Yesterday a lot was achieved, but at the end of the day, pain in my foot was a worry, If this was gout, then I forgot to bring necessary medication and the Paris experience would be compromised. Then with comfortable nights under my belt so far, the run was bound to come to and end and I just couldn't get off to sleep, resorting in the end to some medication. We face another long day in Paris today and I have to prepare for it. First some breakfast and the shop opposite has a good variety of groceries and I'm soon back with cakes and croissants. Feeling somewhat relieved, I head off to Poissy Railway Station where I'm in for a surprise, The weather is still expected to be hot today but has been downgraded from critical, I'm told that yesterday the day pass was concessionary due to the circumstances and that the rate today is 12 Euro instead of 4 which will have some effect on my budget. From Poissy we know the ropes and at Saint Lazare we take the metro to Palais Royal. Here there are a number of attraction, the primary one being the Louvre art gallery itself containing the famous Mona Lisa. Initially, we find ourselves at the Place du Carousel which is and underground complex of shops and restaurants. Unprepared for lunch, a pizza will do here. Up above is the huge courtyard around the Louvre and the famous Pyramid. Also nearby is the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel and the gardens beyond. The next destination is more difficult to reach.
We take the metro to Hotel de Ville. then walk across to the Seine crossing the Pont d'Arcole. Here there are bars, restaurants and souvenir shops leading up to another of Paris's famous landmarks, Notre Dame Cathedral recently refurbished after a fire. It's here after a few photos I part company with Katoon, as I prefer to sit with a rather expensive beer while she goes exploring. It's a precious if costly break for me as the time ticks on. Reunited, we now must head to what will have to be the grand finale as we take a longer metro journey north.
The route takes is through the Gare du Nord to Barbes Rochechouart and here I miss a trick, not using alternative bus transport. Instead, it's 39 Steps and many many more, as we reach the iconic The Basilica of Sacre Coeur de Montmartre. The majestic statement of faith is not only an impressive piece of architecture but a magnificent location offering outstanding views over the city. The attraction, unlike most others in the city, is free and seems to afford a fitting end to our Paris experience. Rather too late, we take bus 40 down to Pigalie then take the metro straight into Saint Lazare, Arriving back at Poissy it's nearly 8.00 pm. I just don't know where the time went.
We have managed all the major attractions in two days but if you were to pay the entrance fees, you would not only need all week but also be broke. I believe we've achieved what we came for, but it was a struggle all the same.

The Louvre The Louvre or the Louvre Museum is a national art museum in Paris, France, and one of the most famous museums in the world. It is located on the Right Bank of the Seine in the city's 1st arrondissement (district or ward) and home to some of the most canonical works of Western art, including the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, and Winged Victory. The museum is housed in the Louvre Palace, originally built in the late 12th to 13th century under Philip II. Remnants of the Medieval Louvre fortress are visible in the basement of the museum. Due to urban expansion, the fortress eventually lost its defensive function, and in 1546 Francis I converted it into the primary residence of the French kings.
Place du Carousel is an underground complex of shops and restaurants.
The Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel is a triumphal arch in Paris, located in the Place du Carrousel. It is an example of Neoclassical architecture in the Corinthian order. It was built between 1806 and 1808 to commemorate Napoleon's military victories in the Wars of the Third and Fourth Coalitions. The Arc de Triomphe de l'Étoile, at the far end of the Champs-Elysees, is about twice the size; designed in the same year but not completed until 1836.
Pont d'Arcole. is a bridge in Paris over the River Seine. It is served by the Metro station Hôtel de Ville. The need for a bridge communicating between place de Grève (now Place de l'Hotel-de-Ville) and the Ile de la Cite had been felt for years. It was completed in 1856.
Notre-Dame de Paris meaning 'Cathedral of Our Lady of Paris', often referred to simply as Notre-Dame, is a medieval Catholic cathedral on the Ile de la Cite (an island in the River Seine), in the 4th arrondissement of Paris, It is the cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Paris. Construction began in 1163.
The Basilica of Sacre Coeur de Montmartre, commonly known as Sacré-Cœur Basilica and often simply Sacre-Coeur is a Catholic church and minor basilica in Paris dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Groundbreaking started in 1875, but the basilica wasn't completed until 1914 being formally dedicated in 1919 after World War I. It was formally approved as a national historic monument by the National Commission of Patrimony and Architecture on December 8, 2022.

Source: Visit and Wikipedia