Paris 12 Ancien - Quartier Jardins-du-Roi

Today was a quiet stroll around some of the lesser seen sites of Paris. We rolled down to the Siene and across onto Ile Saint-Louis. We were reliably informed by our guide (Richard) that the island in the Siene is the smaller of the two, it's bigger sister being the more famous Ile de la Cite which houses the imposing Palais de Justice de Paris as well as, of course, the Notre Dame. The Notre Dame is under busy repairs following the fire that destroyed the steeple and large swathes of the building four years ago. The French are aiming to have it repaired and open for business by the time the Olympians somersault into town in 2024.

Ile Saint-Louis is smaller, but no less impressive. It is home to the rich and famous, some of the most expensive real estate in Paris is here, and the people are the epitome of style. We stuck out just a little bit...

We didn't stay long, as we crossed the river again and up the hill towards Arenes de Lutece. This 2000-year old amphitheater once housed gladiatorial battles in Roman days and the cages which housed lions and other animals can still be seen. We kicked a footy and felt every bit the gladiator.

A short walk around the corner brought us to the beautiful Jardin Des Plantes, a huge garden complex that houses, amongst other things a labyrinth, a mob of kangaroos, red pandas, a queue of taxidermied animals to rival Noah's Ark, and a life size stegosaurus statue. We couldn't see it all, but enjoyed walking through the gardens and having a good play on the playground.Read more