Jenn:
Taxis or trains? When traveling abroad, I work very hard to NOT have to take taxis because they require a sophisticated level of language unless you want to be ripped off by having the driver take the scenic route to your destination (and, public transportation can usually get you to the same destination for a fraction of the cost). Having had this happen in London when we arrived at the airport, I was not looking forward to exploring this option again in Paris. Mom does not like taking public transportation with her bags and having to lug them around, even if the distance is very short. So, after we slept in today and checked out of our hotel, we headed to the taxi stand to give it a shot. The ladies at the hotel had explained the route the driver should take to our apartment near the Louvre and the approximate cost of the trip, depending on traffic. Let’s be honest…I speak no French, aside from the tour book phrases that get you the basics. So, this transaction would be interesting at best and expensive at worst.
Mom stood with her bag and watch while I went over to “negotiate” with the driver, if you can call it that. I told him I wanted to go to the Louvre and then said what roads I wanted him to take. It started out fine but then he got exasperated with me (not surprising) I imagine because he thought I was telling him how to do his job. I showed him the exact address of the apartment and then he couldn’t figure out where the hell we wanted to go, there or the Louvre? Needless to say, he took the paper I was pointing to with the address, threw our bags in the back, and off we went. I turned around to get mom and her stuff and after watching what was going on, she said, “Did you ask him how much it would cost?” I simply said, “No. Get in the cab.” I wonder if she would like to try asking him that herself? What an experience driving in Paris can be! I think mom almost died a couple of times but she managed to keep her mouth closed…it’s amazing what fear can do to you.
We arrived at our apartment and the owner was waiting for us. It was in a neighborhood I had visited on my photo tour so I felt comfortable, as I knew exactly where we were. He took our bags while the place was being cleaned and we headed straight to the Louvre so mom could have plenty of time to explore. We were doing the WORST thing a tourist could possibly do…arrive at a major attraction mid-day. The line to go through security was wrapped halfway around one of the pyramids and fountains and mom said, “If you wait with me you are never going to have time to do what you want today.” I told her I was not leaving until I knew she was safely inside and understood how to do everything she needed to.
I soon learned that this was a good decision because mom was totally overwhelmed by the crowd inside and the size of the place. I went to get in line for tickets and told her to go to information and get maps and the multimedia device for her to listen to the information about each exhibit. When we met up, she was trying to be calm but was in panic mode…after her snapping at me a few times and me telling her to be nice as I was trying to help her, I realized that she had never been to a museum and had no idea how to “do” it. She didn’t know that the rooms just flowed from one area to the next and that she could go up and down using the elevator to find different exhibits throughout the museum. She said that everything was on the second floor and I took her to the side and showed her the map. She started to see that actually there were four floors to explore and I pointed out the top attractions for her to see in each area as well as the color-coding to mark when she was moving from one exhibit or time period to another. I showed her where the Mona Lisa was on the map and explained that there would be a line to see it and she needed to give herself enough time to do so. I pointed out the café (because I knew she would need to eat at some point!) and then asked if she was OK. She seemed to be better with the situation until I told her I would be back to meet her when the museum closed at 6:00. She was floored and I don’t think really believed me that she would need four hours to explore (at least). I explained that if she viewed every piece of art in the place for a few seconds each that it would take her more than six weeks to complete it all. I pointed out where we would meet and off I went to explore the city on foot.
I walked along the Seine to the Musee d’Orsay and then on toward the Eiffel Tower exploring the quaint neighborhoods back from the main streets. I passed Invalides, a gorgeous gold dome where Napoleon is buried and many military items are still on display in the courtyard. Aiming for the shade as much as possible, I found a “park” or open space in the trees where Parisian men of all ages were taking a break and playing petanque which is a game played with metal boules (balls in French). After sitting on a bench and watching for about 20 minutes, I realized that some of the groups (no more than four players to a game) were clearly exclusive and not interested in having others join…it was serious business and I would bet beers were on the line.Other groups were less serious and having a great time- especially the group of old men who seemed to harass each other every time they had an opportunity. They also had these lanyards that had HUGE magnets on them that they would place near the boule and it would pick it up for them so they didn’t have to bend over- genius!!! There were others who would arrive, join in for a few rounds, similar to a pick up game of basketball in America. The interesting part is that to play, you had to have a set of boules which are very heavy metal balls all with a unique design so they don’t get confused…but they all seemed to just have them handy (many were carried in fanny packs that were all hung on a metal protector for the trees). It made me realize how focused Americans are and the very limited amount of time we take to do anything other than work during the day, even when we are allotted breaks!
I had a crepe from a little stand (yes, street food again) and kept wandering until I got to a park area on the opposite side of the Eiffel Tower as the popular Trocadero area. What a view this provided! There is a new peace monument/installation at the far end that provided some nice shots of the Eiffel Tower in the background so I played for a bit and then relaxed and listened to a girls’ choir performing in the gazebo. I crossed the river, following it back toward the Louvre area setting my sites on the Tuileries Gardens, a perfect place to find some respite from the HOT sun. I found a chair under the trees overlooking a fountain and just chilled for a bit.After seven miles of walking and exploring, I headed back to the Louvre to pick mom up and dangled my feet in the cool fountains until she came up to our meeting spot.
We found our way back to the apartment and were very happy with the accommodation. Lots of space and ice too! We rested for a couple of hours and then headed back out at 8:30 for dinner and some night shots of the city. Mom was a total trooper!!! We walked along the Seine to the Isle de St. Louis, which is one of the islands in the middle of the city (Notre Dame is on the other one) and is a quiet, local area. There are no monuments or attractions to see so the pace is slower and the noise is lower. Mom LOVED this area. We found a great little restaurant and had an Italian meal and then found some sinful ice cream to enjoy while we strolled along the river. At 10:00 at night, it was still not dark and the riverbanks were filled with tons of people enjoying the cooler air and the sound of the musicians playing. I took some shots of Notre Dame and then we headed to capture the Eiffel Tower too. This required mom to take public transportation, and do it at night, which are two “no nos” in her book. She kept up and I was proud of her for not raining on my parade. She was floored at the number of people who were out and about and taking the metro at 12:30 at night. I decided to cut out the final two stops I wanted to make at night as I could see mom was finished. We arrived home around 1:00; me delighted with my photos and mom exhausted. She’s taking the day off tomorrow and resting in the apartment to get ready for our final adventure in Munich!
Mom:
Checked out of hotel and took a taxi to our apartment, right across the street from the Louvre. That was the one thing I wanted to make sure I had plenty of time for so while I went to the Louvre, Jenn took more pictures all over town. She walked 7 miles taking pictures.
To say the Louvre is big is such an understatement!!! I was there for six hours and only saw three sections. I did get to see the Mona Lisa but the huge room was full of people, bodies pressed together vying for a better shot with the camera. It took me 20 minutes just to get to the area that only had 10 people deep in front of me. I finally just held up my camera and clicked. After a few tries, I had what I realized was going to be the best shot I could get. Then it took almost as long to get out with people rushing into the airspace my body had left. And no, there was no air-conditioning J
I took a break and had lunch in the restaurant to cool off and get off my feet. It took 1 ½ hours to get a burger. By the time I went back in, the crowds had thinned out and I could actually get up close and see. The only disappointment was that obviously it was all in French and my self-guided tour recorder had problems and I couldn’t get it to work. It was wonderful to just see everything though. I stayed until they closed (Jenn told me I would want that much time and was right as usual) then met up with Jenn.
By then, we were ready to freshen up and have dinner. We walked to an area Jenn suggested, L’Isle St. Louis. This is a tiny island in the Seine River, close to Notre Dame. There are no historical landmarks there so the only traffic is pretty much residents of this upscale neighborhood. We found a charming little restaurant and enjoyed pasta. As we wandered around, we found a local ice cream stand. If you get a double cone there, it’s not two scoops on top of each other; the cone is actually made with two scoops side by side. I hope Jenn posts that photo because it was quite unique!
Jenn wanted to get some shots at night so we headed to the Seine and Notre Dame. It was fun to just watch the nightlife as Jenn worked with her camera. Then we headed to the illuminated Eiffel Tower. On the hour for five minutes only, the twinkle lights appear on it and it is just majestic. It was pretty late so we took the train back to the apartment.
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