Final Day in Paris

Paris is full of three things: palaces, gardens & fountains and gold. Everything is sheathed in gold - buildings, statues, fences... the stuff is everywhere, and glints beautifully in the sun.

Today was my last day in Paris, and I really don't want to leave. This place is amazing, and I've barely touched the surface of everything there is to do and see here.

I started the morning at the Palace Vendome, just up the street from me, then headed down towards the Place de la Bastille. It's a beautiful, old area, with winding cobbled streets and old mansions. Several have been turned into museums, and I the Muse Carnavalet, which is full of paintings and items from the revolution.

It's a shame the Bastille was destroyed, because it would have been a sight to see. In its place now is a busy square, with a statue in the memory of those who lost their lives in the later revolutions.

The only other major attractions I had to visit was Sainte-Chappelle and the Conciergerie. Sainte-Chappelle is a beautiful chapel, first constructed in the 1200s. It's currently undergoing conservation works on the stained glass so part of it was blocked off. The Conciergerie was used as a prison during the Revolution, although only the lower floor still remains. Many famous prisoners were held there, including Marie-Antoinette. A reconstruction of her cell is on display, close to where her actual cell was. The whole building is rather depressing, and you can only begin to imagine the terrible conditions of the prisoners being held there.

The evening was spent in the beautiful Jardin des Tuileries, which seems to be a very popular spot for Parisians and tourists alike. The ferris wheel in the amusement park there offers an excellent view of the Palace and Paris. Nutella crepes seem to be a big thing, and was tonight's supper. Real crepes are amazingly good - and funnily enough, are not in fact crunchy.

Tomorrow it's off to Lyon for a couple of days, before I head down to Nice.  Here's to hoping that in future the hotels have internet access that's at least as fast as dial-up...

Au revoir Paris!