Avenue des Champs-Élysées

A heavy overcast did not discourage us from walking the entire length of this fabled avenue. We took our first subway ride on the Paris Metro from the Bastille station to the Arc De Triomphe. 

A thoughtful government has installed an underground tunnel across the circle for the safety of tourists.  The circle, fed by 12 streets, is so dangerous and accident-prone that auto insurance companies have a special rule for the circle. All car accidents on the circle are automatically charged as a 50/50 fault.

The monument is a grand sight. Probably even better with blue skies.

We walked the entire length of Champs-Élysées, did some window shopping, and congratulated ourselves for buying me a new belt yesterday in the market for €8.00 after seeing one in a store window for €1,850.00. I cannot imagine what it was made of; however, I was not about to go into the store. If I bumped into anything I would be financially ruined for life.

Sometimes I wonder what they were thinking. Something may have gotten lost in the translation.

Passing the Obelisk of Luxor, looted from Egypt before it was considered looting, the other end of the Avenue is anchored by the Tuileries Garden.

To my relief (and my feet) the benevolent socialist government has placed lawn chairs around the pond allowing me to indolently take pictures while sitting. Notice it starting to clear.

We dined at the McDonalds next to Louvre again for two reasons. De Anne remembered it was hot inside before and having become chilled during our long walk, looked forward to warming up, and second, every place along the Champs-Élysées thoughtfully placed a menu at the door so that riff-raff like us would not embarrass ourselves by entering - looking at the menu, then fleeing.

Being the old pro in my second week in Paris I held a mini-seminar in the crowded McDonalds line for some Americans just arrived and clueless. Things like: "That woman takes your order, that one just fills it", and "Go ahead and ask for French fries, they know what they are", and "Don't worry they all speak English".

I suggested we continue walking back to the Bastille and save the two bus tickets. Brave talk on my part, accompanied by a slight smile from De Anne. When we arrived at a bus stop next to Louvre and saw our bus waiting I called it the hand of fate and insisted we must board.