14th arrondissement

Today I went to the 14th arrondissement. Like many of these divisions, I have only seen a little of each.

I started at Gare Montparnasse, one of the main train stations in Paris for long distance  trains. ( on the edge of the 14th  but i think in the 15th) I had read of a garden built on the top of the station. It was a bit hard to find, and then it was mainly tennis courts. Some nice quiet places to sit. The last few days have been quite warm - max of 12 or 13, but that is at 2ish. I was there at 9ish.  I , like many others, have ditched my knee length coat.

Next was coffee time - another of the new places. Nice coffee. Then I went to an exhibition at the Foundation Cartier for Contemporary Art. It was about geometric designs from South America.

Then lunch time at an old  traditional Art Decor place. Nice interior. I got the distinct impression I was being ignored . Probably because I was the only one in my section eating from the special cheap menu.  It was a large place with high ceilings and most of the time I just sat and watched what was going on. I did have some nice food.

Then I walked back via the Luxembourg Gardens.  There were lots of people out and about. There was a pond with small sailing boats but they are not remote controlled. You just get given a large stick with which to retrieve them when they come near or push them out from the wall. Once they are out in the middle of the pond you have no control  and , like today with no wind, they just sit there.  Not like New York at all.  Pity. As I approached I was trying to remember what I paid in NY 6 years ago and what I was prepared to pay in Euros today. 0 for no control, as it turns out.

Just below the Luxembourg Gardens the police were closing offf roads, then there were more and more police, closed roads, congested other roads , lots nd lots of people and I realised that a lot of the people walking up a parallel street to the one I was walking down had yellow jackets on!  They were crossing the Seine on 1 bridge and myself and many others were watching at a distance from the next bridge.

Tomorrow I am not doing anything trip related. So no photos or blog. I am having a day off.

Pont de Grenelle - one of yesterday's bridges. If you have good eyesight , you can see a reminder of another structure built by Monsieur Eiffel.