Thursday, June 07, 2018

On the boat

My friend L's group had booked space on a tour boat for Saturday evening. This company's boats leave from the foot of the Eiffel Tower and cruise up river then turn around behind the cathedral of Notre Dame and return. L arranged for me to go along and I met the group at the dock at 20h45.

The sun was going down as I approached the Eiffel Tower on foot.

The boat we were on had two levels, inside on the lower deck and outside on the upper deck. The boat was full, probably with other groups and individuals as well. We spent the cruise watching and talking and occasionally going outside for photos. By the time we returned to the dock, night had fallen and it was too dark for snapshots.

The Pont Alexandre III connects Invalides and the Grand Palais.

I managed to get a few photos during the first half of the cruise. The combination of the darkness and the motion of the boat made it a little challenging, but I'll post them anyway. I hadn't been on a river tour since 2000, and I had a great time!

Chugging up river. It's getting darker!

Some of the tour boats that ply the river have big spotlights on them that light up the riverbank as you cruise by, but the one we were on didn't. I've done both, and I kind of liked that our boat didn't have the lights. I have a few more images to post the next time. Or two.

6 comments:

  1. What a city! And what a great way to view it.

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  2. On the boat (still called 'Les Bateaux Mouches, I presume) do the still have a chap with a camera going around photographing everyone whether they want it or not? - in order to hawk the pics later as the tourists disembarked? I'd already had it done to me at least a couple of times (with me NOT buying the photos later) and on my last trip I was with a couple of friends when the guy got all hissy with me because I refused to look at the camera while staring away with evident displeasure. Tant pis pour lui!

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  3. I guess it is the passerelle Debilly in the first photo?

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  4. Sounds like the lunch time cruise we took. Much alcohol was involved and a meeting with two women travelling together. We had the most wonderful time, but sadly missed much of what we passed. I did see Notre Dame and a couple, he wearing a beret, being romantic on the left bank.

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  5. mitch, if the weather's good, it's a fun excursion.

    raybeard, the Bâteaux Mouches are another company that embarks from the Left Bank. These were Bâteaux Parisiens. I didn't notice a photographer. Maybe since nearly everybody has cameras and phone cameras they've become superfluous?

    chm, yes indeed!

    andrew, there was no alcohol on this trip, but I did see that lunch and dinner cruises were available.

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  6. Just now seeing these boat photos- sunset is a magical time to be on the Seine.

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