The McGriswald's do Paris
So after a long night's sleep, we awoke the next morning ready to tackle Paris. With pastries and fruits in our bellies, we made our way to Republique, where we purchased tickets for a hop on-hop off, open-top bus tour. I have never been too keen on exploring cities in such a fashion, but I must admit it was quite a relaxing way to take in the sights.
After rolling by the Opera and other parts of the Right Bank, we decided our first stop would be The Louvre. To do the museum justice, you really have to spend at least a couple days appreciating all the exhibits. Instead, we opted to walk the grounds and take a leisurely stroll through the Tuileries. In a word, the gardens were stunning.
I have been through the Tuileries a few times, but they have never been so colorful and in bloom. In fact, the scenery was so beautiful we decided to buy some simple sandwiches and enjoy lunch among the flowers.
Next stop was Notre Dame. We toured the inside of the cathedral and then made our way to Ile St. Louis. You can't go to Ile St. Louis and not sample the legendary ice cream and crepes, so we indulged ourselves with the latter while sitting along one of the banks of the Seine.
Then it was time to hop back on the bus. We rolled along the Left Bank, up the Champs Elysees and hopped off at the Arc de Triomphe. Of course there is a tunnel that leads under the traffic circle that encompasses the Arc, but I told PB and MB it would be much more ... um ... exhilarating to play "Frogger" like I had back in 2001. Just like the video game from the 1980s, the object of the game is to venture through the dozen or so lanes of maniacal traffic and avoid getting splattered while you make your way to the Arc. One not-very-amused look from MB, and through the tunnel we went.
After returning to the apartment to change our clothes, MB and I hit a local supermarket to purchase supplies for a full-fledged Eiffel Tower evening. After being so jet-lagged at the Tower the first night, it was great to return with a little more energy so we could stay long enough to enjoy the late-night light show the Tower puts on.
The next day, it was back on the bus for the journey to Montmartre. We made our way up to the Sacre Coeur, then wound our way around to the artists' square to experience the festival-type atmosphere and settle in for a long and lovely lunch.
After a few hours in Montmartre, we hopped the bus and hit the Latin Quarter. PB instantly took a liking to the pedestrian streets lined with sidewalk cafes and shops. We grabbed some dinner in a cool little restaurant just off Boulevard St. Germain. Despite not really knowing what we were ordering, we all managed to get lucky and score some tasty dishes.
To walk off our meals, we headed up to the Luxembourg gardens and delved deeper into the side streets for which the Latin Quarter is so famous. Completing our rather circular stroll near the Sorbonne, which unfortunately was all covered in scaffolding for renovations, we ducked into the nearest metro station and made our way back to the apartment.
Our final day in Paris got off to quite an exciting start. After handing the keys back over to Regis, we made our way down the stairway of the building and out onto our street. There we encountered the next batch of visitors slated to stay in our apartment, a group of friendly American guys. We chatted them up for a few moments, and then posed for a picture as PB set up his camera on a timer across the street. From there it was off to the Metro, as our plan was to store our bags at Gare du Nord, then begin one final day of sightseeing. So we were standing on the Metro platform when PB froze and asked where his carry-on bag was.
You see, even though PB didn't have his computer, he was using his laptop bag as his carry-on. Those things are tender vittles for thieves the world over.
(Insert colorful expletive here)
The last place PB remembered having the bag was outside the apartment when we posed for the picture. Up the stairs and out of the Metro I sprinted. By the time I got back to the apartment, there was no bag on the street. I went in the building and encountered the American guys in the stairwell. PB overlooked the bag when we left because he had set it on the sidewalk right next to their piles of luggage. Luckily, they spotted it and brought it inside to Regis.
When I got to the apartment, Regis explained how happy he was that I had come back for it. He knew we were on a lfight out of de Gaulle that night, so he was planning to go to the airport in hopes of finding us and returning the bag. Now mind you, the airport is about an hour by Metro and train from the apartment. And who says the French aren't ridiculously nice?
After storing our bags at Gare du Nord, we set off for the Marais and Place de Voges. Place de Voges is a special spot for Kate and I as that's where we hung out the morning after our engagement. We soon ducked into a restaurant in the Marais and had yet another uber-lucky culinary experience. We were again uncertain as to what we were ordering, but we walked out four happy customers.
From the Marais, we hit one of the famous boat rides along the Seine. That boat tour is another touristy type thing I had always dismissed, but the unique perspectives it offered again surprised me. We were fortunate to have a rookie tour guide on the boat and boy was this guy meant to be on a microphone. If they ever held an American Idol competition for cheesy tour guides, this Mr. Happy would win hands down.
By the time the boat returned us to Ile de la Cite, the day was getting late and storm clouds were rolling in. We probably couldn't have timed our trip to Paris any better. We had magnificent weather for four straight days, and were only sprinkled with our first few drops of rain as we walked the last hundred meters or so to the Metro stop. From that moment on, the skies opened up and dumped quite a storm on the city, but it was no bother as we were on our way to the airport and never had to set foot outside again.
We were off to the sun and fun of La Vida Espana.
After rolling by the Opera and other parts of the Right Bank, we decided our first stop would be The Louvre. To do the museum justice, you really have to spend at least a couple days appreciating all the exhibits. Instead, we opted to walk the grounds and take a leisurely stroll through the Tuileries. In a word, the gardens were stunning.
I have been through the Tuileries a few times, but they have never been so colorful and in bloom. In fact, the scenery was so beautiful we decided to buy some simple sandwiches and enjoy lunch among the flowers.
Next stop was Notre Dame. We toured the inside of the cathedral and then made our way to Ile St. Louis. You can't go to Ile St. Louis and not sample the legendary ice cream and crepes, so we indulged ourselves with the latter while sitting along one of the banks of the Seine.
Then it was time to hop back on the bus. We rolled along the Left Bank, up the Champs Elysees and hopped off at the Arc de Triomphe. Of course there is a tunnel that leads under the traffic circle that encompasses the Arc, but I told PB and MB it would be much more ... um ... exhilarating to play "Frogger" like I had back in 2001. Just like the video game from the 1980s, the object of the game is to venture through the dozen or so lanes of maniacal traffic and avoid getting splattered while you make your way to the Arc. One not-very-amused look from MB, and through the tunnel we went.
After returning to the apartment to change our clothes, MB and I hit a local supermarket to purchase supplies for a full-fledged Eiffel Tower evening. After being so jet-lagged at the Tower the first night, it was great to return with a little more energy so we could stay long enough to enjoy the late-night light show the Tower puts on.
The next day, it was back on the bus for the journey to Montmartre. We made our way up to the Sacre Coeur, then wound our way around to the artists' square to experience the festival-type atmosphere and settle in for a long and lovely lunch.
After a few hours in Montmartre, we hopped the bus and hit the Latin Quarter. PB instantly took a liking to the pedestrian streets lined with sidewalk cafes and shops. We grabbed some dinner in a cool little restaurant just off Boulevard St. Germain. Despite not really knowing what we were ordering, we all managed to get lucky and score some tasty dishes.
To walk off our meals, we headed up to the Luxembourg gardens and delved deeper into the side streets for which the Latin Quarter is so famous. Completing our rather circular stroll near the Sorbonne, which unfortunately was all covered in scaffolding for renovations, we ducked into the nearest metro station and made our way back to the apartment.
Our final day in Paris got off to quite an exciting start. After handing the keys back over to Regis, we made our way down the stairway of the building and out onto our street. There we encountered the next batch of visitors slated to stay in our apartment, a group of friendly American guys. We chatted them up for a few moments, and then posed for a picture as PB set up his camera on a timer across the street. From there it was off to the Metro, as our plan was to store our bags at Gare du Nord, then begin one final day of sightseeing. So we were standing on the Metro platform when PB froze and asked where his carry-on bag was.
You see, even though PB didn't have his computer, he was using his laptop bag as his carry-on. Those things are tender vittles for thieves the world over.
(Insert colorful expletive here)
The last place PB remembered having the bag was outside the apartment when we posed for the picture. Up the stairs and out of the Metro I sprinted. By the time I got back to the apartment, there was no bag on the street. I went in the building and encountered the American guys in the stairwell. PB overlooked the bag when we left because he had set it on the sidewalk right next to their piles of luggage. Luckily, they spotted it and brought it inside to Regis.
When I got to the apartment, Regis explained how happy he was that I had come back for it. He knew we were on a lfight out of de Gaulle that night, so he was planning to go to the airport in hopes of finding us and returning the bag. Now mind you, the airport is about an hour by Metro and train from the apartment. And who says the French aren't ridiculously nice?
After storing our bags at Gare du Nord, we set off for the Marais and Place de Voges. Place de Voges is a special spot for Kate and I as that's where we hung out the morning after our engagement. We soon ducked into a restaurant in the Marais and had yet another uber-lucky culinary experience. We were again uncertain as to what we were ordering, but we walked out four happy customers.
From the Marais, we hit one of the famous boat rides along the Seine. That boat tour is another touristy type thing I had always dismissed, but the unique perspectives it offered again surprised me. We were fortunate to have a rookie tour guide on the boat and boy was this guy meant to be on a microphone. If they ever held an American Idol competition for cheesy tour guides, this Mr. Happy would win hands down.
By the time the boat returned us to Ile de la Cite, the day was getting late and storm clouds were rolling in. We probably couldn't have timed our trip to Paris any better. We had magnificent weather for four straight days, and were only sprinkled with our first few drops of rain as we walked the last hundred meters or so to the Metro stop. From that moment on, the skies opened up and dumped quite a storm on the city, but it was no bother as we were on our way to the airport and never had to set foot outside again.
We were off to the sun and fun of La Vida Espana.
posted by Sean McMahon | 1:10 AM
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