31 May - 3 June 2013
Day 4: Late Start
So after the second pub crawl in a row, I was definitely feeling it. Before we went to bed, the American chick seemed pretty sure that she'd be right to catch up at 11 to go see stuff. I wasn't sure I was going to be ok but I managed to make it downstairs by 11:15 only to find I was the only one who made it. I went for a wander down the street to get some brekky; another baguette. I eventually found the American chick at 12:30 and we headed out for some more sight-seeing.
Notre Dame
I'd only walked past the outside of Notre Dame on the walking tour but hadn't been inside yet so this was the first destination. There was a huge line but it moved fairly fast because the only thing causing congestion was everyone trying to get through one door. Inside Notre Dame it's even more impressive than Sacre Cour (and that was pretty good). There's lots of stained glass windows, each with a different design, a lot of huge wooden arches, a monstrous organ and tea candles everywhere. The outside of the building has so many features about it too; lots of spires, statues and gothic dragon/dog thingos (possibly gargoyles) that I think spew water when it rains. Basically, it's a really impressive building that I'm glad got rebuilt and not destroyed (it almost did). Beware of the pigeons around here too, they almost take your head off as they fly past.
Another Crepe
This was my second attempt, that I mentioned previously, and this time it was a freshly made choc-banana one. *thumbs up*
Pantheon
I wasn't quite sure what this building was but everything about it was big and I'd seen the name in the Da Vinci Code so we decided to go it. Turns out it's a form of monument where famous people are buried. You start on the ground level, which features various statues and wall sized paintings (read: friggen huge) then you head underground to see the crypt with a bunch of rooms that contain stone coffins (they might be called a sarcophagus). Pro tip: If you go, bring a jacket because it's bloody cold.
Sex Museum
We headed back up to the Red Light District again, although it's more of a pink light after you've seen Amsterdam. There's a sex museum here although they call it a museum of erotica and naturally we decided it was for us. It's 7 floors of fertility statues (some of these are hilarious), old photos and movies, various forms of art and **phone reminder goes off**... Crap, I've got half an hour to get to the Eiffel Tower for my climb. I had to take off part way through and run/metro my way to the tower.
Eiffel Tower
I'd booked a ticket for the tower online because I didn't want to waste a significant portion of my life waiting in line like the rest of those peasants and I'm so glad I did. The line is split in two; the massive line for those without tickets and the line with exactly 0 people for those who do have tickets, WINNING! I was 15 minutes late but they didn't mind and I just walked up to the elevator and caught it to level 2, no wait at all. The tower has 3 levels; 1 has the restaurant, 2 is the lower viewing deck and 3 (or top) is the very top of the tower. I only went to level 2 but because Paris is so flat, you still get a fantastic view in all directions. I get the feeling that the tower is still fairly original too because the lifts don't look very modern but I'm not complaining because the alternative is taking the stairs. I took the stairs down (gotta work off that beer) and this is when I appreciated the lift ride up because there's not much enthusiasm left on the stair climbers faces' when they're near the top.
Munchies
It's about 9pm now, so definitely time for dinner but as you'd expect, all the food around the tower is super expensive. So, I decided to go exploring and to speed the process up a bit, I decided to hire a bike (bicycle). These bike hire stands are everywhere in Paris and they're quite good value; it only cost me 1.70 euro for 25 minutes. I found a take away shop and grabbed a curry chicken roll (didn't really look like a baguette this time) and chips then made my way back to the Champs de Mars park in front of the tower to watch the night light show.
Metro
I'd been catching the metro at least twice a day so far and I felt quite comfortable getting around now. It's the first decent/big city public transport system I've used and I bloody love it; it puts everything I've seen in Australia to shame. It's no slouch either; when it takes off you'd better hold on. The older lines still have manual door releases and people flick the doors open and jump out before the train has actually stopped, it's great.
Day 5: Catacombs
This was the best weather we'd seen in Paris yet; 20-something degree and clear blue skies. Sounds like the perfect day to go deep underground and look at thousands of bones. The catacombs were the answer to space issues in cemeteries all around Paris and they basically emptied all the bones into this underground cavern. The line wasn't that long but it took a long time (2 hours) because they can only have a certain number of people underground at any time (oxygen concerns or some rubbish). To pass the time we decided to have a few beers while we were standing in line; I'd recommend it. The whole thing takes about 45 minutes to walk through and its amazing how many bones they have down there but like the Pantheon crypt, bring a jacket because it's cold.
Gwenn
I went over to my cousin's place in the south of Paris to catch up after 9 years. Dinner was fantastic and it was good to catch up plus I had the chance to meet Pauline, his lovely girlfriend. I can add Rose (the wine) and gnocchi to the list of thing I drink/eat now too; hooray for trying new things.
Day 6: Moving Day
I had to get up early to check out and venture over to my other hostel, that's nice and close to Gare du Nord station, and leave my bag there. Then I metro-ed it over to meet the American chick so we could metro it again (I said it was useful, eh) over to the meeting point for a tour to Versailles.
Versailles
This is pronounced ver-sai for those of you playing at home. Versailles is a palace with a huge, pristine garden just outside Paris and you can certainly make your own way there and wander around but we decided to take a tour so we didn't have to make sure we get the right ticket and right train plus we get all the fun facts about the place. I'm so glad I went because I've never seen a garden that's so big and yet so perfect; it really is fit for a king (various kings did actually live here).
The Palace
After the gardens, we decided to go for a walk through the palace. There were lots of statues and painting of the same quality as the Louvre but the main attraction is the hall of mirrors; a long, skinny hall that is lined with mirror on one side.
Communication Breakdown
We had to head back to Paris to get the American chick moved into her apartment (it's run like a hostel but it's just an apartment... basically it's cheaper). We jumped off at the Eiffel Tower stop for a photo opportunity then went off to find this guy. Long story short, we went to the wrong meeting spot and generally did heaps more walking/metro-ing than we needed to but we made it in the end.
Dinner and a Drink
We found a nearby restaurant for dinner and I had one of the best steaks I've ever had for the bargain price of 8 euro. We got kicked out when they closed so we went for one last drink at a nearby bar where the bar tender loved the fact that we were trying to speak French.
Short Stay
I caught the second to last metro back to my hostel where I checked in and quietly snuck into my room where my two room mates were already asleep. I got up a mere 5 hours later and left while the two guys were still asleep so I don't know what they thought in the morning when they woke up.
What did I miss in Paris?
The observation deck at the top of the Montparnasse Tower is the only thing that I'm sad that I missed. I certainly didn't see everything Paris has to offer but I feel like I was there long enough to get a good feel for the place.
Day...um, something... back to Netherlands, anyway
It was only a short walk from my hostel to the train station where the Thalys departed exactly on time, as expected. I'm not normally a person who sleeps on trains/planes but in this case I managed to because I was so tired. I was a bit worried I'd miss my stop because I wasn't going all the way to the end but everything worked out ok. My aunty picked me up from Schiphol station where we headed back to her place for brekky.
Catching Up
More family came around to say hi, some I've met before and others that I haven't, and we had some nibbles and drinks. The guys took me out for a sail in the canals in the afternoon which was good fun because we had a bit of wind. It was also a great way to see the countryside, especially the houses that are built below the water level! Dinner was Asian take-away and I don't want to oversell it but it was sooo nice!
Day 4: Late Start
So after the second pub crawl in a row, I was definitely feeling it. Before we went to bed, the American chick seemed pretty sure that she'd be right to catch up at 11 to go see stuff. I wasn't sure I was going to be ok but I managed to make it downstairs by 11:15 only to find I was the only one who made it. I went for a wander down the street to get some brekky; another baguette. I eventually found the American chick at 12:30 and we headed out for some more sight-seeing.
Notre Dame
I'd only walked past the outside of Notre Dame on the walking tour but hadn't been inside yet so this was the first destination. There was a huge line but it moved fairly fast because the only thing causing congestion was everyone trying to get through one door. Inside Notre Dame it's even more impressive than Sacre Cour (and that was pretty good). There's lots of stained glass windows, each with a different design, a lot of huge wooden arches, a monstrous organ and tea candles everywhere. The outside of the building has so many features about it too; lots of spires, statues and gothic dragon/dog thingos (possibly gargoyles) that I think spew water when it rains. Basically, it's a really impressive building that I'm glad got rebuilt and not destroyed (it almost did). Beware of the pigeons around here too, they almost take your head off as they fly past.
Another Crepe
This was my second attempt, that I mentioned previously, and this time it was a freshly made choc-banana one. *thumbs up*
Pantheon
I wasn't quite sure what this building was but everything about it was big and I'd seen the name in the Da Vinci Code so we decided to go it. Turns out it's a form of monument where famous people are buried. You start on the ground level, which features various statues and wall sized paintings (read: friggen huge) then you head underground to see the crypt with a bunch of rooms that contain stone coffins (they might be called a sarcophagus). Pro tip: If you go, bring a jacket because it's bloody cold.
Sex Museum
We headed back up to the Red Light District again, although it's more of a pink light after you've seen Amsterdam. There's a sex museum here although they call it a museum of erotica and naturally we decided it was for us. It's 7 floors of fertility statues (some of these are hilarious), old photos and movies, various forms of art and **phone reminder goes off**... Crap, I've got half an hour to get to the Eiffel Tower for my climb. I had to take off part way through and run/metro my way to the tower.
Eiffel Tower
I'd booked a ticket for the tower online because I didn't want to waste a significant portion of my life waiting in line like the rest of those peasants and I'm so glad I did. The line is split in two; the massive line for those without tickets and the line with exactly 0 people for those who do have tickets, WINNING! I was 15 minutes late but they didn't mind and I just walked up to the elevator and caught it to level 2, no wait at all. The tower has 3 levels; 1 has the restaurant, 2 is the lower viewing deck and 3 (or top) is the very top of the tower. I only went to level 2 but because Paris is so flat, you still get a fantastic view in all directions. I get the feeling that the tower is still fairly original too because the lifts don't look very modern but I'm not complaining because the alternative is taking the stairs. I took the stairs down (gotta work off that beer) and this is when I appreciated the lift ride up because there's not much enthusiasm left on the stair climbers faces' when they're near the top.
Munchies
It's about 9pm now, so definitely time for dinner but as you'd expect, all the food around the tower is super expensive. So, I decided to go exploring and to speed the process up a bit, I decided to hire a bike (bicycle). These bike hire stands are everywhere in Paris and they're quite good value; it only cost me 1.70 euro for 25 minutes. I found a take away shop and grabbed a curry chicken roll (didn't really look like a baguette this time) and chips then made my way back to the Champs de Mars park in front of the tower to watch the night light show.
Metro
I'd been catching the metro at least twice a day so far and I felt quite comfortable getting around now. It's the first decent/big city public transport system I've used and I bloody love it; it puts everything I've seen in Australia to shame. It's no slouch either; when it takes off you'd better hold on. The older lines still have manual door releases and people flick the doors open and jump out before the train has actually stopped, it's great.
Day 5: Catacombs
This was the best weather we'd seen in Paris yet; 20-something degree and clear blue skies. Sounds like the perfect day to go deep underground and look at thousands of bones. The catacombs were the answer to space issues in cemeteries all around Paris and they basically emptied all the bones into this underground cavern. The line wasn't that long but it took a long time (2 hours) because they can only have a certain number of people underground at any time (oxygen concerns or some rubbish). To pass the time we decided to have a few beers while we were standing in line; I'd recommend it. The whole thing takes about 45 minutes to walk through and its amazing how many bones they have down there but like the Pantheon crypt, bring a jacket because it's cold.
Gwenn
I went over to my cousin's place in the south of Paris to catch up after 9 years. Dinner was fantastic and it was good to catch up plus I had the chance to meet Pauline, his lovely girlfriend. I can add Rose (the wine) and gnocchi to the list of thing I drink/eat now too; hooray for trying new things.
Day 6: Moving Day
I had to get up early to check out and venture over to my other hostel, that's nice and close to Gare du Nord station, and leave my bag there. Then I metro-ed it over to meet the American chick so we could metro it again (I said it was useful, eh) over to the meeting point for a tour to Versailles.
Versailles
This is pronounced ver-sai for those of you playing at home. Versailles is a palace with a huge, pristine garden just outside Paris and you can certainly make your own way there and wander around but we decided to take a tour so we didn't have to make sure we get the right ticket and right train plus we get all the fun facts about the place. I'm so glad I went because I've never seen a garden that's so big and yet so perfect; it really is fit for a king (various kings did actually live here).
The Palace
After the gardens, we decided to go for a walk through the palace. There were lots of statues and painting of the same quality as the Louvre but the main attraction is the hall of mirrors; a long, skinny hall that is lined with mirror on one side.
Communication Breakdown
We had to head back to Paris to get the American chick moved into her apartment (it's run like a hostel but it's just an apartment... basically it's cheaper). We jumped off at the Eiffel Tower stop for a photo opportunity then went off to find this guy. Long story short, we went to the wrong meeting spot and generally did heaps more walking/metro-ing than we needed to but we made it in the end.
Dinner and a Drink
We found a nearby restaurant for dinner and I had one of the best steaks I've ever had for the bargain price of 8 euro. We got kicked out when they closed so we went for one last drink at a nearby bar where the bar tender loved the fact that we were trying to speak French.
Short Stay
I caught the second to last metro back to my hostel where I checked in and quietly snuck into my room where my two room mates were already asleep. I got up a mere 5 hours later and left while the two guys were still asleep so I don't know what they thought in the morning when they woke up.
What did I miss in Paris?
The observation deck at the top of the Montparnasse Tower is the only thing that I'm sad that I missed. I certainly didn't see everything Paris has to offer but I feel like I was there long enough to get a good feel for the place.
Day...um, something... back to Netherlands, anyway
It was only a short walk from my hostel to the train station where the Thalys departed exactly on time, as expected. I'm not normally a person who sleeps on trains/planes but in this case I managed to because I was so tired. I was a bit worried I'd miss my stop because I wasn't going all the way to the end but everything worked out ok. My aunty picked me up from Schiphol station where we headed back to her place for brekky.
Catching Up
More family came around to say hi, some I've met before and others that I haven't, and we had some nibbles and drinks. The guys took me out for a sail in the canals in the afternoon which was good fun because we had a bit of wind. It was also a great way to see the countryside, especially the houses that are built below the water level! Dinner was Asian take-away and I don't want to oversell it but it was sooo nice!
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| Photo fun with the fountain show in the Versailles garden |
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| The only decent photo my camera could get in the Catacombs |
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| Selfy from the Eiffel Tower looking out over Champs de Mars |
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| Family photo taken by Wander |
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| A busker that makes big-ass bubbles |
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| Family photo taken by Mieke |
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| Copping a feel of concrete boobs (yes, I'm representing Australia) |
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| There were a few low spots in the Catacombs |
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| Me in front of a particularly long stretch of trees/grass |
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| Gwenn, Pauline and myself |
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| Notre Dame, again |
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| The front of the Versailles palace |
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| A panorama of the back of Versailles palace and the start of the garden |
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| The front of the Pantheon |
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| The hall of mirrors inside the palace |
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| The view from the back of the palace, looking out over the gardens |
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| An upside down tree |
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| Sailing in the Dutch canals/lakes |
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| A funny piece from the sex museum |
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| Imitating the statue |
Lol, that cock packs a punch!
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