[imcarthur]

A couple of things . . .

Subway stations & passes. Our passes worked great except for the 2nd time I used mine. I put it in once & the gate didn't open. So, I stupidly slid it in again & it was seized. The machine ate it. And of course, there was no attendant at this unmanned station. And I didn't see the reputed callbox which wouldn't have helped anyway because my French isn't that good. We went to the main Halles station nearby to complain & after 5 minutes of pointless arguing with a French-only attendant – “La machine mange mon billet!” - I surrendered & bought another one. By that time, there were 20 pissed off Parisians in line behind me . . .

Other things to see & do. The re-opened Picasso Museum. The catacombs. Walk around a cemetary or two. Use some of the Paris bikes & cruise the streets. See all of the Statues of Liberty. A day trip to Giverny. A daytrip to Fountainbleu. Visit remnants of Roman Paris at the Arènes de Lutèce & the Cluny (the tapestries are a nice bonus here btw). Eat a ham & cheese crepe at one of the disappearing window cafes. Buy a fresh baguette & go to the park at the tip of the Île de la Cité near the Pont Neuf & watch the Seine cruise boats while you munch on the best bread you will ever have.

Ian