We never seem to be in the picture!

To get the most out of visiting any city most guide books recommend thorough research and careful planning.  We think that principle is good in theory, and one day may even try one or the other, but for the time being we are happy for our day to go something along these lines:

Planned early start to the Centre Pompidou thwarted by strong desire not to get out of bed.

After a leisurely breakfast, we walk to harbour office to purchase the VHF unit on sale in their display case, thwarted again, this time by the fact that it's just on display for their mate's up the road although yes it is a very special price.   A little later, at the shop up the road, loud arguments could be heard to the effect that there is no VHF set in the display case in the harbour office and even if there is it certainly doesn't have a big "sale" sign on it with the price we have clearly invented.   "Look it's nearly lunch time take it for the reduced price just this once OK?"   

NEARLY LUNCH TIME?  Well let's have lunch and get to the Pompidou Centre then.  

Alright we'll go after a visit from Bill and Jane, and maybe a coffee.

It's early afternoon when we arrive, and the Pompidou Centre is looking suspiciously quiet.   We'd checked the web site and re-read the signs.  "Open Every Day 10:00-18:00" they say but there in the smaller print where it says students can get in free, the damning confirmation appears "except Tuesday".

Well there's the catacombs then, let's go there!   They are definitely open, but the cashier closes for the day at 4:00 and by carefully pacing out the length of the queue, we calculate we would be at the door at about 5:00 am tomorrow and we haven't brought our pyjamas.

We were only five or six or perhaps seven kilometres from home by now, so a gentle stroll through the Luxembourg Gardens, St Germain, past Notre Dam along the streets of the Island of St Louis was a perfect way to round off another near perfect day, particularly with a coffee and sugar crepe thrown in for good measure.

All of that marvellous adventure without a whisker of planning!

Tomorrow;  we'll talk to the nice guard about letting us in to the Opera one more time.