The weekend workshop was over and I now had a free day to explore a different part of Paris. After visiting familiar places on the Île Saint-Louis I walked along the North bank of the Seine until I crossed over to be close to the Eiffel Tower,
Day 5: Monday 26th January 2026: Along the Seine to the Eiffel Tower
Breakfast was at the Pret in the Place de la Sorbonne. Then back to the hotel to pick up my camera.
I walked out of the hotel and turned left toward the Seine – trying a different route. I was heading to the Île Saint-Louis where earlier workshops had spent time on the Sunday morning. It was the wrong direction to the Eiffel Tower though!
Île Saint-Louis
I stopped on the Pont Saint-Louis and waited for people to cross.
With the Montparnasse Tower in the background.
From the Île Saint-Louis I walked to the North Bank of the Île de Cite along the Quai des Fleurs to Pont Neuf.
Pont Neuf
On the bridge a photo shoot was taking place.
North Bank of the Seine
Police divers were busy around the Pont des Arts.
I did not visit the Tuilerie Gardens but kept walking until I reached the strange wooden bridge that i think is called “Passerelle Léopold-Sédar-Senghor”.
This is where I crossed back over the Seine for a more direct route to the Eiffel Tower.
Now this was the Rue de l’Universite and along there I stopped at the Café des Ministères.
Café des Ministères
As I wanted a coffee I was placed on a small table next to a staircase going down to a lower level. This latte set a record of seven €7.50!
Not too many pictures inside as I sensed being close to government buildings maybe I should just enjoy my drink.
Rue de l’Universite
There was a large police presence.
Where this road crosses the Avenue de la Bordonnais was where I had my first close-up views of the tower.
Jardin de la Tour Eiffel
The only previous time I visited the tower was when I was in Paris for the Rugby World Cup. Then it had been possible to stand underneath the tower. Now this area was all closed off. I walked away from the tower along the paths in the gardens.
Monument des Droits de L’Homme
This is a monument to celebrate the Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen. This part of the park is called the Champ de Mars gardens.
These gardens definitely have had a chequered history; form being vineyards and market gardens, to a military parade ground, to a place where revolutionary gatherings, to place to where a massacre of protesters had taken place, and finally the site of world fairs.
Rue de Grenelle
Boulevard Saint-Germain
I was now near the Rue de Seine where we had been on the workshop and in an area that I had visited before.
Pont des Arts
And again some more time on this bridge …
I walked back to the Seine by the Pont Neuf then walked along the Quai des Grands Augustins to Boulevard Saint-Michel and the 5th.
Boulevard Saint-Michel
Crossing over,
and leaving the Metro
Rather than walking straight up the Boulevard I went to my left and followed the streets there back to the hotel.
Inside Hotel Design
Place de la Sorbonne
I could hear lots of noise so back out I went down to see a small demonstration taking place
This student sat at the side of the crowd clearly oblivious of it all…
Later as I left the hotel I met my breakfast companion from the workshop and we agreed to meet later to go for dinner.
Emily in Paris locations
The restaurant was closed so we went back to the Rue Soufflot to the Italian.
Papilla Brasserie Italiene
The pizza was excellent and these are the stairs that my water glass cascaded down and smashed…
Rue Malebranche
After dinner I walked up to the re-built Madeleine de Senlis (was the Hotel Senlis) where I had stayed on my first ever workshop.
And the end of the street is another “Emily in Paris” location.
Day 6: Tuesday 27th January 2026: returning to London
This room was the same as the others that I have stayed in at this hotel – limited room on the “table” for a laptop. Packed and ready to go…
And it was raining…
Breakfast was at Pret in the Place de la Sorbonne. Posters were stuck on the wall where years ago a Banksy had lasted for a day or so.
At Luxembourg Station I had no problem picking my ticket for the Gare du Nord. The train was empty too.
Gare du Nord
For the first time I did not have to hang around outside the Eurostar platform and went straight in to security and immigration. The computers were working and I was then throgh to wait for my train.
Straight through to Eurostar the travel agent wasn’t working so I felt very steep hurt myself couldn’t even get up actually was in the right seat, but I was travelling backwards
From Paddington I had to cross London on the crowded Underground to Waterloo and the local train back to Farnborough.