Passing the prestigious “La Defense”-area on Paris west-side the buildings are impressive – and at the same time the homeless (“clochards”) make a living there as well.

The river Seine in Paris is spanned by many stunningly beautiful bridges. This picture shows an example: a part of Pont Mirabeau, built between 1895 and 1897 after a design by Paul Rabel. The two piles represent boats and are decorated on either side with allegorical statues, by Jean Antoine Injalbert: “The city of Paris”, “Navigation”, “Abundance” and “Commerce”. This one is “Commerce”, holding rigging at the stern of an abundant boat. The bridge is referred to, among others, by George Brassens in his song “Les Ricochets”.

The Pont de Grenelle cuts the Île de Cygnes. The bridge isolates the downstream end on which a replica of New York’s Statue of Liberty has been placed on the 15th of November 1889, three years after the erecting of the one in New York. The replica is 11,5 meter high, the American one 46,5. Initially the statue faced the Eiffel Tower with the rear towards the United States, to avoid standing backwards to the Élysée Palace. The creator Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi (1834 -1904) disagreed. At long last, in 1937 the statue was turned to the West, facing the Statue of Liberty in New York.

It was a unique experience to cruise through Paris, especially this close to its most famous landmark, the Eiffel Tower.

Even in October the Parish tourist industry is still flourishing. The people on the outside of the river touring boat were lucky it was not raining – as it did later on.

Yet another magnificent bridge: the Pont Alexander III. The bridge is named after Tsar Nicolas III who had concluded the Franco-Russian Alliance in 1892. Built between 1896 and 1900 the bridge is decorated with exuberant Art Nouveau lamps, cherubs, nymphs and winged horses at either end. The style of the bridge reflects that of the Grand Palace, to which it leads on the right bank. This photogenic bridge can be seen in several movies, among which the James Bond film “A View To A Kill”. Roger Moore comes to a halt at the bridge in a high jacked Renault 11 taxi. “Midnight In Paris” depicted the bridge in several scenes, including the final one. Adele’s music video for the song “Someone Like You” was shot on the bridge in 2011.

L’amour à Paris. We photographed them, they filmed us.

Au revoir Paris…. We enjoyed you!!!

Draveil, Port aux Cerices, our present mooring – south-east of Paris, 20 minutes by RER to Gare de Lyon.