Paris - La Défense

We woke up to a very warm and sunny day in Paris - it got to 31C and at times it was just too hot to walk any great distances.

This morning we caught the metro to La Défense to find where Luke will be working.  The metro was interesting - some stations looked rather unfinished with wires hanging off the concrete roof and in poor condition, also far grubbier than what I am used to in London. On the other hand, the RER train out to La Défense was a double decker train that was thankfully air conditioned and very fast. The building where Luke will be working is the one in the left, all glass and very modern. I have added an extra of some of the other buildings that remind me of Canary Wharf. At last we found a huge supermarket there, where he will be able to buy everything that he needs - plus so many other shops, it's a very similar concept to Canary Wharf which provides everything for workers near to their offices. We bought a few more things as the apartment is not really well stocked for someone who enjoys cooking - a sharp kitchen knife being a priority! Luke enjoys cooking and there are some things you just cannot do without.

We caught the metro back to Champs Élysées, and then walked the length of the avenue down to the Opera House. It was so hot we were trying to stay under the trees for shade. Paris was really noisy, with sirens going and scooters buzzing about - when did Paris get so many scooters? I almost felt like I was in Rome! The police presence was also rather noticeable, especially as they carry large assault rifles.

We returned to the flat, dropped off the shopping, packed up and headed for Gare du Nord. It was an uneventful journey back home again and just as I was thinking how much better the London transport system is than that in Paris, with more frequent trains, cleaner stations and trains, better signage .... I spoke too soon as our train home was cancelled and it took us ages to get home! We sat at Vauxhall for over an hour as the next two trains were cancelled and we finally got home at 9pm - a very long and tiring day!