Wandering round in Paris

At 9 pm you dont have much choice in hotels. I headed to the area of the Gare du Lyon and the hotel Viator which we stayed in last time. Its gone a bit up market since then and I think the sight and smell of me was reason enough for them not to have any rooms. Next few I tried likewise. The the 2 star "Hotel De France" with free wifi could give me a room for the exorbitant price of 75 euro per night ...BUT...It was a room sort of on the first floor which didn't really need the elevator...too bad if I was unable to climb the stairs with my 10 tons of luggage b'cos the elevator didn't stop on that floor. AND...workman would be in to repair the flooring at 9am the next morning. They didn't mention that the wifi didn't work and that the walls were so thin that the couple somewhere in the vicinity "enjoying themselves" would go on half the night...plus the hole in the false ceiling with wires hanging out. I am just a grumpy old woman! Had to do a deal about the wifi to get free brekkie the next morning and headed off feeling somewhat vindicated. I've seem most of the big tourist attractions in Paris (except the sewers..not my cup of tea though Bryan raves about them) so I decided to buy a novel and get a ticket on the boat that goes up and down the Seine ..I could admire the city from the boat and wouldn't have to move unless I felt motivated. Sometime round lunch time I thoght that a trip to the Orangerie, whic I'd missed last time , would be interesting. It was closed for lunch first try so I had lunch in the Tuileries Garden then trotted off to wait in the inevitable queue. The collection of impressionist paintings was pleasant and familiar but it doesn't have the breadth of the Musee Dorsay. Very nice collection of Modiglianis though and some lovely Renoir's. After that I thought I'd look for the museum of modern art that I saw from the river. I was crossing the road to get back on the boat when someone called out "Sue!" It wasn't the usual auditory hallucinations that you tend to get on your own after a while..it was the whole Bongetti family, who had spotted me. Le monde est petit alright. We ended up having tea and spurred on by Andrew's bravery I had esgargot...little grey curly things swimming in garlic butter. I did get to the museum of modern art but went in the wrong bit to the "Palais" which had very modern stuff...