I started my trip with a flight to Salt Lake City and was entertained the whole way by the little girl behind me who screeched at intervals for no apparent reason other than sheer joy. The screech was usually punctuated by a kick to the back of my seat. I prayed she was not going to be continuing on the 10 hour flight to Paris.
I got on my flight to Paris to find a 21 month old boy was going to be in the seat behind me. Oh joy! He did not screech and only kicked occasionally.
I arrived at 10:30 am Paris time. I was thinking that I would be able to see the Eiffel Tower as we came in. Silly me. Not only was it very foggy and we were lucky to even see the runway, the airport is quite a ways from downtown. I did find my luggage and sat down in baggage to wait for Shane. I waited and waited. I tried to call her but found my international phone did not like her number. Eventually I noticed everyone else was going out the door with the big sign that said SORTIE. No one seemed to be meeting anyone in baggage claim. I picked up my stuff and went out the door. The first thing I saw was SHANE! Whew.
We shoved our luggage (she had luggage too as she was a long way from home and on vacation as well.) through the train gate stiles and got on the RER to Paris.
We took the RER and a million metros with a zillion stairs into the heart of Paris and found ourselves standing on a street corner, lost. Lost in downtown Paris. Lots of cars whizzing by and people rushing around. We guessed, and started up the street.
We guessed correctly! After much walking we found our little hotel, Hotel Picard, on a tiny quiet side street. It was very old, very quaint and very French. I learned that the “first floor” everywhere is really the second floor. We hauled our luggage up the stairs which were marble until they went out of view then became ugly asbestos, to the desk.
The people were very friendly. We got our little room facing the street across from the bathroom (toilet only, shower is on the 4th floor).
It had beautiful tall windows that opened so you could lean out and see the tree-lined street.
There’s no rest for the jet lag sleep deprived so after we got checked in (our room was not ready yet), we went for some food. On the way we passed a rotisserie cooking lots of chickens. I pointed and said VIOLA! UN POLET! (Look a chicken) Shane had told me I would not be able to use that phrase in France. She admitted she was mistaken.
The area around our hotel had lots of little cafes (really all of France has lots of little cafes) so we decided on the Café Du Marche. We sat outside. There are lots of people with lots of dogs that they clearly adore. I loved watching them. I even saw a beagle! After lunch we decided to go in search of a cork screw as Shane had a picnic behind the Eiffel Tower (Tour Eiffel) planned for tomorrow night and we had no way to access the great Beaujolais she brought from Lyon. I of course being a trained observer, already knew where a wine shop was located. They, in true French fashion, did not have anything to open wine bottles with. (This topic will carry on in tomorrow’s journal.)
Well fed and now checked into our room we decided to head out to Sacre Cour. When you leave you turn your hotel key (an actual key) into the desk clerk because if you lose it there are not spares.
A million more metros and a zillion more stairs (by the end of the trip we figured out that we traversed on an average approx 500 stairs per day in Paris. Only people who have been to France will believe me. )
Sacre Cour was stunning. You go up this touristy shopping road that is kind of like a big alley and then WOW there it is RIGHT in FRONT of you….Note the green carousel top way up the road in the first picture, then the carousel in the second picture.
The view of Paris from Sacre Cour was lovely.
More stairs!!!! And worth every one!!!! Shane did introduce me to the funicular, sort of an elevator/tram.
I saw gargoyles….. Here, you can too!
Next we headed off to Notre Dame. It was getting close to dark. Nice lighting for picture
They were conducting mass. It was of course magical and touching and yes, they allowed pictures
Next back to a whole bunch more metros to the Eiffel Tower. There seems to be a trend here of hiding the great things and then just springing them on you!
Of course we did go around to the front!
IT IS GIANORMOUS!!!
The stars and non-traditional blue lights are in honor of France marking its six-month presidency of the European Union by lighting up the Eiffel Tower in blue with yellow stars, recalling the EU flag. Every hour it starts twinkling for 5 minutes.
We had dinner near the Eiffel Tower. It was marginal and expensive. The people next to us were from Alabama. They ordered Pepsi. It was 8.50 euro (approx $12.00 ea). We drank wine. It was much cheaper. It comes in a pichier (pitcher) a cute little pitcher at that.
In trying to get back we missed the metro station but found a crepe wagon. Yummmmm banana nutella crepes! Shane got into a heated conversation regarding Lyon football (soccer) and Marseille football with the one of the guys in the wagon who was from Marseille. The other guy told this story about a chef losing a star in his rating and putting a pistol to his head. Even I understood that conversation in French as it was well animated. What a fun conversation!!! (Really they were very nice, very funny and very friendly.)
We finally figured out the reason we kept missing our stop was because the metro station we were looking for was closed for several days for repairs. It was the one closest to our hotel and of course would open back up the day we left. 3 more metros back to our hotel.
We walked back to our hotel. On the way Shane taught me how to say “ I want to use the shower tomorrow morning.” The desk man handed me a token.
It’s midnight. The street below is now very busy with a hopping little café right underneath us. If I wasn’t drop dead tired we would go!
Bon Nuit.....zzzzzzzzzzzzz
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