Picasso, Bastille and Pere Lachaise

Wednesday, Sept 12, 2018

Today was another day of walking the streets of Paris, punctuated by visits to cool places. (We’ve averaged about 5 miles a day, with the occasional cab ride.

We started by walking across the river through the high-rent residential neighborhood on the little Ile just west of Ile de la Cite, then through the Marias neighborhood in the 4th Arrondisiment, to the Musée Picasso. It was located in a very old hotel that was renovated and converted to a museum in the 1980s.

From there we went to Place du Voges, the first park in old Paris, and the Bastille monument which is not located at the site of the prison that it commemorates but instead in the middle of the busiest roundabout we’ve seen in Paris at the convergence of ten major streets. After lunch in a little cafe, we caught a taxi to Pere Lachhaise, the very old cemetery were many notable historical people are buried. Being shallow Americans, however, we went straight to the grave of Jim Morrison, lead singer for The Doors. But the real experience was just walking through this beautiful old cemetery. Stacy looked up when it was opened and we learned we had just seen the grave of a little girl on that day in 1804.

We took the long walk back to our flat, trudged up the four flights os stairs, and relaxed for a couple of hours. Then I went out and brought hope Thai food for dinner... a emporter as we French say. :)