PARIS BY WHEELCHAIR -- Part 15

PROGRESS MADE, BUT MANY CHALLENGES REMAIN

The Pompidou has a countless galleries, one of the best contemporary art collections anywhere, fabulous traveling exhibits and areas focused for children.

It also has one of the most exhaustive art and design-focused bookstores/gift shops on earth, plus a hip design store.

While it may not be a candidate for a Michelin star in a city filled with top chefs, beloved bistrots and brasseries, the rooftop Georges restaurant serves quite memorable cuisine.

We almost avoid all revolving or rooftop restaurants -- as you are paying for the view not great cuisine.  

While the views are worth the price (our lunch with dessert and drinks was 100 euros), the kitchen more than holds its own.

PARIS BY WHEELCHAIR -- Part 11

PROGRESS MADE, BUT MANY CHALLENGES REMAIN

Thank you so much -- Bateaux Parisiens -- for caring about visitors who use wheelchairs for mobility.

We showed up one morning.

We had not made advance arrangements.

We were not sure if there was a restroom on board and if so, was it on main deck level (very rare).

We didn't want to spend a ton of money.

We wanted to get bottles of water for the trip.

We were met at the ticket booth by a person who spoke flawless English.

PARIS BY WHEELCHAIR -- Part 8

PROGRESS MADE, BUT MANY CHALLENGES REMAIN

Jardin des Tuileries is a lush, formal garden in central Paris immediately west of the sprawling, enthralling Musee Louvre.

The main access points -- Place du Carrousel to the east, next to the Louvre, and Place de la Concorde to the west, near the ancient Egyptian Obelisk – are accessible.

The pathways are sand and gravel, not paved, but generally wheelchair accessible.

Beware, on windy days, the dust kicks up something fierce.

Beware even more – most entry/exit points to Tuileries along Rue Rivoli or the Seine consist of a number of steps that create a barrier for wheelers.

The 50+ acre gardens, full of statues, ponds and cafes, feature fully-accessible toilets near Concorde.

That western edge of the once royal, now open to the public garden also hosts a pair of worthy museums.

The Orangerie Museum’s collection includes Monet's impressionist masterpiece, his Nympheas (Water Lilies) series.

The Jeu de Paume National Galleries next door feature contemporary art, photography and film.

For people with disabilities, plan on a long walk and roll up long ramps of hard packed sand/gravel to get up to the museums elevated about one story above ground level at Place Concorde.

Once up the long ramps, access is easy within the pair of museums that are gems let overshadowed by the massiveness of the nearby Louvre and D’Orsay across the Seine.

PARIS BY WHEELCHAIR -- Part 7

PROGRESS MADE, BUT MANY CHALLENGES REMAIN

Canal St. Martin connects waterways on the far north side of Paris to the Seine.

Though some of it is tunneled, the north part provides a beautiful waterway in the up and coming 10^th arrondissement.

Plenty of up and coming chefs have located along the canal, drawn by much lower rents in the still somewhat working class, not that long ago rough and tumble district.

Walkways along the water are often narrow, devoid of curb ramps and brutally bumpy.

The streets are narrow, so sidewalks along the building (vs. water) side of the canal side roads are a good option for people with disabilities who use assistive mobility devices.

The Hotel du Nord, once a small hotel and forever famous as the setting for the 1938 classic Marcel Carne drama.

The Hotel du Nord building still stands, but people no longer visit for a place to sleep.

Now it is a bar, restaurant and brunch spot – with plenty of those little tables with side-by-side chairs pointed at the canal for maximum people watching.

There is a fascinating 2-plus hour boat tour twice a day, one heading from Bastille north and the other from Basin de la Villette south.

Though the boat has a water closet on the main deck, boarding for a wheelchair user involves being carried down/up a few steps.

And while the Villette Basin area is easily walkable, the docks in Bastille are down a very long, bumpy cobblestoned ramp.

So we passed on the Canauxrama canal tour, through many locks and under picturesque steel bridges, till a future visit.