Paris 1 - 3 November 2013

1 Nov

This is a rehash of events already transcribed in Lauren’s travel journal. I will do my best not to leave out any details!

Lauren and I left Stockwell for St. Pancras Station around 0715. 20 minutes later we were in the St Pancras Foyles bookstore selecting a Paris travel guide. Purchased two cups of porridge and flew through the security and passport checks with 5 minutes to spare.

The train journey was uneventful and we arrived 2 and half hours later to the Paris du Nord train station. We checked in to our hostel (3 blocks away) and made our way back to the station.

While in line for our Metro tickets, Lauren and I were approached twice for money, one woman with a petition of sorts followed by a second fellow asking if we spoke English and if we needed help. Eventually, we purchased two 3 day unlimited use passes (23 euros each! In retrospect I’ll get the 10 ticket pass as we did not get nearly enough use out ours). The station barriers are quite intimidating, after putting your ticket through the machine, the gates made a mechanical hissing noise and pulled apart.

After making our way into the bowels of the Paris Metro (not nearly as clean or user-friendly as the L.U.) we boarded a two level train to center of Paris. Arriving in the Les Halles area we made our way out the train station and through a large underground mall. I was briefly tempted by a Mexican restaurant but I persevered. Exiting the train station we found ourselves in to an empty part of the city.

After getting our bearings we settled on a glorified Parisian kebab shop for lunch, Lauren had a crepe and I had a baguette with two burger patties topped with cheese. I tried to order water but in the confusion was given a bottle of Smart Water. C’est la vie.

We strolled over the Seine to the Île de la Cité (Island of the City?) – essentially ground zero of Paris. All destinations in Paris, and indeed in France are measured from here. A structure with a ramp on one side, a viewing platform on the top and bleachers on the other faced Notre Dame.  We took in the sites and gazed at the large crowds milling about the entrance to the cathedral. We were impressed by the number of lifesized statues cut into the façade of the cathedral. As entrance was free we popped in for a self-guided tour. Arguably more impressive than St Pauls, Lauren and I were awe of the interior as we sat in the pews. Large stained glass windows flanked the transept. We lit a candle for our past loved ones and walked the interior, very crowded.  

We walked around the exterior of the cathedral to a small bridge connecting the island to south bank of the city. This bridge is famous for the locks couples attach to the railing. So popular is the custom that people had begun attaching locks onto other locks as all available railing real estate had long been smothered.  We spied several suspicious characters eyeing up other tourists.

Next stop was the Shakespeare and Company bookstore. Probably the most famous English language bookstore in all of Paris. Cramped and disorganized, it’s a store you’d likely find in a Harry potter film than in Paris. Books stacked on tables, timbers criss crossing the ceiling, ladders across all the walls. Upstairs is tiny free to use library. Well worth a wander.

Walking further along the river we passed the colorful the Latin quarter (as students who lived in the area spoke Latin) and made our way to the Musee D’Orsay. Unfortunately the lines for entry were horrendous so we gave it a pass.

Lauren and I laughed when a bystander attempted to pull the old “oh look at this ring I found on ground, would you like to buy it?” scam. Coincidental, as we read about this con in our guide book and we’d been talking about it on the journey over.

Crossing back over the river, we passed through the expansive gardens that lead up to the Louvre. As it was approaching evening, we also gave the museum a pass and instead opted for the Pompidou center – that is the Renzo Piano designed inverted building, ie it is inside out. Piping and structure are all visible.

The Pompidou center is like the Tate Modern but with a 13 euro entrance fee.  The exhibits were remarkable and Lauren and I spent a good hour wandering through the various installations. One that stood out was a short film about the bank robbery that inspired the film Dog Day Afternoon. In the exhibited film, the true life bank robber walked us through the actual robbery on studio set, followed by a diatribe about Warner Brothers stiffing him on the royalties he thinks are owned to him.

The entire top floor of the building was dedicated to the work of Roy Lichtenstein (Google him if you’re not familiar with his work). It was a great pleasure to see his artwork up close and to learn about his process.   

Dinner was held in a nearby bistro – Lauren with the goats cheese Pizza and I had a salad, fries, cheese and ham over bread, meal.

Nov 2

We woke up the next morning to all kinds of noises seeping through the walls of our hostel. We could hear the elevator next door, people talking in the halls and our neighbors taking showers. Walls were paper thin. The room itself was cozy however, complete with its own bathroom.

First stop was the Eiffel Tower. Lines to get in were horrific. Instead we wandered around the base through the crowds, snapped photos and admired the design. Very impressive up close. Apparently they paint it in several shades of brown to enhance its height. Breakfast was a croissant and OJ at a nearby café.

We walked across the river to take in the views of the city and the tower. Folks hawking miniature Eiffel towers were everywhere. They seemed to be doing a brisk business and were not bothered by the police presence.

A brief monsoonal type rain shower pushed us into the metro and we made our way back to the Louvre. The crowds were manageable and I was able to take in some of the museum highlights including the Mona Lisa. I was surprised to discover the museum sits on the former grounds of a large castle, the base and foundation of which can still be seen in the lower levels of the museum. Post Louvre we hoofed it back to the hostel for an afternoon siesta. Lauren did some sewing for an upcoming show and I passed out.

That evening we decided to explore Montmarte. This is the bohemian neighborhood on a large hill overlooking the city. At one point this was a city unto itself until Paris gobbled it up.

We took a small funicular from the base of the hill up to the Cathedral Sacre Coeur. Raining cats and dogs, we huddled in the cathedral foyer with several dozen other folks, many of which were drinking wine and selling trinkets, seemed a bit sacrilegious! Unfortunately the cloud cover blotched out most of the view.

We had a light dinner at nearby creperie, replete with a live piano player. We split a cheese and tomato crepe and had a glass of Rose each. Moving on through the hilly streets we came to the cafe where the french film Amelie was shot (one of Lauren’s favorite films). We shared a creme brule and sipped on delicious cocktails.

On our walk home we passed the Moulin Rouge and a seedy looking red light district!

Nov 3

Sundays are general quiet in Paris - many shops are closed for business and many locals appear to stay in.

First stop was in the Arc de Triomphe. Entrance to the top was free as it was the first Sunday of the month. Weather was fantastic - cool but sunny. Crowds were fortunately thin and after a good hike (over took several tourists, a couple of which appeared to give up!) up to the top of the monument we were rewarded with sweeping views of the city. We were able to identify many of the locations we’d visited previously. As the AdT sits in the center of a large traffic circle, we were afforded excellent views down half a dozen streets including the Champs de Elysees. Lunch was held in nearby chain bistro, more baguettes

The remainder of the afternoon was spent walking through inner Paris. We walked through several districts, including a gay/Jewish quarter. We scooped up bits of food along the way and soaked up the atmosphere.

We enjoyed one last cocktail at bar near the train station and then said aurvour to Paris!