Paris

Feb 14-Feb 17
AC872 YYZ-CDG, LH1029 CDG-FRA, LH470 FRA-YYZ/YUL, Feb 18 AC481 YUL-YYZ

As often as we go to Paris, there is always a new corner for us to explore. Taking advantage of the Family Day long weekend and much better weather, we had a great getaway and took advantage of some friendly competition between Air France and Air Canada driving down the price of business class tickets. After an already snowy February, we managed to enjoy dinner in the Signature Suite and get out on Friday night just over an hour late and between storms, which later blanketed the city with a thick layer of snow.

Feb 15

After sleeping most of the way to Paris, we were able to grab an Uber and be at our hotel by 12:30. After a shower and a brief nap, we headed out to explore.

Up the Champs Elysees from our hotel the Arc De Triomphe is often our first stop

The fountains at Jardins du Trocadero are drained for the winter, but the Eiffel Tower still towers above it

Selfie evidence that we were both in Paris together

Making our way along the Seine. Last time we were here there was a countdown clock for the Olympics

Lizards decorate the Alexandre III bridge over the Seine

Looking toward the Louvre from the Jardin des Tuileries

Locals and tourists enjoying some sun in the garden

One of the many bronze statue in the Carrousel Garden

The smaller Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel leads us toward the Louvre

The Louvre Pyramid

Square de la Tour Saint-Jacques

The tour boats continue right through winter

Checking out the exterior progress on the Notre Dame rebuild. Although the cathedral is open again, the construction is definitely not done

Surveying more of the construction site from across the Seine

Capturing Hotel de Ville before crossing back to the right bank

Back at our hotel, enjoying the view from our room

After winding down in the hotel club, we turned in early to prepare for our next day in Paris.

Feb 16

After breakfast in the hotel, we headed out early for our return visit to Notre Dame. Having just reopened a few months earlier in December, after its closure in 2019 due to fire, we were worried about long lines. We joined the line just before it opened for Sunday mass, and were amazed at the transformation. Our other plan was to explore the Bois de Boulogne park and Louis Vuitton Foundation museum that we’d observed in the distance from our hotel on numerous trips, but have never visited.

Back at Isle de la Cite at dawn

Looking up at Ile Saint-Louis

Standing in line and straight on you can barely see the remaining cranes

The clean stone is a stark contrast to the pre-fire weathered stone

The clean interior looks brand new

Restored stained glass windows

Colourful wood carved choir

The chapel, with restored fresco and stained glass

Memorial to the Firefighters and a photo of the damage

Opposite side of the choir

Interior vaulted ceiling provides no visible evidence of the remaining construction

The early morning crowds have dispersed

Side view with remaining scaffolding

Entry into Bois de Boulogne park

On our walk in, we discovered that the Jardin d’Acclimatation was taken over by a Dinosaur exhibit

Our first view of the impressive Louis Vuitton Foundation building

Opened in 2014, it is unmistakably a Frank Gehry creation

Exploring more of the structure from the exterior rooftop

From inside, the open-air garden exposes all of the layers of the outer shell

Stairwell, that is both inside and outside

View of La Defense towers in the background through the glass roof

Something between art and agriculture on display at the rooftop garden

Inside the Museum there was a Pop Art (Tom Wesselmann &) exhibit. This three dimensional art is Beach Girl (1963), by Marjorie Strider

John Wayne (1963) - Marisol

Another three dimensional installation - Sill Life #51 (1964) - Tom Wesselmann

Still Life #46 (1964) - Tom Wesselmann

A light walkway or art built into the outer facade of the building

More three dimensional art with a true to life seat Bathroom Collage #4 (1964) - Wesselmann

Part of (No 54, 1964) in the Great American Nude series

Moving away from Wesselmann this is Three Ball 50/50 Tank - Jeff Koons part of (1985) Equilibrium series

Still Life #60 (1973) - Wesselmann

This scale model helps put all of the building layers in context

Flower Parent and Child (2021) - Takashi Murakami sculpture created as a symbol of hope during COVID sitting on a Louis Vuitton trunk

Looking back at the fountain that blends into the lower layers of the building, with the lighted walkway, shown earlier hidden under the structure to the left

One last look at the impressive building that somehow it took us 11 years to discover

Our museum ticket dropped us off into the dinosaur park

Colourful statues filled the green space

Some of the statues were more threatening than others

After moving hotels to the Madelaine area, we went out to explore. Saint-Augustin Church (1871)

Statue of Joan of Arc on a Horse guards the church entrance

Exterior perspective from the rear of the church

Statue of Paul Deroulede (19th Century Poet and Novelist) in Square Marcel Pagnol

Storage for Life (1985) - Arman outside; I assume inspired by Saint-Lazare train station

Beautiful le Printemps Haussmann department store (1865)

View of Paris Opera from the roof of Le Printemps

Far in the distance we got our only glimpse of Montmartre topped with Sacre Coeur Cathedral

Visiting the Glass Roof of le Printemps for the first time this trip

Challenging to capture the beauty and scope of the roof. From the inside it’s not obvious that this is a drop ceiling with a flat roof above

Full perspective of the many levels of the store below the roof

Loving the architecture of the shopping area along Haussmann

Another perspective of (Palais Garnier) Opera House

We cannot come to Paris and not stop by Place Vendome

"The Welcoming Hands" - Louise Bourgeois part of series of five bronze hand sculptures installed in Tuileries Garden in 2000

3000yr old Luxor Obelisk in Place de la Concorde

Depicting the story of the Obelisk

One of the many figures in the Fontaine des Fleuves still dry for the winter

Madeleine Cathedral (1842) centres the square

Church of Saint-Eustache (1633) outside Les Halles

Looking back on the massive Forum des Halles

Although the weather is warmer, the sun still sets early outside the Centre George Pompidou musuem

One of the playful fountains outside Pombidou

The beautiful Hotel de Ville (City Hall)

Crossing the Seine to Ile de al Cite

Our first evening glimpse of the newly opened Notre Dame

Paris Police Prefecture building illuminated in the colours of the French flag

Ending a great day, we found some dinner and made it back to the hotel after a long day of walking (over 30,000 steps)., ready to get some rest for our noon flight home.

Feb 17

Waking up early, we checked on our flight status and saw that Air Canada both thought that our flight would be on time and that the flight providing our plane hadn’t left Toronto yet — 4 hours from its scheduled departure. The winter storm that had started on our departure had continued through the weekend, ultimately leading to the cancelation of the inbound flight and ours. Luckily we were watching carefully, and were on the phone with Air Canada looking for available options. The most obvious was an Air Canada flight to Montreal connecting to Toronto, but we knew there were storms in Montreal as well so instead chose a 10:15 flight to Frankfurt connecting to a Lufthansa flight to Toronto.

Unfortunately, by the time we were confirmed, it was already 8:00am and we were in the city centre. We frantically packed and were in an Uber at 8:23, working its way through traffic and arriving at the airport at 9:00. Not the comfortable window we are normally comfortable with, we checked in on the way to the airport and had a smooth flight and were on our way to Toronto. Unfortunately, we did not make it to Toronto that day.

Showing our flight path ultimately making its way to Montreal instead of Toronto

A view of all the other diverted flights in Ottawa and Montreal

Although we did not know what was happening at the time, while we were approaching Ottawa, Delta 4819 crashed and flipped over on arrival to Toronto, closing the airport. As passengers aren’t anxious to hear about crashes while flying, the captain did not share details, but informed us that the airport was closed and that we’d be landing in Ottawa first and then ultimately being directed to Montreal. With strong cross winds and snow the captain did a go around before we finally landed. With all the diverted aircraft there was no open gate to park at, so we waited in a parking area for the airport to reopen, and after a few hours tried to take off for Toronto. Unfortunately, the crosswinds were still in play, and our captain aborted the takeoff, canceled the flight, and returned to our parking place to wait for a ride to the terminal.

After a very long day of travel and about 18 hours from our first flight until we exited the last, we made our way to a hotel, by bus, metro, and foot, trekking through a snow storm.

Feb 18

With just a few hours sleep and a very snowy Uber ride to the airport, we made it back to Toronto on the first flight that operated that morning, and back to Toronto in time for work. Although it was a tough journey back, with all the various disruptions and cancelations we did extremely well in getting home, fully taking advantage of the status that we’ve earned through previous travel.