23. Paris - Musée national de la Marine

I could have chosen the other photograph of WW1 Field Marshall Foch astride his horse in Place de Trocadéro, the site of the Palais Chaillot.  I didn't need to choose this one with the dark blue Citroen Pluriel (just like my Muriel - Muriel the Pluriel) racing the black Ferrari to the next set of lights.  I didn't need to, but I did.

The Trocadéro is across the Seine from the Eiffel Tower.  The hill of the Trocadéro is the hill of Chaillot, a former village.  The Palais Chaillot was built in 1937, replacing the Palais Trocadero built for the World's Fair in 1878. The Palais is built in a 180° arc with a large square building at the end of each arm of the arc.  Now that we've got that clear ............

We visited the Musee national de la Marine in one of the arms of the Palais.  Paul was enraptured and I thought some displays were very interesting, like this one.  This barge was built in 14 weeks so that Napoleon Bonaparte could arrive in a fitting manner in some city in Belgium.  It was never used again until Napoleon III and Empress Eugénie refitted it to visit another port town somewhere in Europe.  Then it was put away and never used again. 

This gorgeous thing is the prow of Marie Antionette's pleasure barge - the one she sailed around the ornamental lake at Versailles.  Not to be outdone, Empress Eugénie did the same.

Naval sculpture, from figureheads to sumptuous stern pieces portray the power of king, emperor and country.  This gigantic stone or marble bust of Napoleon I was actually attached to the pointy end of a wooden boat.

Some pieces were more appropriate.

Louis XIV, the Sun King went overboard with everything, including the back of his boat.

There were magnificent models and a great collection of paintings of naval scenes.

We were there after school hours on a Friday with the museum open until about 9pm.  It was encouraging to see how many parents had brought interested and impeccably behaved children on an after-school visit, most following an audioguide.

We headed home along Avenue Montaigne, past the Hotel Plaza Athénée   Dinner here at Alain Ducasse's Michelin is 380€ per head plus drinks.  A standard double room starts at 1,329€ per day or 915€ if you manage to get the last minute discount.  Only bank managers and drug dealers stay here.

I'm not making it up .... here is the doorman spraying perfume in the boot of the limousines.

Between the Plaza Athénée and the Rond-Pointe of the Champs-Elysées, is located every major fashion house in the city. It is a lovely quiet leafy street.

Lovely, lovely red slingbacks at Valentino.

And at the very end of the street we found Artcurial, auctioneers.

A company that has come from humble beginnings six years ago, and now attracts owners wanting to sell $5 million cars and such other everyday items in its auction rooms on the Champs-Elyséees.  I think we will be returning.

But right now it is the end of the day and we join the local after-work crowd on the balcony of the Grand Palais for a Cotes du Rhone.