Paris
On Wednesday we went to Paris. We woke up Very Early to catch the Eurostar train from Waterloo train station. While we were waiting for our train to board, we discovered pay internet stations at the gate. I wasted no time plunking down £1.00 for 15 minutes of glorious internet time. It's sad to think how much I rely on the internet to keep me connected with the world.
Unlike our time in London, we had very little idea what we wanted to do in Paris. We really only had about six hours to see stuff, once you factored in travel time. Eventually we determined we really wanted to see the Eiffel Tower, and perhaps a bus tour of the other main attractions.
Once we arrived at the Gare du Nord, we bought our tickets for a hop-on/hop-off bus tour that would take us around the city. Then we needed to find something to eat. Our usual strategy of "sandwiches to go" was not viable, as Parisians seem to have even stranger ideas of what constitutes an edible premade sandwich than Londoners do. Ham and avocado? Where's peanut butter when you need it?
So we took the easy way out. We ate at McDonald's. We all got McNugget meals. Easy to order for picky eaters like ourselves. For the life of me, I couldn't remember how to say "ketchup" in French. Why didn't I retain this valuable life skill from French Immersion?
After a short walking adventure, we managed to find our bus. We eagerly found seats on the top level of the open-air bus and we were on our way. The bus meandered its way through the streets of Paris. We wore headphones the whole time, and when there was a site of interest, a man's voice would describe the site's history and significance. He would also remind us that our bus passes were good for the entire day, so we were at leisure to get off and on the bus as many times as we wanted. This friendly reminder became a source of great amusement for us, because the longer we were on the bus, the more times we heard him repeat it.
I will say that if you are short on time, seeing Paris from the top of a bus is a good way to go. I couldn't believe that I was seeing all the places you see on tv or read about in books. Amazing. And people actually live there!
Unlike our time in London, we had very little idea what we wanted to do in Paris. We really only had about six hours to see stuff, once you factored in travel time. Eventually we determined we really wanted to see the Eiffel Tower, and perhaps a bus tour of the other main attractions.
Once we arrived at the Gare du Nord, we bought our tickets for a hop-on/hop-off bus tour that would take us around the city. Then we needed to find something to eat. Our usual strategy of "sandwiches to go" was not viable, as Parisians seem to have even stranger ideas of what constitutes an edible premade sandwich than Londoners do. Ham and avocado? Where's peanut butter when you need it?
So we took the easy way out. We ate at McDonald's. We all got McNugget meals. Easy to order for picky eaters like ourselves. For the life of me, I couldn't remember how to say "ketchup" in French. Why didn't I retain this valuable life skill from French Immersion?
After a short walking adventure, we managed to find our bus. We eagerly found seats on the top level of the open-air bus and we were on our way. The bus meandered its way through the streets of Paris. We wore headphones the whole time, and when there was a site of interest, a man's voice would describe the site's history and significance. He would also remind us that our bus passes were good for the entire day, so we were at leisure to get off and on the bus as many times as we wanted. This friendly reminder became a source of great amusement for us, because the longer we were on the bus, the more times we heard him repeat it.
I will say that if you are short on time, seeing Paris from the top of a bus is a good way to go. I couldn't believe that I was seeing all the places you see on tv or read about in books. Amazing. And people actually live there!
They even have P&P (I guess it's O&P) there too!
At last, we arrived at the Eiffel Tower.
What can I say? It's big. We briefly considered taking the stairs, but chose to ride the elevator all the way to the top. Magnificent views. Lots of people. I bought overpriced postcards and a mug there, just to say I bought something at the Eiffel Tower. The man at the gift shop was very cranky.
After a bathroom break at the Tower, it was back on the bus to finish our tour. We drove by the Moulin Rouge. Yes, it's in the red light district. No, we didn't see Ewan MacGregor.
Our short time in Paris was coming to a close. On the way back to the train station, we stopped into a tiny tea shop. I asked the shopkeeper for some decaf tea for my mom (again, why didn't they teach us "decaf" in school?). My sister bought some tea, and I bought some chocolates for the people at work. Yes, I spoke French. It went quite well. I'm quite proud of myself, actually.
For supper, we chose McDonald's again (we're fraidy cat wimps, I know). This time my brother tried to order only lettuce, cheese and ketchup on his burger. He ended up getting two burgers - one with the works and one cheeseburger. The rest of us got McNuggets again.
Then it was back on the train and back to London. A day well spent.
Next episode: Shakespeare's Globe, Les Miserables, Beefeaters, Abbey Road, and a lesson learned in going our separate ways to go shopping.
posted by Lynda @ 7:06 p.m.
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