Rive Gauche or the Left Bank

We crossed the Seine from Ile de la Cite to the Left Bank.

Book cellers cases lined the river and this must be big business because there are many of these.

We stolled into the Medieval Paris (1000-1400) with twisted, narrow streets and building squeezed into every space. We saw the Shakespeare and Company Bookstore. It was closed, but had a lot of interesting books. I understand that they still cater to new writers trying to get published. Ah, my first great novel, written in Paris.....

We saw one of the green water fountains. Someone was getting water from it so I felt better filling my water bottle. The first one of these green water fountains that I saw was on the Sewer Tour, so I was a little nervous. But they have fresh and good tasting water flowing from them and we refilled every time that we could.

The Latin Quarter was packed with stores and food places, known for cafes, boutiques and bohemian haunts. We passed through this section, and found Place St. Andre-des-Arts. It is a tree filled section with several cafes bunched together. Kalen and I decided to have an artsy intellectual chat and ordered our normal espresso and chocolate. The waiter told us that he was a little slow because he was out very late last night and didn't get much sleep. Fun guy and very personable.

Place St Michel was a huge wall thing with statues and water fountains. The picture describes it best. This is the very core of the "artsy, liberal, hippie, bohemian district." [Steves] Alot went on here, even in the 1960's (and we thought that it was only a social upheaval time in the US.) I thought that it was interesting that the area was paved after the last upheaval so that the cobblestones could never be used again as weapons by the academics.

No comment....

Back across the river to finish the last leg of the walking tour.