Last Tango in Paris - or least a walk

Did you ever see the film? I remember going with my sister Clare to see it, possibly in Melbourne in 1973 but I haven't seen it since. I doubt that it will be on my Netflix queue.

Moving on, Marianne and I set off for our last long walk in Paris on this trip. We have decided that what we have really enjoyed most here is just setting out in a general direction and seeing what turns up. Today we set off towards the Seine.

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As usual, there were interesting buildings to look at. To me this is the best part of Paris.

A school with separate entrances for girls and boys.

The simplest areas become much more interesting when you add trees. Although it was not hot, the sun was bright and the shade from the trees and buildings was very welcome.

When we were deciding what route to take we found a small cemetery on the way so we stopped off to take a look.

It's the Cemetery de Vaugirard and is quite tiny.

You would wonder who thought it would be a good idea for Madame Alice to have her name in gold letters.

While most of the graves are ordinary some are very interesting.

Many of the war graves are for soldiers who died in the nearby Les Invalides which included a hospital at the time.

Stained glass in one of the monuments.

We continued on from the cemetery and came to a park named after Jean Cocteau. You have to give it to the French that they do hold their best writers in high regard.

It's a pity the water was not flowing over what we presumed was a fountain.

I liked the dappled light of shadows of the trees on the bright walls.

It was here that we entered the Parc André Citroën which has its own blog.

Once out of the Citroen Park, we came across this bird house. It was quite large, big enough for pigeons.

Somebody's residence, quite close to the cement works by the Seine.

And a train line.

Eventually we came to a bridge over the Seine.

Each side of the bridge has two huge statues.

The size of the barges going up and down the Seine is immense. I would not want to be out there in a small boat battling these monsters.

You can't get away from it in Paris.

The other statue on this side of the bridge.

The new French Government has announced that it will turning these fast freeways on the banks of the Seine back into areas for pedestrians. Back when the freeways were constructed they were a sign of progress and modernity. Not now. 

It turned out the bridge was the Pont Mirabeau.

A copy of the Statue of Liberty. In the wiki article it is the on the Ile aux Cygnes.

Some of the monster tourist boats.

Tourist boat turning around. This is the end of the interesting stuff in Paris and tourists are not going to want to see the cement works down stream.

The Javel RER station on the left bank of the Seine.

Yet another interesting gate and building.

It was lunch time and there was a queue at the boulangerie to get bread and sandwiches.

The Eglise St Christopher de Javel.

Curious structure in the Square Paul Gilot.

Finally, all is not old in Paris. There is much that is new and spectacular.

If Marianne and I could impart one piece of advice when spending some time in Paris, that advice would be to spend less time at the big name sights and more time walking to the lesser known places. Paris is a beautiful place, especially when you get away from the crowds.