I decided to can the idea of using the metro if I could avoid it and the reception staff showed me how to walk to Avenue de Pyramid s - twenty minutes.
Brittany and I set off and walked as far as the Opera, in other to turn left. All of this bustling and historic, but the Opera house has been renovated and re gilded. Truely extraordinary.
Anyway the bus was a swish double decker, and packed full of tourist people like me. maybe 80 people.In the queue was a woman from the American Embassy,who'd just poked the day before. She is living and working in Paris.We headed west and past all the sights like he Eiffel Tower Arc de Triomphe with a commentary going in English and French.I was next o an Australian woman but pretty soon I fell asleep - comfy bouncy coach. I felt Oh no, but at least The trip was 90 minutes.
Anyway the day exceeded all my expectations. Gorgeous. We toured the house and had two hours to explore both the gardens, the one with the water Lillies was across the road via a pedestrian tunnel.Hundreds and hundreds of people had made the excursion on this perfect summer day, the gardens were abundant and exquisite in a cluttered colourful generous way. obviously a team of gardeners keeps this exactly as it once was. He clearly loved irises but there were lots of treat I took about 100 photos.
The house had all his Impressionist mates paintings but no originals of his own Renoir Cezanne and lots of his beloved Japanese art that I don't care for.
Anyway I was hard put to get it all seen and back to the bus in time - it was a 15 minute walk away. I chatted to the big American lady and asked her if she'd done the waterlillies yet - "No"so I felt better
the crowds were huge and they were limiting entry to a quota at any one time.
later we thought several thousand must have been either in the gardens or queuing or leaving.
Without a doubt Claude Monet is my new hero.
Anyway out through the shop and ready to return I was thirst and stopped for a bottle of water. he woman was tardy coming. I was in a hurry so get my money ready.
Would 
you believe that at this quaint little shop where I perched my bag, a gust of wind caught my money and a ten euro note just shot down inside the house and behind the freezer. True.
And my French is not a wondrous thing. Anyway they did not believe me initially till the bloke came out and the it was. hah!
So much or a hasty drink.
Back to the bus, not a completely easy set of instructions and although I was on time clearly others were lost. Or waylaid.Just as we aware exiting the bus park there was the American lady waving both arms, and grinning. I yelled stop but of course that was English and the driver was downstairs anyway.
So locals shouted "Arêtez" as you do, and one energetic guy whipped down the circular stairs as the bus was really moving now!
They slowed but to be fair it would have been a mission to turn such a big bozo of a vehicle around, and they announced that they would not be going back, that they'hd already waited a quarter of an hour, and so she was left behind, in a little isolated country place one and a half hours out of Paris, and that was that. later I chose to inform the office what happened, in case there was repercussions.
Never in my Contiki experience did we leave someone behind.
Meanwhile the Adelaide lady next to me was great value and we established that we were pretty near each other, back in Rue Monmatre, which indeed we were,
Back into Paris we passed every conceivable iconic landmark. Camera clicking in my case but I have been where before in my previous life (ie when I was single and without responsibility.
To cut to the chase, we connected up with Brittany and enjoyed some cheap but mellow red wine in my room and using the Lonely Planet which is Brittany's bible, or rather she worked it out while Leslie and I enjoyed being feeble we went out to a highly recommended place to eat things like Caesar salad for twelve euro with very attentive waiters. it pays to have a young lady in your company, especially owns that can negotiate and order food and stuff. his place was round the corner, no more than 50 metres from my hotel door. Fantastic, Meanwhile the rain fell and when we came out the streets were glistening but it was tipping down .
All the pavement tables were inside the streets and nightlife previously so lively were bare. people sheltering everywhere - different kind of rain from home.
I was so glad the weather had held off from wrecking a gorgeous day.
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