Our Odyssey: Last Full Day in Paris

Today we reach the end of our short trip to Paris. The weather however was being very cooperative - with the sun back out and it being warm enough that we didn't need jackets or even jumpers for some of today!

After another slowish start to the morning with fresh, warm croissants from the boulangerie across the road, we headed over to the Pantheon. The outside pictures don't really do the place justice as they are currently in the middle of a major restoration work - that will last through until 2015-16 - to replace stones in the roof and to waterproof the roof! Much lighter and brighter than Notre Dame the pictures have turned out quite well. It was originally built as a monument to St Genevieve by Louis XV but has gone through many changes (as have all the buildings in Paris) through the different revolutions and times in-between! It was turned into a Pantheon, a the resting place of notable French citizens, not war heroes as at the Hotel d'Invalide, but from all areas - scientists such as Pierre & Marie Curie and Voltaire - Senators, Generals, members of the resistance, nobles and from the arts, such as Alexandre Dumas and Victor Hugo, since 1791. I have in the last few years visited quite a few crypts - most are small and cramped, but these were large and spacious with large passageways for walking. The special exhibit was all about the architecture of the Pantheon and other buildings in Paris, including Notre Dame - but photographs were not allowed and I couldn't even sneak one because they had guards watching!

Pantheon from the front, with scaffolding and crane

In the Place de Pantheon are two buildings that belong to the University, after we came out from the Pantheon the square was full of students sitting in the sun having a break from lessons for lunch

Inside from the entrance looking down

One of the smaller domes - the main dome was covered over as this is what is being fixed

One of 4 statues in the centre of the Pantheon - where the two arms of the cross meet and where Foucault's pendulum usually hangs - it has been removed for the duration of the restoration

Painting of Charlemagne being crowned

Voltaire's tomb

The crypt has multiple smaller chambers that hold 8 - 10 tombs, this is one of them.

From the Pantheon we walked back towards the Jardins de Luxembourg (Gardens) via a place for lunch. Fully recharged we let the boys burn off some energy running around in the park. We had visited the Gardens in the summer - but like most of Paris I prefer it now with the trees all changing colour.

Throwing leaves in the park, Ethan somehow managed to get leaves down his shirt!

Jacob chasing Ethan after he tried to put leaves down Jacob's shirt!

We walked to the nearby Champs de Notre Dame to catch the metro, through a road of children's clothing shops and then out to La Defense where there is a large shopping mall, for Jacob to spend some birthday money he had received and for us to pick up a few things that we have found hard to get in Qatar. Last of the evening was a delightful dinner at a local French-Italian place where the service was impeccable and the food was wonderful - Casa Da Naktal on Rue de Wattignies if you ever want to visit!!