MORE OF PARIS

We walked and walked in Paris which is the best was to see the city.  On afternoon we walked the length of the Champs Elysees from the Arc de Triomphe to the Place de la Concorde and back.  The most expensive shopping street in the world was jammed packed with people, mostly tourists.

We really didn't do the night scene in Paris as we were usually beat from a long day, but one evening we climbed to the to of the Arc de Triomphe to watch the sunset and to take in the views.  It was a great choice over the Eiffel Tower as there was not a line.  The lines at the Eiffel Tower were very long and of course you can't see the tower from the tower. We spent an hour on the top of the arch watching the sun go down,the lights coming on across the city with the ever entertaining traffic in the roundabout below.

We climbed the hill to Sacre Coeur, on the highest point in Paris to take in the views and to see the beautiful cathedral.  The Sacre Coure Basilica was designed by Paul Abadie, with construction beginning in 1875 and completed in 1914.  As we walked around inside we sat down to take in the beauty of the interior, with huge mosaics on the walls and ceiling.  As we sat in one of the pews, a mass was celebrated so we stayed and listened to the mass which was in French.. With no photos allowed inside,so I took one from the Internet.

We also had to pay a visit to the Louvre as it is a must see for everyone who comes to Paris.  To be honest Cathie and I are not into the kind of art that is in the Louvre, but the pass we had covered the admission price and we got to bypass the line.  It was a good thing because the line was very long.  The place was packed.  Hansjorg and Silke went one way and we went the other.  Everyone who goes to the Louvre has to see the Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo.  So we went and this is what we saw.

Not a very pleasant experience to view the masterpieces of the world, so Cathie and I went to the cafe and drank beer and wine...........much better.

Next on the agenda was a day trip to http://en.chateauversailles.fr/homepage.  Two metro rides and a train and in an hour we were there.  With our Paris Pass the line was short and fast.  There is a very informative and not long winded audio guide that goes with the tour.  The interior of the place is beautiful with the Hall of Mirrors and the Kings Bedchamber, but what I thought was really amazing was the shear size of the palace and the gardens. The palace and gardens sit on 19,262 acres, which is larger than the Island of Manhattan. There are more than 200,000 trees and each year 210,000 flowers are planted.  There are 50 fountains and it is 3.5 miles around the Grand Canal.  In other words this place is huge.

From Wikipedia:

When the chateau was built, Versailles was a country village; today, however, it is a wealthy suburb of Paris, some 20 kilometers southwest of the French capital. The court of Versailles was the centre of political power in France from 1682, when Louis XIV moved from Paris, until the royal family was forced to return to the capital in October 1789 after the beginning of the French Revolution. Versailles is therefore famous not only as a building, but as a symbol of the system of absolute monarchy of the Ancien Regime.

Now for some photos:

THE GARDNER (he's got a long way to go)

As I write this we are in Germany at Hansjorg and Silke's home, so I'm a little behind on the blog.  I will post one more time about Paris in a day or two.  We are staying busy and there's not too much time for the computer, which is a good thing.

THIEVES, TOURIST AND RUDE PEOPLE

Thieves and tourists, in Paris, they go together.  If there were no tourists there would be fewer thieves.  Before arriving in Paris, I had read about several scams run by different groups of gypsies, usually women and girls who target tourists, especially Americans.  Let me say up front that we were not victims, but several times young girls tried the “Petition Scam”.  It goes something like this.  Usually a teen aged girl approaches you and asks, “Do you speak English.”.  If you stop and answer she asks you to sign a petition on some social issue, which she has with her with some signatures already on it.  Once she has you stopped, the other girls in the group surround the victim and will attempt to pickpocket them.  The best option is when approached just say “NO” very loudly or “GO AWAY”.

While the ladies shopped, Hansjorg and I were waiting outside of Galeries Lafayette, a high end department store. the girls approached us.  “NO, NO, GO AWAY”, and they left us alone.  So we watched them for a while.  They seemed to be targeting tourists, especially the Chinese.  As the Chinese become more affluent and travel more, they are becoming the new victim.  They often opt not to use credit cards, thus carry large sums of money.  We watched as they stopped a tall Chinese man and surrounded him.  He finally escaped the circle of girls, but I don’t know if they took anything.  Many of the girls were spitting on the ground as they milled about in front of the store.  One girl was taking the pen that she would hand the victim to sigh with and was sticking it in her nose.  First one nostril, twirling it around and then the other.

We spoke with a store security man who came outside and he explained to us that most of the girls were from Romania and told us how their scam worked.  He told us that sometimes they do get arrested, but that the courts just let them go.  They must be successful because we saw them in other areas of the city that were frequented by tourists.

I had fun photographing them and warning potential victims of their scam.  One older woman confronted me, telling me no to take photos.  I just yelled back at her that I would take as many photos as I wanted.  Eventually the girls moved on, but we later saw them again down the street in front of a cathedral doing the same thing.

On a narrow pedestrian street below Sacre Coeur we saw the “Three Card Monte” gang.  Every couple of hundred feet, one would be operating with his cohorts.  Someone working with him would play the game and win every time, but when the unsuspecting tourist played the game, somehow they would lose.  Go, figure.

Many Americans think the French are rude.  We never experienced this, in fact our experience was just the opposite.  They were helpful when we asked directions and almost always spoke English.  Once when wearing my backpack on a very crowded Metro when a woman said to me in English that it would be better if I took it off so I wouldn't hit anyone with it.  She was polite, not rude or demanding.  She was smiling when she made the suggestion.

I did happen to see an Ugly American.  We were in a very busy cafe for lunch.  The place was full and the waiter was moving quickly through the tables.  There was a group of older American women a table next to us.  As the waiter came by carrying food for another table, one of the women tried to get his attention.  He indicated that he saw her, but continued on with his tray of food.  The women then clapped her hands above her head trying to get his attention.  Of course he continued on with his task, while she had look of disgust on her face I can just imagine that when this woman got home, she told her family and friends how rude the French were.

The other rude people we saw were other tourists.  Waiting in line to go to a museum some would be pushy and cut in line.  While waiting in line at a toilet at the Louvre, one woman pushed Cathie out of the way and entered the toilet in front of her and 2 other women.  I guess she had to go.

So we had a good experience in Paris.  I'm sure some have experienced the opposite, but I bet they experienced the same in the United States.  Don't use such a broad brush in describing your bad experience.

AHHHH PARIS

What a way to travel, the Eurostar from London to Paris is the only way to go.  For $66 each,  and with speeds up to 190 MPH we arrive in the middle of Paris after only 2.5 hours.

EUROSTAR AT ST. PANCRAS STATION

This is a short video to show just how fast the train goes.

The train arrives at Gare du Nord just half a mile for our apartment.  We were somewhat disappointed in the apartment as the photos on the web do not tell the whole story.  Yes, we knew it would be old, but it is also run down and tacky.  The beds are comfortable and it meets our needs.  There is no way to change locations at this point, so we overlook the defects and enjoy the fact that we are in Paris.  Later in the evening, Hansjorg and Silke arrive and all is good.

Hansjorg has bought a 6 day Paris Pass of each of us, which will allow us to visit 60 museums, ride public transport and see a whole bunch of other attractions at no charge. Of course we much return at least 10 times to see everything.  At some places, like the Louvre you get to bypass the lines with this pass, which is really good because the lines are long. But first we take a bus tour of the city to get the lay of the land.

JOHN, PAUL, GEROGE AND RINGO

The weather has been cold but the rain has held off for the time being.   To warm up we climbed the 422 steps to the top of Norte Dame.  Although our admission was free with the Paris Pass, bypassing the line was not.  We waited about 1 hour in line, but great views from the top made the wait worth it.

SACRE COEUR IN THE DISTANCE

We walked around the center of the city taking in the sights and taking way too many photographs. On several bridges over the Seine people have placed locks to show their love for someone.  They write their name and their lovers name on the lock and lock it in place.  There are thousands of locks on some of the bridges.

STREET PERFORMER

We have now got our Paris routine down.  In the morning around 7, Hansjorg and I go to the local bakery to buy fresh, still warm, croissants and a baguette for breakfast.  With coffee it is a proper Paris breakfast.  Around 9, we head out for our day.  We've been riding the Metro which is the best way to get around and once you get the hang of it, very easy.  There is a Metro stop two blocks from our apartment.

Around 1 in the afternoon we take a break for a light lunch in a cafe, soup and baguette sandwich. Then around 5 we return to the apartment for happy hour and a short rest. Then around 7:30 we head out for dinner as that is the normal time for dinner in France. Dinner is a long affair most times.  In France, once you are seated in a restaurant or cafe, that table is yours for as long as you like.  There is no rushing you to leave and the bill is only presented when you ask, "L'addition, s'il vous plait".  Some people, especially Americans, think that they are being ignored by the waiter when they don't keep coming by the table asking how you meal is.  They leave you alone to enjoy the meal that the restaurant takes pride in serving.  If this is not to you liking, there are plenty of MacDonald's and Starbucks around.

The day ends back in the apartment around 9:30 where we pretty much crash after a long, busy and fun day.

This is just a report on our first full day in Paris, so there is much more to come.

PLANNING FOR TOMORROW

WE'RE MOVING ON

It's been a month and a day since we arrived in London, beginning our tour of the UK. Although we only scratched the surface, we did get to see a lot as we traveled north to Scotland and then returning to London via Wales.  Today we drive from the Cotswolds to London, in the rain I might add, which I guess is how it should be.   There we will spend one night before boarding the Eurostar for our next stop, Paris.

We spent one of our last two days in the Cotswolds in the usual manner by taking a walk. After one month of being on the move, we spent the last day as a day off.  Cathie slept in until breakfast and then went back to bed after breakfast.  I went shopping for the elusive bike jersey I've been looking for with no success. explored our small village, which took all of 15 minutes and reorganized our luggage. We're ready to move on, but first some more photos of the Cotswolds.

CHURCH IN LOWER SLAUGHTER

MILL IN LOWER SLAUGHTER

A STATELY HOME

LOOKING BACK AT UPPER SLAUGHTER

FRESHLY PLANTED HAY, I THINK

This is the center of town in Cold Aston which includes the town hall (not shown) and a pub.  There is also a church and an elementary school.  No other business and about 30 - 40 homes.  Since everything to see around here is in a 20 mile radius, it was a great quiet location.

Alan, not our host Alan, but one of the guests Alan plays the piano.  When he travels in the UK, he brings along his electric keyboard.  So each evening he set up in the lounge and played for a couple of hours.  All kinds of music from classical, to show tunes, to rock and roll.  Alan the host kept him plied with adult beverages and that was payment enough.

ALAN AT THE KEYBOARD