The Bird Count So Far

Sacre Cour: Pigeons, a handful of lovely grey-blue birds that kept a respectful distance from the noisy, stinky apes plodding around the cathedral.

Palace of Versailles: One dignified raven graced the garden.

The Cathedral of Norte Dame: A few rock pigeons brave the masses of tourists and construction equipment to flutter around the apostles and gargoyles, though the only thing visible from the street are the square towers and metal braces.

The Louvre: Birds don’t dare touch this massive palace of art, but the adjoining garden houses a few ducks.

The Seine: Ducks and swans occasionally travel through, but it is mostly home to pigeons and seagulls.

Other important travel notes: the Tibetan community in Paris is large and thriving. A friend of my husband took us to a restaurant/ billiard hall where Tibetans, mostly men, hung around sipping from tiny cups of coffee. A lazy Sunday evening was passed there.