Paris, 23 May 2012

This morning we went down to Place Colette near the Louvre to see how the work is progressing on the Comedie-Francaise and the Palais Royal.  Of course we had to stop for a coffee at the very elegant Le Nemour where the beautiful people (and others like us) have their morning boost.  Unfortunately they had run out of Pain au chocolat, but the coffee was excellent as always.

Café Le Nemour

We strolled through the Palis Royal which is an interesting mixture of the avant-gard and the traditional.  This is true both of the building and the courtyards on the one hand and of the shops on the other. At the moment there is a great deal of work going on, in fact it doesn't look that much different from the picture below of it in the late 18th century.

Comedie-Francais late 18th Century

 While the theatre itself is unavailable, they have constructed an ephemeral theatre in the Palais Royal.  It is a great example of "the show must go on."

The Temporary Theatre

 After wandering through the formal gardens and the lovely arcades, we went to a street market directly across from the  Louvre.  It was all very Spanish and while there were some very nice things there, our baggage allowance restricts what we can buy.

Formal Gardens in the Palais Royal

Old Shop in the Arcade of the Palais Royal

Fountain in the gardens of the Palis Royal

Arcade in the Palais Royal

Then it was back on the bus along the rue de Rivoli and a final visit to W. H. Smith and Sons.  By now it was well past our usual lunchtime and the temperature was around 27 degrees.  We make our way back to Montmartre where we had planned to have lunch at our favourite restaurant, Chez Plumeau.  Strangely, it was closed today so we tried Au Clare de la lune, where we had a very pleasant three course lunch for 18 Euro 50 each or about 24-25 dollars.

Pictures from the Restaurant
 

The remainder of the day was spent quietly as the temperature rose.  Summer seems to have arrived in Paris.