We already had decided to complete the hop-on and hop-off bus tour, to visit the Mona Lisa at the Louvre Museum and definitely to have coffee at any road side cafes. It was Wednesday today, the weather was cloudy and rainy, certainly not a good for venturing the streets of Paris. But we had already planned our day (and when there is a will there is a way); therefore we went down to the bus station, which was underground in La Defense hence keeping ourselves safe from the rain. Everybody at the station was very helpful; we had already asked about the buses at the hotel concierge and were told that bus number 73 goes from La Defense via Champs Elysees. To reconfirm the bus number we also asked the help desk at the station and yes we were right and soon we were guided to the bus stand. The buses in Paris are wheelchair accessible, just like the ones in London, all have ramps installed at the exit door and they all come out automatically when required. After a 20 minute bus ride we reached Champs Elysees Avenue, right across the road was our stop for hop-on and hop-off bus. We caught hold of the next bus and with a bit of help from the driver got the wheelchair on the bus and informed the driver that we’d like to get off at Lourve. Soon we arrived at the Lourve stop and got off at the museum. The Lourve is a central landmark of Paris, France and is located on the Right Bank of the Seine. It has nearly 35,000 objects from prehistory to the 19th century are exhibited over an area of 60,600 square metres (652,300 square feet). It is one of the world's largest museums, the most visited museum in the world, and a historic monument. For ticket details please check the website http://www.louvre.fr/llv/pratique/tarifs.jsp?bmLocale=en, visitors with disabilities and their companion go for free. One can spend a whole day its huge and a lot to see from painting to sculpture but our mission was to check out the world famous painting by Leonardo Di Vinci, the Mona Lisa, as we didn’t have all day. Anyway it is a good idea to get hold of the Museum map which can be found everywhere in the museum and mark the places one wants to visit. Quickly and easily we figured out the location of the Mona Lisa and made are way towards the panting. It was a long walk as the world famous painting was exhibited in a separate room. When we reached there were barriers up till the waist in order to keep a distance from the painting and two guards on either sides of the painting. The place was filled with hundreds of visitor and when we arrived as I was on a wheelchair the guards let me through the barrier right up to the painting. It was framed in a thick glass with a dense wooded border and due to its mature age there were cracks in the painting. There were cameras clicking everywhere, (taking picture in the Museum was allowed but without the flash) as I was right next to the Mona Lisa I asked my sister to take a picture of me next to picture, I could make out the envious looks of the other visitors. Well as it goes in order to obtain something one has to give up something.
It was about 4 o’clock when we finished around Lourve, then we caught the hop-off and hop-on tour and took lots of pictures while we were on it and heard carefully the running commentary about the various monuments and places we passed by while being on the bus. It took an hour but was lots of fun, finally the last stop came at Champs Elysees, and we got off. The rain had stopped now and we were starving, as when one is out and about they forget about eating. We strolled on the Champs Elysees in search of a nice cafe, after much wandering we found one, a nice small one on the road side just like the movies. We sat there, my sister and me ordered coffee and French fries, while we were eating it began rain cats and dogs. We though it’s going to stop in a bit but it never did. Anyways we just made our way back to the hotel in the pouring rain.
In the evening we decided to take the River Seine cruises. We gathered some information from the hotel concierge got ourselves a taxi and off to the cruises. We missed the cruise that served dinner so we caught the 9:00 pm one, the tickets are 20 Euros per adult and it’s an hour long journey for more information check at http://www.helloparis.co.uk/seine-river-cruises/22-sightseeing-cruise.html. The River Seine cruise is the best way to look at Paris from a different perspective; it will take you right through the heart of the city. The boats are glass-covered so they operate all year around and everyone gets a great view. The River is lined with old quays and many bridges, it also holds another most amazing side of the Eiffel Tower, the Notre Dame, the Lourve and many others. It is a beautiful and romantic experience which certainly should not be missed. (All cruises are wheelchair accessible and have running commentary in many languages including English).
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