Singapore and Paris

 We arrived in Singapore around 9pm Saturday night and got a taxi to our hotel in the Joo Chiat area, not the city. A very strong Malaysian therefore Muslim part of Singapore. Huge numbers come over to work every hour available and send money back home. The metro and other infrastructure seems to be under constant construction, a hive of activity.

Fish and produce market on Joo Chiat Road

MMA or mixed martial arts is very popular in the evenings with betting on the side.

Folks love their birds so take them to the park to show off and socialise.

We wandered on to the Hawkers market to meet a friend, Tracey, for lunch. It was 33C and we are both dripping after the hours walk to there. Tracey has been in Singapore helping her son and DIL with their new baby so we delivered a baby gift and enjoyed catching up. Rather than suffer the heat by walking back to our hotel we took the metro over to the Botanic Gardens which we had enjoyed on a previous stopover.

Last time here Jeff captured a photo of a lizard swallowing a frog. This time just a big fella out for a fossick.

So back to Changi airport for the midnight flight to Paris. 13.5hrs later we zip through

on the RERB metro to Gard de Norde then the no#26 bus to the Belleville, area we are staying in, like pros. Actually had researched this before we left home as from experience arriving at Charles de Gaulle brain fogged does not make for clear thinking.

The apartment is on the bottom of a six story block with a small garden created by putting on a glass conservatory. About 60sqm it has all we need. The owner lets it out randomly as she has a summer house in the south. When you enter it feels like she has just popped out to the shops but taken her toothbrush. Very intimate with good use of space. Took some time to find the washing machine. Is behind the bedroom door, who knew? The working neighbourhood has a fab bakery, fruiterer, supermarket and many small cafes come bars.

At the end of the street is an excellent cafe/bar called Bariole. Good fair value food and happy chappy waiter.

Today we took the metro to Garde de Lyon to begin a self guided walking tour. First stop the Bastille.

Gorgeous buildings and not over run by tourists as yet. Very bearable 15C perfect for walking. Next stop was an area called Le Marias, lots of very trendy boutiques.

Fortunately the French do not do size 10.5 wide fit at 225 euros/NZD $410 not in our budget!!

Odd name for a perfume shop..."juliete has a gun" ?

On to Hotel de Ville which is the city hall on the banks of the Seine river. 

With the Olympics in Paris in July unfortunately many ornate buildings are slathered in advertising as if one was not aware of the event.

Whereas we are fixated with cones in NZ here in Paris as in Singapore metal barricades are numerous on all the construction areas. Paris is going all out with scaffolded stands everywhere which unfortunately seem to obscure many iconic buildings - Champs Elysees, Arc de Triomphe, Place de la Concorde etc.

The Louvre Palace and Pyramid. Did not spend hours wandering the museum this trip, the sight of it reminds Jeff of his sore back and legs from the last effort.

One has to admire the detailed workmanship.

Madness and it is only May. God forbid what it will be like in July. People standing in th middle of the road taking selfies etc.

The famous Champs Elysees, shopping nirvana for some. Is quite a long walk from the Louvre up to Arc de Triomphe then one swings left to the Eiffel Tower.

Note all the scaffolding stands and barricades in anticipation of the Olympics. The lovely gardens in and around are now inaccessible to the public.

And here we are 29years since we last took a photo together in front of this icon. Unable to be in the gardens as we were then and of course the then younger couple had not the years of fun and laughter lines now seen.

Changes we have noticed is the large number of immigrants in Paris as in many places now. Did not see too many vagrants, felt very safe but it is sad to see the amount of tagging on stunning buildings. Transport system i.e metro and buses numerous and clean. Folks courteous and enjoying the Spring.