Day 6

Day 6:

Thursday, March 26, 2009: We decided early that today was going to be our busy day. We had a list of the most popular tourist attractions in Paris that we needed to visit. We began with breakfast and left for the Eiffel Tower at 9am.

We took the metro from Place d’Italie. Everyone can always expect a long line for the elevators. We well decided that to save time, and money, we would climb the steps to the top. We paid 4E and began to scale the landmark. We stopped at the first and second platforms and were a little disappointed to find out that after climbing 640 steps, there were no more and we needed to buy another ticket for the elevator to the top. Another 4E.

So finally we were at the top. It was really cool and really breezy. We took lots of pictures and then were ready to continue our schedule of activities. This was an awesome view of Paris but in my opinion, still not the best.

After waiting in line for the elevator to the bottom, we decided to walk along the Seine to Notre-Dame. We took lots of pictures of the Eiffel Tower on the way. Zoe was meeting her mom there at noon but it was a hike getting there. We didn’t realize how far it was. Thanks Frommer’s. We contemplated taking the metro but ruled it out because it was almost 2E to o one stop. Along the way it began to rain – of course. And we stopped to buy postcards.

Finally at Notre-Dame, Zoe left to find her mom and we started looking around. I stood on Kilometre Zero where distances in France are measured from. For example, it might be 300km to Avignon and that point of reference begins in front of Norte-Dame.

The three of us entered and walked around and took pictures of the Rose Windows. Melissa and I signed the guest book. Then we decided to climb to the bell towers which I really wanted to do. I’m not sure Shawna and Melissa were that interested in doing it but I talked them into it. We waited in line for 15 or 20 minutes before paying 5E for the climb.

While in line, we were punked by a Frenchman dressed in a Quazzie Moto (no idea how to spell his name) mask. He just sneaks up on people as they wait in line or walk down the street. It is hilarious to watch it happen but freaks you out when it happens to you. He grabs peoples’ arms or scarves or taps them on the shoulder… then he asks for money. One thing I have noticed in Paris: there are lots of beggars.

An aside about Paris: the city is very clean except for one thing, dog poop on the sidewalks. But apparently it is good luck to step in dog shit. I’m not sure who came up with that idea but I liked my luck the way it was and decided I wanted to pass on that. Each morning, a system of water spouts built into the curb pumps water into the street gutters. They have many public workers whose job it is to sweep up the cigarette butts and litter that is washed up by the water. Many people have jobs because of this even though they are not very glamorous.

One other thing: I really liked that there was no law about drinking publicly on the streets. The one downside that I noticed about this was that there was lots of broken glass on the sidewalks and in public spaces.

So we climbed the steps to the top of Notre-Dame. We saw the grand bell then climbed higher to the top of the bell towers. This is by far the best view of Paris! The pictures I took from here are excellent! The cathedral looks awesome and you can see the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Trimophe, Sacre-Coeure, everything!

We climbed back down and headed across the street for a light lunch. Everywhere in Paris, the street vendors have hot dogs but they are footlongs covered in cheese. I decided that I had to try one, costing 7E with an Evian. Shawna had a type of chicken salad sandwich and Melissa had un crocque monsieur that looked delicious. Zoe had decided to walk, with her mom, to the Louvre which was our next attraction. The only problem was that I had her ticket.

She called and asked how long we would be but it was still a fair walk there too. We didn’t want to feel rushed and took our time eating and walking there. On the way, we stopped to buy souvenirs. Melissa bought a bunch of prints of Paris for her house in Athens next year. I bought two t-shirts, one of a subway map and the other of the sites of Paris, an Eiffel Tower shot glass, and sexy playing cards for my roommates.

Along our walk of Ile de la Cite (where Notre-Dame is), I also bought a cup of hot wine from a street vendor. It was like hot cider and very good. It cost 3E. So we crossed another pont (bridge) and headed to the Louvre.

The Louvre is huge. I read that it would take two weeks to see every work of art there if you were there all day every day. We had about two hours to play there, seeing the essentials before moving on to the next attraction. Near the glass pyramid, we ran into three other members of the group that we had not seen yet – Rachel, Catherine, and Adam. We exchanged cell phone numbers and parted ways.

Once inside, we met Zoe and gave her the ticket and she went off with her mom. We got maps and went off to see what we wanted. We started with the Winged Victory and then saw the Mona Lisa. There were tons of people there; once again more slow Asian tourists that had to be avoided. The Mona Lisa was cool but smaller than expected and behind bullet-proof glass and museum security. It was stolen in 1911 by a former employee who walked out with it under his overcoat and later found in Italy.

The painting opposite the Mona Lisa is even more impressive. It is by the French painter Louis David who is now one of my favorite painters. After that, we decided to walk the corridors and see some more art before finding the Venus de Milo. It was very cool as well. The Louvre was awesome but we felt a little burned out and decided that we were finished.

We then chose to walk the Les Jardins Des Tuileries to Place de la Concorde and take the metro to the Gallerie Lafayette, one of the most famous French department stores flagship Paris locations.

Once there, it began raining again. We entered the store and were overwhelmed by how huge and crowded it was. We walked around a little bit and decided that we were finished here as well. We agreed to head back to the hostel to wind down and prepare for dinner.

Back at the Oops, we met Lance – another member of our group that flew in that day. Melissa, Lance, and I decided to go to the restaurant next door for dinner. Before leaving, we polished off a bottle of wine we had bought earlier. Shawna chose to pack and not eat because she did not feel well. This was an Italian restaurant next to the hostel. The French must love Italian food! I had another pizza avec fromage et jambon. Melissa had the same and Lance had a calzone.

After dinner, we returned to the room to drink another bottle of wine before the three of us went to the bar. Zoe had returned when we got back and decided not to go out. I also Skyped with my mom for the first time since I had been it in France and that was really nice. I had Skyped with my Dad once before but she was working. I also left my Grandma in Florida a message from Skype earlier as well but she was not home.

The three of us returned to the same bar as the night before. We had 1664 again. After two or three beers, I was so tired, I was falling asleep at the bar and so Melissa and I decided to go back to the hostel. We left Lance with some students playing shuffle board and he made friends quickly. I also wanted to get back because the hostel says that there is a 2am curfew. We were home by 1:30am but Lance told us later that he did not get back until almost 3:30am and had no problem getting in, although there was no one at the desk – not sure if that is a good thing or a bad thing.

(As always, Google any proper noun that you are unfamiliar with.)