Bonjour! from the romantic city of Paris... We are in love. She is beautiful, she is old, she is noisy, she is chaotic and she is, well, a little dirty and smelly but she is the one and only Paris!
Thurs 24 we travel by bus from Heswall to Liverpool, then train to London and Eurostar to France.
From the moment we step off the Eurostar onto French soil, we know we are in a land of difference - everyone speaks French (of course), cars drive on the wrong side of the street and we wait for almost an hour (with at least 80 others) for a taxi to take us to a door on Rue du Renard.
"Oui...11, this eez yours" the taxi driver tells us when we ask if he is sure. We stare at the door, with an 'I love Paris' souvenir shop beside it, and hope he is right. Of course he is right and once inside that door we leave the noise and heat behind, find a tiny lift to squeeze into and sail up to our little apartment.
It is perfect, with two big windows that open inwards, and overlooks a lush courtyard and rooftops beyond. The bed is up a set of narrow stairs and looks over the dining and living area. We are quite happy.
After we unpack we step out our door again in search of food. The noise hits us straight away - Rue du Renard is a main thoroughfare - motorcycles, bicycles and cars everywhere - horns tooting, police sirens harping their way through the traffic, and people... lots of people. There are sales in nearly every shop we pass! And shoes for Africa - sooo many shoe shops... all with sales!
"Look to your left first," Max yells at me as he pulls me out of the way of a cyclist. We don't find a supermarket this time and settle on a McDonalds wrap for our dinner. We venture out later for an evening walk and discover a different Paris - a less hurried city and, as we will soon discover, with a very vibrant night life.
Friday 25 we throw open our windows to the muffled sound of the city in the background, sip on our coffees and munch on muffins and croisants for breakfast. Then suddenly from a neighbours window, a beautiful piece of classical piano music floats across the courtyard - such a delightful way to begin our first day in France!
We find a 'supermarche' to get the supplies we need for the next four days. It's funny how quickly you learn to recognise words when you need to: 'soldes' - sales; 'sortie' - exit; 'pharmacie' - chemist; 'toilette' - very important, and never one nearby when you need it.
We catch an open-top bus and sit back for a 2 & 1/2 hour tour of all the main sites which include Tour Eiffel, Champ de Mars, Musee du Louvre, Notre Dame, Opera, Champs Elysees-Estoile, Grand Palais and Trocadero. The tour is commentated and comes complete with beautiful relaxing orchestral music - such a contrast with it playing in your ears while the city is dancing all around you! The tour helps us decide on our 'must-do' list and we soon discover that everything is really within walking distance.
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We also get a taste of the chaotic driving rules in France when we find our bus stuck in a traffic jam - along with other buses, cars, motorbikes and trucks - for at least 20-30 minutes. Horns toot impatiently and we watch drivers gesture wildly as they try to negotiate with each other to get traffic moving.
After over two hours of listening, watching, and motor fumes we are pleased to get off the bus and make our way to Notre Dame. It's detailed gothic architecture gives the church an air of mystery and reminds us of the childhood story of the Hunchback of Notre Dame.
The Louvre Museum is next on our list and because it is 4pm and a Friday - the museum is open till 9.30pm - we don't have to queue for long outside the pyramid.
We spend over two hours in this magnificant museum and join crowds of people as they gather around the Mona Lisa to view and jostle with them to take photos - we get some good pics too.
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| The Fi-Mona Lisa |
We wander through great halls with huges masterpieces painted by famous artists and admire the detailed life-like marble sculptures.
In the evening, we amble along nearby side streets in the Marais district (central Paris has 12 distinct districts). We discover little cafes, bars and restaurants all lit up and humming with people and music. We discover an area where same sex bars are prolific - one bar so popular that people are spilling out onto the footpaths and into the street - like bees gathering around a honey pot. Here in Paris, it doesn't matter who you are - there is something for everyone!
It doesn't get dark until 11ish pm and with the heat, it's easy to stay up until at least midnight.
Saturday 25 we are woken by late night/early morning party revellers at 5am - still having a good time it seems. We have a late start to our day and set off on a shopping/sightseeing expedition through the streets of the les Halles district.
The French are passionate about their food and we find all kinds of delights in shops lining narrow streets.
Fruit and vegetables attractively stacked in boxes; pastries, pies and tarts arranged tantalisingly in windows; mouthwatering stacks of cheese on display; glazed chickens turning on spit roasters; and the delicious aroma of coffee and freshly baked bread. Everything your taste buds could possibly wish for.
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We finally order our first coffee, 'deux cafe creme, si'l vous plait' we learn to say. It is delicious and while we sip our coffee outside the cafe, we watch a situation unfold.
An old man in a wheelchair (who we see earlier supping on a beer) tries to cross the road when his wheel comes off - he falls out onto the street. A passerby tries to help, when suddenly the police pull up.
There is a commotion as they try to sort the old man out. People stop to stare and shake their heads. In the end, the police take him further along the street and just leave him there, back in his wheelchair, wheel in his hand gesturing and calling to anyone who will listen. It appears that this is a regular occurance and one to get sympathy and money from people!
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It is not our first experience with beggars and homeless people, we have passed many lying in gutters, on park benches and in doorways. Some have little plates made from tin cans to sell, others hold out cups for money, while others pretend to be deaf and want you to sign a paper and then will ask for money.
Some have dogs (and puppies) while another has a cat. It doesn't matter if you are rich or poor, an animal will love you unconditionally. We come across some belongings on a street corner and sitting on a shabby cushion is a little tabby cat complete with harness - along comes its owner, dressed in rags, and the look of love the little cat gives her is priceless. While these animals are used also for pity, they are also devoted companions and security for these people.
Coming from New Zealand, it is very sad to see life like this.
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We continue our walk to la Madeleine, a very impressive Greek temple-style church, built in 1764, with 52 spectacular Corinthian columns surrounding the outside walls.
Further along the street, and after a 30 minute wait for a toilet, we walk through Jardin des Tuileries (gardens that run from the Champs- Elysees and Arc de Triomphe to the Louvre) and finally find a shady place to sit by the Notre Dame.
We listen to a young couple playing music and singing for a donation - it is all quite pleasant and relaxing.
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Our late evening walk takes us right into the path of a Gay Mardi-gras. The street is jam-packed with people - mostly male - maybe up to 1000. We get caught up in the atmosphere - the beat of the drums, the dancing, the heat, and the craziness of it all.
My camera is in my hand and all I want to do is catch up with the procession and capture the guys dressed up in bizarre costumes, huge blonde wigs and feathers (this is all I can see above the crowd as the procession throngs its way along the narrow street).
I push my way through hot sweaty bodies (oh la la), 'excusez-moi, excusez-moi' - they let me through and Max tries hard to keep up. The guys are happy to let me through but Max has to push his way to keep up. There's no way out now but to go forward - we are literally surrounded by hundreds - packed in like sardines.
We finally catch up and I am rewarded with a few pics. Max drags me away from the crowd - he's had quite enough excitement for one evening!
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Sunday 26 Happy birthday, Jared! We set out early to Montmartre, an old village that was originally a mecca for artists and writers. Its reputation was for its loose bohemian lifestyle and its exuberant cabarets and bordellos. The Moulin Rouge still remains as does a street full of sex shops and bars.
The hill of Montmartre (the Butte) has winding cobble streets, tiny squares, small terraces, and long stone stairways.
At the top is the beautiful Sacre Coeur (Sacred Heart) church, with its spectacular Romano-Byzantine basilica.
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To view the Butte, we join a walking tour (Discover Walks) which is led by two born and bred Parisians. The two girls give us detailed information as we climb the hill along with animated stories about characters that lived on the Butte, all with beautiful French accents that make our experience all the more enjoyable. It is a fun way to visit the area!
Hot air blows up my dress from vents in the street and Max touches Valida's (a famous French singer) breast for good luck as many others have done so before him.
We are warned about pickpocket thieves, deaf beggars, and con-artists who overcharge. On our way down we wind our way back down, we stop to view the legal portrait artists at work - their models sit quietly as they portray their likeness onto blank canvases - some are exceptionally good.
We stop for a long lunch and then make our way back towards the apartment. Along the way, we witness a stunning display of car parking. A small car is squeezed into a tiny carpark after its driver shunts the cars in front and behind to make room for it. the driver leaps out with a stepladder and a big camera and races off down the street.
We discover his destination is the Premier of Transformers III. We decide to join the large group of people waiting outside the theatre, in hope that we too might see one of the big stars from the movie. Max gets given a toy transformer, much to his delight. After a 1 & 1/2 hour wait, we finally get to see who it is.
'Patreek, Patreek' they all shout and out of the car steps Patrick Dempsey (Mr McDreamy himself). I squeeze my way in and get my best shot - might be worth thousands one day!
Finally, we head home for wine and nibbles. What a day!
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Monday 27 and our last full day in Paris. What better way to finish our stay than with a morning cruising the sales and then the afternoon on the river Seine. It is incredibly hot - the temperatures rise to an unbelieveable 40 deg. Even the Parisians find it too hot. We finally meet our first New Zealanders (in a bike shop) while abroad and later a professional UK caddy - it's nice to converse in English with others.
We add our 'lovelock' (a padlock with our names on it) to the Pont des Arts bridge, along with hundreds of others, as a symbol of our 'undying love in the heart of eternally romantic Paris'.
We finish our day in the St Germain district with an ice-cold rum and coke then finally make our way to the apartment to pack.
It's been a stunning few days but we are ready to leave the noise and excitement of Paris and move on to experience another part of France. Côte d'Azur, the French Riviera, here we come!
