Paris - (Fall 2025) - Day 4
Scenes from the walk north towards the Seine
We stopped in this famous English bookstore on the banks of the Seine river. They don’t allow photography inside and they have ropes outside to handle large crowds. Luckily there was no line to enter at this time.
Hôtel de Ville
We walked by the city hall on the way to grab breakfast.
Café du Marais
This cafe sits at the edge of the Marais. Some people were enjoying the outdoor seating but it was a bit cold for me in the morning.
Notre Dame
We had timed tickets to visit the newly renovated cathedral. It hasn’t been open that long since the fire. The timed ticket lets you avoid the long line but it is still pretty crowded inside. I had been inside probably 25 years ago so I can’t recall much of that visit. I also find that most European churches all start looking the same from the inside after a while.
Notre Dame keeps the relic of the crown of thorns from the crucifixion stored in this area.
On Fridays there is a ceremony which displays it. This was a Friday but the service was not until later in the day.
Statue of Charlemagne outside of Notre Dame
The new rebuilt spire of the church
Some sites below were along the way while we walked towards the Palais Royale area from Notre Dame
Tour Saint-Jacques
Remnants of an old church destroyed during the French Revolution
L'Écoute
Sculpture by Les Halle and Saint-Eustache Church
E. DEHILLERIN
We stopped in this famous kitchen supply store to peek inside. There were no real “branded” items for sale that would make good gifts or souvenirs. It was just good quality traditional cookware and utensils.
Place des Victoires with statue of Louis XIV
Willi’s Wine Bar
We had walked by this wine bar a few times and decided to give it a try. I believe Willi is their old dog and his picture is on the glasses. We tried some champagne and red wine as well as some armagnac.
Scenes from the walk back to the hotel
Walking past the front of the Louvre
Crossing the Seine on the way back to the hotel
Solera Paris
The first bar of the evening was this place. They have their own specialty cocktails served in variety of elaborate getups. Mine was an octopus with dry ice inside spilling smoke out its holes.
Bar 1802
This bar was located across the lobby in the Hotel Monte Cristo. It was a rum bar and they claimed to have the biggest rum bottle collection. Their menu had a flavor profile theme so they presented a tray that represented different flavors and they would make you a cocktail based on the type of flavor that you preferred. The hotel had a tropical theme and they had this big stuffed bird collection when you entered.
We strolled along Rue Mouffetard in search of some snacks but it was fairly crowded so we continued on a bit further north to find some food
We were just a bit early in the season to see the holiday lights lit up
La Voie Lactée Resto Rapide
This place is the fast food sister shop of a formal Turkish restaurant a few doors down. They made a huge kebab sandwich but I wished it had a few more veggie fixings and sauces on it.