Le Metropolitan (our hotel)
We arrived at our hotel around noon, Eric had meetings all day, so I was on my own. I was excited, but very nervous - how many times in my life have I been in a foreign city whose language I don't speak? Well, okay, a few, but never by myself. And, don't forget, I'm a small town girl. I barely qualify as a suburbanite. So, I was intimidated, to say the least.
Sina had loaned me a few guidebooks and pointed out the sights that she would most recommend, so I tried to narrow my afternoon down to the things Eric would least like to see. We also were having camera issues, so I needed a new memory card and to have my phone looked at. I couldn't figure out why I had no service. This only added to my anxiety.
I walked down to the Eiffel Tower, only about 10 minutes away, and easily viewable from the hotel. I figured if I started there, I was less likely to get lost. I couldn't believe how huge it was!
The view out our hotel room window!
I decided Eric wouldn't want to go shopping, so I headed up to the Champs Elysees, a gigantic street (wide enough to march an army down) which is the Rodeo Drive of Paris. But again, I was too intimidated to go into any of the stores. So I walked, and walked and walked.
Champs Elysees
I ended up at the Place de la Concorde, which is an enormous traffic circle (traffic oval?) at the center of which are two giant, gaudy fountains and a monstrous obelisk, surrounded by huge palaces and buildings. It is also the place where the guillotine was set up during the Revolution. I was amazed at the eight or so lanes of traffic whizzing around it.
Place de la Concorde
Directly across from the Place de la Concorde is the Tuileries, which are huge gardens in front of the Louvre, rows and rows of trees. I walked around a bit, then decided to walk up a few streets to the Opera, the setting for Phantom of the Opera. I walked around the Opera, but couldn't see a place where they give tours, so instead I sat on the steps and marveled at the architecture.
Tuileries
Paris Opera
I decided at this point that I better start looking for my memory card, which meant I would have to talk to someone. I got directions to an electronics store called Darty (thank goodness I had the sense to have the lady write it down, when she said it, it sounded more like Dotty). I headed up the road to the Place de la Madeleine, which is a large classical styled church - it really looks more like an ancient Greek Pantheon. I walked around and around and around this silly plaza, not seeing the store, then tried all of the 6 or so side streets that feed into it, asked more people for help, still couldn't find it. FINALLY, I found a cell phone store (apparently the only US wireless provider that has coverage in France is T-Mobile, in case you wanted to know). The lady there told me that Darty was downstairs - in the subway station. OHHHHH! So that explains why I walked around for 2 hours and still couldn't find it! Silly me!
La Madeleine
Well, apparently, XD cards are not sold in Paris, so that was a waste of time. So, still no cell phone and no camera, I took a cab back to the hotel. I watched Spongebob in German - I think the Spongebob theme and German were made for each other, no?
- and then we went to dinner with Eric's coworkers at a cafe across from the Trocadero - a plaza with an incredible view of the Eiffel Tower. A bum came along (only in Paris do the bums wear a sport coat and slacks) and told Tom, "Give me your moneys!" To which Tom replied, "No." The guy then proceeded to tell us in broken English to go back to the island, to Dublin. I had never thought about it, but I guess non-English speakers can't tell the difference between an American accent and an Irish one. Huh.
Well, the food wasn't very good, but the hot chocolate, well, let's just say, the trip would have been worth it just for that. It's different than our hot chocolate - it's quite bitter - not very sweet at all - but very rich. And they bring you extra sugar that you can stir in. Hmmmm....
Not my personal hot chocolate, but similar!
***I did not take these pictures - except the one of the Eiffel Tower - as I did not have a camera yet.
7 comments:
I'm glad I have a friend that I can live vicariously through. I never thought I'd want to visit Paris...until my gray-haired years, anyway... but all the pictures and expecially the hot chocolate are making me think twice. I'm quite uncultured. A few more stamps in my passport might change that. :)
thanks for sharing Lydia! I loved reading about your adventures. I too am living vicariously through you. Until I went to Hawaii a few years back I had never been anywhere that required me to travel over the ocean.
Beautiful! Were you in Heaven?!! I loved reading and seeing all about it. That shot of the Eiffel tower out your window is incredible. What an experience! Good for you for venturing out on your own and talking to people! Can't wait to read about day 2 and 3, etc.
How fun! I am so glad you guys got to go! How wonderful! Thanks for calling the other day, lets talk soon!
How fun! I love your Eiffel tower pic. You were so close! You should have stopped on over here for a bit. Next time for sure.
Can't wait to hear about the rest of it. What a wonderful city Paris is and I would love to see it in the fall as you did.
I am soooooo jealous! I have been studying (a little bit) in the last year about the french revolution and also I LOVE impressionist art, and to have been able to be there would be a dream come true. You are admired in many many ways, but you just added one to the list!
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