Farewell Paris and the Seine or ‘Under the bridges of Paris’
Peter was hoping to leave the port at Arsenal around 8am, in order to avoid the tourist traffic travelling through Paris on the Seine. But as I mentioned in an earlier blog Paris is in full swing preparing for next years Olympics. As the river is going to be a centre piece it is closed to all traffic most mornings until 11am. You might ask what they are doing. Sorry I have no idea…. So we exited the port at Arsenal just upstream from the Ile St. Louis after 11 and entered the fray.
Out through the lock onto the SeineThe first bridge that we past under was the Pont Sully which crosses from the right bank to the left, and across the tip of the Ile St. Louis. At this point the bateaux mooches take the starboard side, while the rest of us the port. Traffic lights alert when it is time to travel downstream.Ile St Louis aheadCaptain looking relaxed!Past the Ile St Louis approaching the Ile de Cite and yes that’s Notre Dame. I do need to say if you ever get the chance to take your boat through Paris it is an experience not to be missed. To see this city from the water is an awesome feat, one that words alone could never describe. Let’s just say it was one of my most memorable exploits.There are 37 bridges that cross the Seine through Paris. This is the Pont Double that Carrie’s traffic from the Ile de Cite to the Latin Quarter. In the distance you can see the Pont St Michel followed by the Pont Neuf, which is perhaps the most famous of them all. This is the oldest standing bridge across the SeineMajor restoration of Pont Neuf was completed in 2007, to celebrate its 400th anniversary. The stones masks, or mascarons are 381 in number and decorate the underside of the bridge. The originals can be found in both the Carnavalet and Cluny museums. The statue on the bridge is Henry IV, destroyed in the French Revolution but replaced in 1818. The department store La Samaritan stands on the right bank. This was originally built as a pump house and was decorated with an image of a Samaritan women at a well. Hence the name!The first Pont de Arts was a nine arch metal pedestrian bridge built in Napoleon’s time. The bridge was bombed twice in WW2 and was closed in in the mid 70’s after a barge ran into it. The current seven arch pedestrian bridge was completed in 1984. Further damage was caused when tourists decided to attach love locks to the railings on the side of the bridge. In 2014 it was estimated there was over 700,000 locks on the bridge and in June of that year part of the parapet collapsed due to the weight. An estimated 45 tons of locks were removed in 2015. The metal railings have since been replaced with a special glass but as you can see from the picture above. they are still working on the bridge.From Pont des Arts to Pont RoyalMusee D’Orsay on the left bank which houses the largest collection of Impression and Post Impressionist art in the world.The Assemblee National or lower house of the French parliament, and what’s that in the distance!The most ornate bridge is Pont Alexander III. It connects the Champs Élysées to the Eiffel Tower and the InvalidesThe bridge was named after Tsar Alexander III to commemorate the Franco Russian alliance of 1892 and reflects the style of the Grand Palace which it leads to on the right bank. You might remember it from the last scene in Midnight in Paris. During the Paris bid for the 2024 Olympics diving boards were installed on the bridge. I wonder if they will feature again next year.The sculpture representing Land Victory on the Pont des InvalidesThe Bateau Mouches only take you as far as the Eiffel Tower before they turn around an go upstream.And it’s a great view of this Paris icon from the waterPont de Bir Hakeim, renamed in 1948 to commemorate the battle of Bir Hakeim fought by the Free French forces against the Germans in 1942. The bridge has two levels, one for motor vehicles and pedestrians while the upper level Carrie’s the line 6 metro.Pont de Grenelle passes behind a replica of the Statue of Liberty. This particular replica (there are 3 in Paris) was given by the U.S citizens living in Paris in 1889 to commemorate the French Revolution. It is a quarter scale version of the original and was used as a working model during the construction of the original.Pont Mirabeau featuring four bronze statues and the coat of arms of Paris.Leaving the city in our wake, we were now in the suburbs and how the scenery changed. One lock and a distance of approximately 15kms from the centre of Paris was our overnight stop at Rueil Malmaison. Famous for the Chateau Malmaison, where Napoleon and his first wife Josephine lived and later as a haunt of Impressionist painter the likes of Renoir, Manet and Monet we only stayed one night as we were racing to catch up with James and Julie on Mimosa, who were waiting for us at Pontoise.Margaret and I walked up the hill to Saint Pierre Saint Paul church where Josephine and her daughter Queen Hortense are buried.From the Seine we turned right onto the Ouse at Conflans Sainte Honorine. This town is recognised as the capital of the French waterways and the right bank is lined with old barges, which have been converted into house boats.Arriving at Pontoise after a long day Mimosa was waiting at the dock with dinner prepared!
Loved all the descriptions of the 37 bridges crossing the Seine.
So many wonderful experiences you have shared , often bringing back some great memories for me
Thank you
Karen’s Travel Blog 
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