Day 2: Avenue des Champs-Élysées

Our first full day in Paris, I had planned for us to stroll along the Champs-Élysées, but first Marie wanted to see something called a "Boomforest." From the maps it looked like there was something of the sort just a little farther on, so I routed us out on the Metro to Porte Maillot with the idea of coming into town from there. We wandered around for an hour, seeing lots of neighborhoods but nothing that looked like a forest. Finally Marie described in a little more detail what we were looking for, and we found it on an embankment of the Boulevard Péripherique. Marie admired the planting, and we decided to move in towards the heart of town.

We didn't get far before deciding it was time for lunch, so we ducked into a place on the main road that didn't look too touristy. It was a good choice, too: the rest of the clientele were clearly locals (many seemed to be construction workers) and the food was very good. (In general we ate well on this trip.) What's more, there was a television on inside the restaurant which told us about the weather. We had already noticed strong winds while walking around; what we learned from the television report is that we were experiencing the fringe edges of Tempête Ciarán, which was at that moment devastating spots along the Atlantic Coast. 

Thus fortified, we made our way to the Arc de Triomphe, and then on down the Boulevard. We stopped to take pictures at the Place de la Concorde, and found that the Tuileries Gardens had been closed because the strong winds made it hazardous to be inside. So we walked along the Seine instead … crossed Pont Neuf … strolled past Notre Dame (also closed while they make repairs from the 2019 fire), and stopped for some mulled wine from a street vendor. In the end we found our way back to our hotel, and got some dinner around the corner. After dinner we strolled briefly to the Place St.-Michel, took a few pictures of the fountain, and went home.