La Defense and Paralympic Swimming

I took the Metro before exiting one stop before La Defense in order to walk up the Esplanade de La Defense towards the Grande Arche which, once I arrived there, I was told had been closed to visitors for a few years for cost reasons. There were towers of offices and apartments plus shops on the lower level, interspersed with sculptures.
The Arc de Triomphe could be seen in the distance from the top of the steps at the Grande Arche which was the modern equivalent and one end of the straight line through the Arc de Triomphe to the Egyptian Obelisk on the Place de la Concorde.
I had an Italian alfreso meal on the Esplanade with the Arche in view.
In the evening, I went to the temporary swimming pool at the La Defense Nanterre Stadium for Paralympic medal events. which lasted over two hours. After the Games, the pool was going to be donated to another city or a suburb of Paris.
Despite the crowds, I caught the Metro quickly on the way back to the hotel.Les mer