Photos - the front of The Louvre, the Champs-Elysees from the top of the Arc de Triomphe and one of so many beautiful French buildings.
Erith says:
We arrived in Paris we got off the Metro and walked around the corner. I was so tired, but as soon as we got around the corner I had lots of energy because we saw the Eiffel Tower. Our hotel was right behind the Museum of Man. We checked in and found out that we had to move rooms on the second night. We got up to our room and we opened the curtains and we could see the Eiffel Tower from our bed. We got ready and went around to the Eiffel Tower. We stood right underneath it right in the middle. We had chinese food for dinner that night and then we walked back to the hotel and I went to bed.
The next morning we lined up for the Eiffel Tower. When they finally let us in at 9:00 am, we were the first ones up because we came up with the workers. We had the whole tower to ourselves for a few minutes. We could see everything from up there! There were three floors on the Eiffel Tower, but we only went on the second and third floors.
I've got more to add, but we're running out of time on this computer.
Marcus says:
Anyway, back to what I was so saying before I was so rudely interrupted by a desperate need for sleep, Erith and I finished off our day by walking down to the Pensioners - at least I think that's what it's called, but can't confirm as I lost the excellent book on Western Europe that I had been using. (Sorry Claudia.) It was a long walk on a summery Parisian night, with everyone outside in parks, playing with the kids, playing pitonne (or whatever it's called - I chose to mis-spell this version of it), or just generally strolling around like us. Very civilised and cool - a really nice feel and no feeling of fear or trepidation. Erith was keen to see the tower flashing, so we returned to it at 10:00 pm to have a look. There were still thousands of people milling aroung the base of it, many whom would surely get turned away and not get up that day. We marvelled again at our good fortune of being the only ones up there that morning - what a magical feeling that was.
The next day we got up and set off on foot for the Louvre, as we were both keen to see the Mona Lisa and have a general look around. We spent a few hours there, but were both tired from the day before, so didn't push it as hard as we might have. We looked mainly at paintings, with the Italian masters probably being my favourites, then we went to the Egyptian Antiquities section for a look at mumified cats, amazingly well preserved wooden statues, jewelery and all manner of other interesting bits.
We left there and were just walking through a park to the Champs Elysee when Lizzie phoned, so she and Erith had a nice chat. Erith is hard to keep quiet on the phone these days - she always has so much to report. We got some lunch and did the obligitory stroll down the Champs Elysee up to the Arch de Triumph, where we braved the stairs with already weary feet. We walked back to the hotel via Macdonalds, having dinner at 4:00 pm. One of us was tired and ratty, so took a nap. (Erith just watched TV.)
We went out for a last stroll later in the evening, both of us feeling that we could have spent a lot longer in Paris - it really is a fantastic city. I'd never been there before except on the back of a motorbike and then only passing through, but I will definitely go back again.
The language didn't even end up being an issue - having stumbled through Italian and finding my feet a bit with German, I was brave enough to have a go at French and found I had moderate success, carrying out entire transactions in French. Nothing chasllenginging mind you - there was a lot of "jambon au fromage" happening, but I felt none of the legendary French disdain for non-natives.
I've got to come back to Europe. Looking at the little roads flashing past as we blew by on the train, I think I'd like to do it on a big, fat slow motorcycle, ambling aimlessly down unposted roads with no agenda.
Erith says:
We arrived in Paris we got off the Metro and walked around the corner. I was so tired, but as soon as we got around the corner I had lots of energy because we saw the Eiffel Tower. Our hotel was right behind the Museum of Man. We checked in and found out that we had to move rooms on the second night. We got up to our room and we opened the curtains and we could see the Eiffel Tower from our bed. We got ready and went around to the Eiffel Tower. We stood right underneath it right in the middle. We had chinese food for dinner that night and then we walked back to the hotel and I went to bed.
The next morning we lined up for the Eiffel Tower. When they finally let us in at 9:00 am, we were the first ones up because we came up with the workers. We had the whole tower to ourselves for a few minutes. We could see everything from up there! There were three floors on the Eiffel Tower, but we only went on the second and third floors.
I've got more to add, but we're running out of time on this computer.
Marcus says:
Anyway, back to what I was so saying before I was so rudely interrupted by a desperate need for sleep, Erith and I finished off our day by walking down to the Pensioners - at least I think that's what it's called, but can't confirm as I lost the excellent book on Western Europe that I had been using. (Sorry Claudia.) It was a long walk on a summery Parisian night, with everyone outside in parks, playing with the kids, playing pitonne (or whatever it's called - I chose to mis-spell this version of it), or just generally strolling around like us. Very civilised and cool - a really nice feel and no feeling of fear or trepidation. Erith was keen to see the tower flashing, so we returned to it at 10:00 pm to have a look. There were still thousands of people milling aroung the base of it, many whom would surely get turned away and not get up that day. We marvelled again at our good fortune of being the only ones up there that morning - what a magical feeling that was.
The next day we got up and set off on foot for the Louvre, as we were both keen to see the Mona Lisa and have a general look around. We spent a few hours there, but were both tired from the day before, so didn't push it as hard as we might have. We looked mainly at paintings, with the Italian masters probably being my favourites, then we went to the Egyptian Antiquities section for a look at mumified cats, amazingly well preserved wooden statues, jewelery and all manner of other interesting bits.
We left there and were just walking through a park to the Champs Elysee when Lizzie phoned, so she and Erith had a nice chat. Erith is hard to keep quiet on the phone these days - she always has so much to report. We got some lunch and did the obligitory stroll down the Champs Elysee up to the Arch de Triumph, where we braved the stairs with already weary feet. We walked back to the hotel via Macdonalds, having dinner at 4:00 pm. One of us was tired and ratty, so took a nap. (Erith just watched TV.)
We went out for a last stroll later in the evening, both of us feeling that we could have spent a lot longer in Paris - it really is a fantastic city. I'd never been there before except on the back of a motorbike and then only passing through, but I will definitely go back again.
The language didn't even end up being an issue - having stumbled through Italian and finding my feet a bit with German, I was brave enough to have a go at French and found I had moderate success, carrying out entire transactions in French. Nothing chasllenginging mind you - there was a lot of "jambon au fromage" happening, but I felt none of the legendary French disdain for non-natives.
I've got to come back to Europe. Looking at the little roads flashing past as we blew by on the train, I think I'd like to do it on a big, fat slow motorcycle, ambling aimlessly down unposted roads with no agenda.
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