Paris Deux

Our trip includes one day in Paris, It’s hard to choose what to see or do with only one day available, but the tour company offered a morning bus ride around town with a guide to see all the important sights, and then an afternoon to ourselves. There are two optional excursions offered at an extra charge during the week; one is a guided trip to the Louvre in the afternoon at 69 Euros/ a head. Tempting, but we decided that if we did that, we’d miss out on seeing anything else of Paris ourselves.

So we loaded the 140 guests into 4 buses and set out about town with a VERY French guide who knew her way around the city just fine, but her English was hilarious to listen to. To me, she sounded like Katherine Hepburn trying out a French accent while describing the sights of Paris: a very halting, breathy delivery, with lots of corrections and emphasis on all the wrong syllables for English speech. Despite the fact we never knew quite where she was directing our attention too, it was quite entertaining to listen too.

The route they took to show us the town wound it’s way back and forth through the streets of Paris, doubling back on itself time and time again. Luckily I had studied a map of Paris several times, so I generally kept track of where we were. We stopped once for pictures at the H’ospital les Invalides, which had a gorgeous golden dome, and another time at the Luxembourg Gardens where we had the chance to stroll the grounds, stretch our legs and experience our first French pay toilette.

At least in the cities and towns, the French operate public restroom facilities and charge you to use them. The fee is something like .40, and they even employ someone to sit there and take your money! The problem is its usually a two-holer that is for co-ed use, and each stall has just room enough for one person. Basically it takes forever for any group of people to use the toilet in this country. Half the sight-seeing time of our stops is wasted standing in line. Now if they served wine and cheese while you stood there, I could see it as a good mode of operation…

At the end of the tour we were left off in the center of town and left to fend for ourselves. Since we were hungry, we found a small bar/café and sat down outside to order lunch. This where encountered my first rude jerk of a French waiter. I ordered (directly off the menu) a mixed ham and cheese baguette. Told that to the waiter, and even pointed to it on the menu. He came back with a baguette with a couple of slices of ham on it. I pointed out I wanted cheese with it, and he took it back, came back 10 min later with a baguette with just cheese. I tried to explain I really wanted a ham and cheese and he said, “Non!” Either ham or cheese! I was pissed, but what are you gonna do? I checked the menu and it said exactly what I ordered, but I’m here for the experience, so I guess can check off the stupid rude French waiter off my list. At least it was a cheap sandwich.

After lunch, we headed for the Cathedral of Nortre Dame on foot. It’s not too far from our café by the Louvre, but it is a bit of a hike on a warm day, which today was. It was spectacular! Amazing architecture and beautiful stained glass windows. You truly wonder who imagined such things, and who had the money and skill to make them come true! My favorite thing is the flying buttresses. You just don’t see that construction anywhere but on buildings dating back the this period in time, It was fairly crowded; mostly with tourists from Italy, Germany and Japan, (The Euro must be way down against the Yen because everywhere we go, the Japanese are there already.)

We probably killed an hour in Notre Dame and when we emerged, we decided to split up. Kurt, Stew, Patti and Pat headed back to the boat via taxi, and Laura, Kara, Jill and I wanted to see a bit more, headed down the river to the Louvre, if not to go in, at least to see the outside and enjoy the awesome weather.

We found our way there via some beautiful, busy Parisian streets hustling and bustling with the mid-afternoon traffic. I love how the Paris drivers act like they will run you down, but if you cross on a green “walk” sign, they WILL yield and wait until everyone is across, no matter how much in a hurry they are in; you just have to beat them to the crosswalk.

The middle of the courtyard encompassing the Louvre entrance was breath-taking. The Large glass pyramid with it’s smaller twins bracketed a couple of fountains. The Plaza was packed with people, most just lingering to take pictures and people watch in the afternoon sun. We certainly did our share, getting a couple of souvenir shots for the scrapbooks. Then we found we could go into the Louvre itself, without having to pay to go into the museum. The museum was about ten or twelve Euros apiece, and we decided we really wanted to spend more than just an hour or so if we were going to spend that kind of money. But the gift shops were open! Three professional shoppers and their bag carrier thought that was a great idea, so off we went, to claim some trinkets and mementos.

By the time we were done and had visited the Paris Apple Store (where Kara had her picture taken), it was getting close to dinner, so we headed back to the boat via the Tuileries Statue Gardens. We eventually caught a cab back to the boat and arrived about 30 minutes prior to another excellent five-course dinner.

Just about the time dessert was served, the ship’s engines rumbled to life and we slowly headed out onto the river and north to Vernon. Tomorrow: Monet and his gardens.