La Fête du Muguet

It was hot, and Caroline in particular was exhausted by all the walking, biking (Vélib's) and crowds, especially round Notre Dame, so this afternoon we sat with our backs to the Seine embankment on the Quai d' Orléans and watched the world go by, in varying states of undress. We had travelled anti-clockwise: first, passing through the market in Boulevard de Reuilly, dodging the bunches of lily of the valley thrust at us at every turn. Then up onto La Coulée Verte - dodging the joggers this time. That brought us nearly to the Bastille, where we braved the bike hire system for the first time, wobbling via the Place des Vosges to the Centre Pompidou. By then lunch seemed a good idea: from our table on the pavement of Rue des Lombards, we could almost see the Tour St Jacques. Most appropriate, in view of my impending departure for Le Puy-en-Velay tomorrow morning, to walk along his way.