Monday, June 9, 2014
Bonjour Paris! Waking up at 3:45am is not something I think I could ever get used to. I’m sure, maybe, if it was on the regular, but today it was something of a miracle. I made it to the bus, to the King’s Cross/St. Pancreas station, withdrew money for euros, stood in the massive group to meet our tour representative, and got on the Eurostar train to Paris, all by 6:00am.
I slept most of the way there, thank goodness, I would need all the energy I could muster. Having gone to Paris before, I knew how much of a drain it would be. We arrived and found our way to the metro.
Paris’ metro is completely different from London’s. No surprise there, however, I didn’t expect double decker trains with doors that didn’t seem to hold for no one. There was even a deeper smell of aged urine, mixed with a strong dose of body odor. To my amazement we made it to the Eiffel Tower.
The Eiffel Tower’s first level is under construction, so there are about half the ticket counters open than usual. This makes long lines even longer, but we made it through, and after asking a couple questions we found the best way to get through the line. We ended up having to walk up a few flights of stairs, but it was well worth it (especially having only eight hours in Paris, total). There were, of course, a great number of stairs, but there were fews of the city I had never seen, and the weather cooperated, which was nice.
The first level was mostly unaccessible, but the plans and the finished part looked really cool. It seems they will have sections of glass floor, it was a bit terrifying at first, but once I got over not falling through it was pretty sweet. The second level was busy, although the line to go to the top level wasn’t bad. The top level was pleasant, crammed with people, but I was able to get some good shots of the city and walk around a few times. We went back to the second level and took the elevator down, my feet and legs thanked me.
Across to the Seine River for an hour river cruise. We made it just in time to catch the boat that was just about to leave, saving us time, lucky us! Once aboard we found seats on the side of the boat.
Touring the city via river really gave me a different a different perspective of the city. There were several people eating lunch by the river, anything from paper bag, to take away, to full on picnics. The couples kissing, snuggling, drinking wine, as we passed by. It all was rather enchanting, I now could see why the city is so romantic.
There was a handheld devise you could listen to, giving historical tidbits and such, but I really didn't want to be bothered. For me, it was a time to observe, enjoy, and absorb all the sun I could. This was my favorite experience while in Paris.
It was back to the metro to get to Notre Dame. A few stops later and we arrived at our destination. There was a strange comfort in knowing that we might actually figured out the metro, a very small portion, but still, I was happy we didn’t get lost (well, completely).
Once there, we stopped to eat at a lovely cafe, Le Soleil D’or. I had a ham, cheese, and egg open sandwich as an entree accompanied by a strong tequila sunrise. The Parisian cafes are their own special brand of eatery, their charm pours from the walls like sap from a tree.
Notre Dame was a first for me on this trip and I really enjoyed it. The color of the stained glass really stood out to me, and the detail was breathtaking. It was a quick tour for us. We were able to walk around once, take a look around the outside, and even do a little shopping. The greatest part was when the bells rang, such beauty!
Back to the metro, and back to the station Norde. It was a bit of a journey, with a crucial sign mislabeled (or at least that’s my story), but we made it in plenty of time. I was nervous about making our way through customs and getting to the train, however there was nothing to fear.
The train ride back I stayed awake and looked at all I had accomplished today. I’m still in amazement how much we did with only about eight hours in Paris. It’s such a huge city, with a completely different rail system, but I made it!
Once back in London I separated from my group and took the tube home. Once I got home a nice hot shower was at the top of the list, closely followed by food, drink, and relaxing. It didn’t take long for me to fall asleep.
I slept most of the way there, thank goodness, I would need all the energy I could muster. Having gone to Paris before, I knew how much of a drain it would be. We arrived and found our way to the metro.
Paris’ metro is completely different from London’s. No surprise there, however, I didn’t expect double decker trains with doors that didn’t seem to hold for no one. There was even a deeper smell of aged urine, mixed with a strong dose of body odor. To my amazement we made it to the Eiffel Tower.
The Eiffel Tower’s first level is under construction, so there are about half the ticket counters open than usual. This makes long lines even longer, but we made it through, and after asking a couple questions we found the best way to get through the line. We ended up having to walk up a few flights of stairs, but it was well worth it (especially having only eight hours in Paris, total). There were, of course, a great number of stairs, but there were fews of the city I had never seen, and the weather cooperated, which was nice.
The first level was mostly unaccessible, but the plans and the finished part looked really cool. It seems they will have sections of glass floor, it was a bit terrifying at first, but once I got over not falling through it was pretty sweet. The second level was busy, although the line to go to the top level wasn’t bad. The top level was pleasant, crammed with people, but I was able to get some good shots of the city and walk around a few times. We went back to the second level and took the elevator down, my feet and legs thanked me.
Across to the Seine River for an hour river cruise. We made it just in time to catch the boat that was just about to leave, saving us time, lucky us! Once aboard we found seats on the side of the boat.
Touring the city via river really gave me a different a different perspective of the city. There were several people eating lunch by the river, anything from paper bag, to take away, to full on picnics. The couples kissing, snuggling, drinking wine, as we passed by. It all was rather enchanting, I now could see why the city is so romantic.
There was a handheld devise you could listen to, giving historical tidbits and such, but I really didn't want to be bothered. For me, it was a time to observe, enjoy, and absorb all the sun I could. This was my favorite experience while in Paris.
It was back to the metro to get to Notre Dame. A few stops later and we arrived at our destination. There was a strange comfort in knowing that we might actually figured out the metro, a very small portion, but still, I was happy we didn’t get lost (well, completely).
Once there, we stopped to eat at a lovely cafe, Le Soleil D’or. I had a ham, cheese, and egg open sandwich as an entree accompanied by a strong tequila sunrise. The Parisian cafes are their own special brand of eatery, their charm pours from the walls like sap from a tree.
Notre Dame was a first for me on this trip and I really enjoyed it. The color of the stained glass really stood out to me, and the detail was breathtaking. It was a quick tour for us. We were able to walk around once, take a look around the outside, and even do a little shopping. The greatest part was when the bells rang, such beauty!
Back to the metro, and back to the station Norde. It was a bit of a journey, with a crucial sign mislabeled (or at least that’s my story), but we made it in plenty of time. I was nervous about making our way through customs and getting to the train, however there was nothing to fear.
The train ride back I stayed awake and looked at all I had accomplished today. I’m still in amazement how much we did with only about eight hours in Paris. It’s such a huge city, with a completely different rail system, but I made it!
Once back in London I separated from my group and took the tube home. Once I got home a nice hot shower was at the top of the list, closely followed by food, drink, and relaxing. It didn’t take long for me to fall asleep.