Wednesday 28 December - An Orgy of Urban Travel

I wanted to visit the model shop near the Quai de la Gare today, bought a day ticket (Mobilis) and went the long way round.
- Metro Line 3 Villiers to St. Lazare
The ride down the hill from Europe and round the curve to St. Lazare station is always interesting.  The drivers have to ensure their train is well under control.
- STIF line F St. Lazare to La Defense
These trains are getting old and will presumably be replaced soon.  Close to departure time, the air compressors burst into operation with a great noise and the lights went brighter.  We passed through railyards and then into the concrete jungle of La Defense.
- Tram T2 La Defense to Porte de Versailles

Tramway T2 at Porte de Versailles

This is essentially a converted railway right of way using ballasted track.  Emerging from the spires of La Defense into an area of old growth buildings there were good views across the Seine to the Eiffel Tower with the top in cloud.  The line comes closer to the river and then runs alongside for several kilometers. The final, and much newer, section into Porte de Versailles is built on tramway principles.  The "trains" were running at 10 minute intervals and all were double sets running in multiple.
- Tram T3 Porte de Versailles to Porte d'Italie

Tramway T3 at Porte de Versailles

Tram T3 runs through a pleasant well-to-do area and the tracks are mainly in a grassy centre reservation in the wide city boulevard.
- Bus 47 Porte d'Italie to Place d'Italie
Metro line 7 was having problems. First, the departure time indicators went to zero and then went out, then the signals dropped to red and it was time to seek alternatives.  I ran to catch a very full bus without being sure of its route.  The indicator inside not only gave the next stop but showed the time to Place d'Italie reassuring me that this was correct.
- Metro Line 6 Place d'Italie to Quai de la Gare
Visited Opher model shop and made a pit stop.
- Bus 89 to Quai de la Gare
I couldn't find the Bibliotheque Mitterand metro stop so I took a bus
- Metro Line 6 Quai de la Gare to Bercy
- Metro Line 14 Bercy to Gare de Lyon
- RER line D Gare de Lyon to Saint Denis
The RER double decker trains run quickly through through the centre of Paris then through SNCF wasteland. 
- Tram T1 Saint Denis to Noisy le Sec

Tramway T1 at Noisy le Sec

Saint Denis looks like a war zone.  There is even a three story building, all that remains of a longer structure, standing alone giving the area the feel of a bomb site.  However, there is a newly installed double track crossing just by the station so the city has plans for rejuvenation.  The line is built mainly in streets using stone blocks set in concrete. Rubber tired vehicles could be substituted if necessary although they would not provide the capacity.  All the trams were full.
- RER line E Noisy le Sec to Magenta (Gare du Nord)
Another ride through a blasted SNCF heath.  The station is called Magenta because of the colour given to this line and there is no indication in the station itself that it is actually part of the Gare du Nord.  Typical of the SNCF to assume its customers know this.

Thalys at Gare du Nord

- Bus 26 Gare du Nord to Gare St. Lazare
The bus is direct whereas taking the metro to St. Lazare involves a transfer or a long walk to La Chapelle.  The bus was full but slow because of the traffic.

With all the work going on at the front of St. Lazare it is good to see this piece of whimsy is still highly visible

Walk St. Lazare to home.

The SNCF is again keeping an electric locomotive in the pocket at Gare St. Lazare

Dinner this evening was at le Bistrot du Passage, very close to the apartment.  We had a good meal there in May and wanted to go back.  We arrived at 1915 and managed to get a table although they were turning away people without reservations after we arrived.  We had deep fried shrimp, then gambas a la plancha/magret de canard.  All was pretty good and the prices were reasonable.  We had a bottle of Cotes de Luberon which was also very good.