together in that familiar air, listening to the sounds of the square and remembering our younger selves, we couldn’t help but smile.

A small disappointment, perhaps… yet Paris has her own way of softening such moments. She keeps our memories safe and always calls us back.

Peut-être la prochaine fois… notre banc nous attendra. ❤️

Last nights Halloween party in pictures...

 

We 'dressed up' last night for Halloween with not nearly as much effort as some who really pushed the boat out!