Arènes de Lutèce

To get from the Parc des Buttes Chaumont back to anywhere, we had to change from line 7 bis to line 7 at Louis Blanc station. A lot of steps, no lift that we could see, and strategically placed seats on the returns for those who need a rest.
Mind you, Abbesses is definitely a LOT more steps, and I'm pretty sure Cité is too.

We were going over to the Quartier Latin for our dinner that evening. The name derives from the fact that Latin was the language spoken in the university in the middle ages - but it's also home to a couple of early Roman ruins including the remains of the Gallo-Roman baths at the Cluny Museum, and the Arènes de Lutèce.

The exit from the metro station is designed to be in keeping with the historical context.

There were plenty of kids playing around, someone benefitting from the free WiFi, and a group of men enjoying a leisurely game of boules.

And while I'm on the sports theme, I'll add a couple of photos of the French Open being shown in front of the Hotel de Ville, although this is out of chronological order. The square was covered in an orange matting to mimic the clay courts at Roland Garros, and marked out with lines like a tennis court.

C was more than happy to sit and watch the tennis while I did some last-minute shopping along the Rue de Rivoli.