Le Marais (Our neighborhood)

 Apparently, there is a lot to see in our neighborhood. We have walked around the neighborhood often but always to specific destinations. I found some new places to see since we didn't feel like venturing out too far today. It gets busy everywhere on the weekends. We found the oldest buildings in the area, a couple from the 1600s and one from 1407. The oldest one has been turned into an expensive restaurant.

We explored a couple of streets littered with cafes and shops and found a huge angel carving on the side of a building. If you weren't looking for it, it would be very easy to miss. We went by a modern art museum, but it is closed for renovation. A nice gentleman formerly from Texas, let us know that it's going to be closed for 5 years. We have been pleasantly surprised by how nice everyone has been, and not just the ex-pats. 

We packed sandwiches and found a quiet little garden off one of the side streets. There are many little gardens that appear to be yards but are open to the public. They provide a nice respite from the busy streets and are probably missed by most passersby. We stopped into another local Church. The details contained in these old churches is very impressive.

We stopped at our neighborhood bakery before going home. I had a cup of hot chocolate and Jack had coffee to accompany some delicious pastries. We sat outside and watched the activity pass us by. A saxophone player set up on the corner and provided musical accompaniment to our treat. We are in a wonderful area. We went for a walk before dinner. Being so close to the Seine it seems like we should see it each day. We took a few pictures along the way and stopped for our favorite treats on the way home.   

                                            buildings from the 1600s
                                            neighborhood 
                                            lunch garden
                                            
                                                                    building from1407
                                                Angel sculpture
                                            Modern Art Museum, not your typical Parisian style 


                                            Each panel of the staircase has a different painting
                                                        Tasty break
                                            Street music
evening stroll below







                                                    small but amazing little treats



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