One of the real treats in this voyage, is the guided tour service provided by Paris Walks. If you are coming, we usually have the current schedule, but also, you can look them up on the internet. Our last walk was the Da Vinci Tour, led by Iris, a delightful young woman who was animated, bubbly, and very well versed in architectural history, not just the fictional characters of Dan Brown. The beauty of these tours, and we have been on about six now, is that you see parts of Paris that you would never find on your own, unless you were blissfully fortunate to just stumble in. For instance a few weeks ago we saw 16 or 17 passages, that were the original conceptualization for shopping malls. We have seen the French Senate Building where they have a measure of the meter, and the meridian markers, made so famous in the Da Vinci code. Unfortunately, since the publication, people are now stealing these brass markers, instead of leaving the history for everyone.
We have been led through Paris hearing about the French Revolution heroes and opponents, the Concierge, that was the jail cells for all those rounded up during the revolution, including Marie Antoinette, and other famous figures. We have walked in subzero temperatures, light rain, and beautifully clear afternoons. If you have a similar walking tour in your city, I would highly recommend it. If you are coming to Paris, this is a must do activity.
