Paris - the City of Lights

After breakfast this morning, we were off on a tour of the city of Paris.  This has always been on my "bucket list" to go to Paris, so I was like a kid in a candy store.  I wanted to see everything and to get pictures of everything.  We were only able to tour for 3 hours, because the Captain had told us that we were going to have leave Paris early because of the strike. Now you must understand that the workers are striking in France because the President has asked the legislature to raise the retirement age which is now 60 to 62.  You have to realize the French only work 32 hours a week, have a 2 hour lunches each day, and have 5 weeks of vacation each year.  So - what do you think????? The bill passed while we were there, but the President has to sign it this week and the workers are still striking.

We were able to travel along the famed Champs Elysees, viewing the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe.  We passed by a complex of military buildings known as Les Invalides, including Napoleon's Tomb. On our travels we also viewed the beautiful and recently restored Grand Palais and Petit Palais.  At the Louvre Museum we viewed the modern addition to the city's architecture as we passed by the I.M. Pei-designed glass pyramid entrance to the museum.

I could have spent 3-4 more days in Paris, but it was time to move on to Vernon and Giverny - the village home of Claude Monet.