It's almost 10pm before the sun begins to set behind the cluster of high-rise buildings in the La Défense business district of the French capital, splashing deep orange hues across the otherwise stormy western sky. On the opposite horizon the lone Montparnasse skyscraper rises above the 15th arrondissement like a crusty baguette peeking out of a bicycle basket.
To the south, cruise boats fully laden with wide-eyed sightseers navigate past a myriad of other drool-worthy monuments, including the distinctive facade of the 1000-year-old Notre-Dame Cathedral, which, from this angle at least, hides the extensive restoration work currently being undertake as a result of the 2019 fires which destroyed the roof.
