Déjà vu: Paris, Day Two!

First things first: Pictures! 

Walking through Paris, I got the strangest case of déja vu, as if I'd seen it all before. And then I remembered... I have seen it! Before it was only in movies and visual descriptions from books and friends' accounts of visits to this city. But now, I'm actually here! Bianca and I began our second day in Paris with a lovely in-room breakfast of yogurt, cheese, bread and pineapple juice, and took a couple of apples and sandwiches with us to go. Ready or not, there we were! Thankfully, the rain didn’t start right away. We made it through until around noonish before the rain came.

We’d planned to go on a walking tour of Parisian landmarks, but even with my iPhone’s GPS and a map, we still had a tough time finding the Opera House where the group was supposed to meet! Along the way, we were confronted by a couple of rude and uppity French folks (I see where they get their reputation, but these people were really the exception more than the rule), walked around a giant Ferris wheel, and looked on dumbfounded at the confusing maze of Parisian roads—it was nuts! Oh, and a man with stopped us and tried to give us what looked like a gold wedding ring someone had lost. It was, of course, a scam to try to make us give him money. We figured it out quickly, though, and went along on our merry way! By the time we got to the Opera House, we were about thirty minutes late, and the group had already gone far enough off that we couldn’t find them. Oh well—there was loads to see on our own!

Looking at the map, we made our plan: follow Boulevard Haussmann back to the Arc de Triomphe, walk down the Champs Elysees (which is like PA Avenue in DC—the main street with a significant monument in the middle of it!), take pictures in front of the Louvre, and make our way to Notre Dame! Will we make it? Come along with us and find out!

So, once we figured out which road was Haussman, we began our trek. After a few minutes of walking we came to a traffic circle that didn’t seem to match up exactly. Oh well. We found Haussman again and went about our business. Again, we stumbled upon a traffic circle. Again, things didn’t seem to match up, but we found our way. Again with the traffic circle… And at long last, we found it! The Arc de Triomphe! It DOES exist! Bianca didn’t want to go up, but I sure did! It was 8.50 Euro well worth it! (Approximately $11.) Though it was overcast and beginning to drizzle, the view from the top was spectacular! The Arc is tremendous—maybe about 20 stories high or so. It’s much bigger than I thought it would be, and you can’t cross the busy traffic circle to get to it. You must take the underground tunnel, which I think it pretty neat! I climbed all the way to the top, which is 284 steps up one side of the Arc, and 284 steps down the other side (they are pretty good about pedestrian traffic flow at these Parisian monuments, actually). The view from the top was misty and lovely! I could see all around Paris from a bit of a different vantage point than the Eiffel Tower—which I could also see from where I stood. What’s funny about that is the day was so cloudy, only the bottom 2/3 of the Eiffel Tower showed; the rest was up in the clouds! Kind of mystical, if you ask me. And since you’re reading this, I’m assuming you’ve asked. =)

Onward! Back down I went to meet up with Bianca. She’d already eaten her sandwich, so I took my cue from her and began chowing down on mine as well. Under the traffic circle we went, popped up on the other side, and began our misty stroll down the world famous Champs Elysees! We saw many expensive stores, but the only store we stopped in was not all that expensive… and they were selling treats. =) Bianca and I needed something to warm us up (and to use the restroom!), so we each got a hot drink (Bianca a macchiato, I a chocolat chaud) and a snack. Bianca’s brownie looked delicious, and my chocolate-covered, chocolate-filled éclair was divine! I felt quite Parisian. The only thing that could have made it better would have been if the day were warm and dry enough to sit outside on the sidewalk!

After our break, we set out yet again. We met up with the big Ferris wheel and a pretty fountain, in which someone was walking around looking for something, and we realized we had it in our sights—the Louvre! No, we didn’t feel the need to go inside. We were perfectly happy to take pictures from the outside and say we’ve been there!

Next up, Notre Dame Cathedral! Along the way we stopped to mail some postcards and look in a couple of windows at the shops along the road. We walked over a bridge called Pont des Arts (“Bridge of the Arts”), which is famous for its padlocked sides. People come from all over the world with their significant others and hook a padlock to the wires on either side of the bridge. Some had their names written on their locks in sharpie, and others actually had their names engraved on them. From there, we look up and down the River Seine—quite lovely, even in the cold gray January day!

Keep it up! We looked around and followed signs for Notre Dame, but we couldn’t seem to find it! We found a tower with gargoyles on it, but that wasn’t it. We walked past the Bastille, and then… there it was! Looming above the street in its medieval magnificence. Unfortunately, new bells are being installed, so things were a bit of a construction-type mess, but most of it could be viewed. The Cathedral began being built in 1163 (can you imagine?), and took 200 years to complete. This year marks the 850^th year!

We walked right in, just as it started raining again—perfect timing! We walked around the grand cathedral, looking at the stained glass windows and statues. A few minutes into our visit, a mass started, so we got to see the church officials (I’d say their titles, but I might be wrong!) walk in procession to a place for prayer, and then into the place where everyone participating in the mass was seated. We didn’t stay for the whole thing, but it was interesting to see a mass in Notre Dame!

And up we went! Yes, up to the top again! Can you tell I like high places? Bianca went up with me this time. I bought a copy (in English) of Victor Hugo’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame (originally titled Notre-Dame de Paris, or Our Lady of Paris) because I can’t think of a better way to remember the experience! And it’ll keep me occupied on my flights home next weekend. =) We took the winding staircases up to the first lookout point, and we both thought that was it. We got up-close and personal with some gargoyles and took some nice pictures, but then, on our way down, we realized there was another staircase up! I’d forgotten that someone told me there was a second staircase, so it was like a big surprise! (There are 402 steps total, by the way.) The view from there was even better than the one below! They’ve put panels up there with lines from the book; lines about the streets and skyline of Paris in 1482. Hard to imagine now, but if you squint, you can almost see it! Quasimodo was in hiding, however. I’ll have to look for him again next time!

And down we went. There is only one set of steps to the tip-top of the bell tower, so it was interesting maneuvering around people going the opposite direction! Going down was a lot easier than going up, let me tell you! The staircases were all spiral, and I’m not sure how old the actual stairs are, but they definitely had the marks of years of wear—850? Perhaps!

And now to find a snack and be on our way! We stopped at a fabulous-looking sweet shop so Bianca could get an éclair. I waited patiently for my turn and planned on getting a couple of the macaroons. And I waited. I took my money out so they’d get the hint I was ready to buy something. And I waited. Five minutes later, I told Bianca we could go—if they don’t want my money, I don’t want to give it to them! Again with the realization of a French sterotype.

We decided to take the metro to the Hotel de Invalides, where Napoleon is buried. We had lost track of time up at Notre Dame, so we didn’t make it in time. That’s something for the next trip! We at least made it to the building, which is worth seeing itself! And then it was time for dinner. We decided on crepes!

After Bianca made fun of the way I say “crepe” (I say it like a Southern girl, “crape,” but Bianca thought it sounded like “crap.” HA!), we walked in the direction of our hotel and asked a man working at a shop where we could get good crepes. He was very kind and even introduced himself and complimented me on my pronunciation of “Bonjour!” He pointed is in the right direction and we found a creperie! Oddly, it was run by a Turkish guy, but the crepes tasted very French and were quite delicious! Bianca got one that looked yummy. It had cheese and tomatoes, maybe? I don’t remember what all was in it, but it smelled good! I got one with ham and French cheese. Maybe they were delicious, and maybe we were just super hungry from all the walking. Either way, we were pleased! We even both got dessert crepes, too. Bianca got a nutella crepe, and I got the one with chestnut butter, which I’d never had before. It was delicious!

Full and warm, we decided it was high time to hit the hay! The hotel room was small—though not as small as the elevator!—maybe about 12 feet x 12 feet. The beds were narrower than twin beds, but plenty comfortable enough for us! I loved the décor: framed winter scenes from France and Switzerland, wooden and carved furniture (headboards, armoire, chair, and a small desk), even the funny red-and-green Christmas tree drapes and bed comforter seemed to fit in with the theme! Bianca and I were both pleasantly surprised to see that our beds had been made and toiletries had been replaced—that doesn’t happen often (as in, not ever) in the budget accommodations I’ve stayed in previously! Having our own bathroom was nice, too! The shower full-sized (not just a stall or something super tiny), and the showerhead was detachable as opposed to the standard stationary ones I think most Americans are used to, which is typical in Europe and other parts of the world. The bathroom itself was tiled and all white, no frills. Something I like about European efficiency: stackability! Under our sink was a stool, and under that was a small trashcan. This may seem like an insignificant detail, but in what looked to be a 4-5 foot wide x 8-ish foot long bathroom, anything that takes up more room than a sink, toilet, and shower needs to be out of the flow of traffic. If at all possible, things should be stacked! These are little nuances we don’t see as often in America!

So then it was bedtime! Bianca and I needed to get up at 5:00 so we could make our plane the next morning, but that is an entirely different adventure. One to be recounted in the next post!

Thanks for coming along with us!