Highlights of Paris

Guess where I am!

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  A year ago, when I visited London, I had the same feeling: I hopped on the train and two hours later I was in a different universe. Going from small-town Dunkerque, to one of the largest cities in the world, this time Paris, is always a big adjustment, and always exciting.

Guided Tours, For Once

  Usually while traveling, I'm not one to join a tour group. But this time, I thought it might be nice not to have to 'work' at sightseeing. I had limited time in Paris, and I wanted to see as many 'important' sights and areas as I could.

  In my search for a good tour or two, I came across a blossoming company ( Discover Walks) that offers walking tours (the ONLY way I like to explore a new city) at a very reasonable rate -- whatever you think the tour is worth. It's a relatively new company, and one of its start-up cities is Paris.

The back of Notre Dame.

  These tours turned out to be the favorite part of my roughly 35 hours in Paris. And I learned a whole lot more this time around too. So finding these tours was a great decision!

  The first tour I joined, on Saturday, was 'Notre Dame and the Heart of Paris' with Flora. Notre Dame was celebrating its 850th anniversary, and had just been adorned with brand new bells. Flora shared a lot about the detail and the historical significance of the various statues and artwork that cover the facade of the cathedral: the gargoyles, the main 'scene' of the church, and stories about the architecture.

  We also walked the surrounding area of Notre Dame, where Paris was first said to have begun (though Flora says otherwise). She told some very interesting, eerie, and historical tales about Île de la Cité: the world's 'greatest true love story', a mass murder at a barber shop, and the 100-year flood.

  I enjoyed the tour with Flora so much, that I went on second tour Sunday morning. This time in the Montmartre neighborhood with Rose.

One of two windmills in Montmartre.

  Montmartre was, by far, the trip favorite for me. Even though we were still in Paris, Montmartre had a village feel to it. It was quiet and there was limited traffic on the cobble-stoned streets. It lies on the hillside in the northern part of the city, so once you reach Montmartre Butte and Sacré Coeur, you're rewarded with a beautiful panorama of Paris. 

  We also saw and learned about Moulin Rouge, but that was hardly the highlight of the tour.

  Rose touched on the significance of artists in the the neighborhood. Historically, the area was the home to Van Gogh and Renoir as they were starting out, as well as cursed French pop singer, Dalida.

   After our tour was over, I had a delicious pain au chocolat at an award winning bakery -- Le Grenier à Pain -- only because Rose told us that their 'bread with white chocolate' was amazing. I went to find this deliciousness only to find it was a little too late in the day, and they were all sold out (I guess she wasn't kidding -- that they are amazing)! So I settled for the 'regular' chocolate. 

The view of Paris from Sacré Coeur in Montmartre.

I followed Rose's advice again, and went to the Café des 2 Moulins for a quick lunch. The cafe was featured in the film "Amelie", where she worked as a waitress. I had some yummy vegetable soup with a baguette to warm me up on the cold afternoon.

  So I had two great tours, for a great price. And I learned a lot about each area we toured, and heard some interesting tidbits and stories from the guides.

  Both Flora and Rose were born and raised Parisians (another aspect unique to Discover Walks -- home grown guides), so they were able (and willing) to offer up an insider's view to the city. I think they shared a lot of information that you usually don't get when you're on a guided tour. And since they've lived in Paris their entire lives, if you had any questions, about anything Paris, they were able to give you good answers.

Notre Dame!

  Another perk was the size of my tour groups, a total of two and three people for Saturday and Sunday, respectively. 

A Tourist, Once Again

  Most of the time I'm in Europe, I'm not a tourist. While I am a visitor, I'm definitely not in tourist mode. This weekend gave me the opportunity to get my camera out and put that tourist hat back on. 

  I thought I would be escaping the sometimes-less-than-pleasant Dunkerque weather, but I found myself complaining about the same things as I usually do: cold and windy! If I wanted to see what Paris had to offer, I had to tough through it, and force myself to stay out and see the beautiful city. A tough job, but somebody had to do it!

  So here's a (relatively) quick rundown of some of the other sights I saw!

The Eiffel Tower lighting up the Paris sky.

  Saturday evening, after recharging my batteries for an hour or so back at the apartment I rented in the Latin Quarter, I wanted to head back out to the Eiffel Tower. I had seen La Tour Eiffel, and made the trip to the top, years before when I visited Paris for an afternoon. But I had never seen it at night, with lights illuminating the city.

  Since I was on a tight schedule throughout the weekend, I didn't want to consume a lot of time waiting in line for something I had already seen. Had I been there longer, I definitely would have ventured up to the top of the monde again. 

  Unfortunately, I found myself a little bit stranded after making my way back to the Eiffel Tower that night. Little did I know, that the Eiffel Tower is one of the areas of the city that is almost a metro-desert.

  I was frozen after being out for few a hours after dinner, and having just walked through École Militaire to reach the base of the great Parisian landmark. It was late, and it was time to get 'home'. I was tired, and I was cold.

  But there was no nearby metro station nearby! I checked and rechecked the metro map, but my eyes weren't deceiving me. So I kept on walking. I guess I had figured there would be a metro station just next to the Eiffel Tower, but no such luck. So word to the wise for those of you traveling to Paris in the near future -- plan ahead!

Champs-Élysées.

  I eventually made it to a metro, and back to the apartment. It just took a bit longer than I had anticipated! (Another note if you're using the metro: you can by books of metro tickets at a discounted rate (carnets), or you can buy an unlimited day pass (Paris Visite). You can buy these, or other options, at a ticket machine in any metro station throughout the city. I chose the book of 10, and it was perfect for my 2 days in Paris.)

  Of course I strolled the Champs-Élysées. I actually tried to buy a few things, but it didn't work out. Since it's 'sale season' here in France, the stores are having rare bargains. (Kind of. In my opinion, things are still way more expensive than what you'd find the in the US.)

  With the soldes in full force, and being on one of the most famous shopping streets in the world, the stores were overflowing. Since the stores were crawling with people, you can imagine how backed up the lines to the fitting rooms were! You know I wasn't about to wait in line to try clothes on, so I passed on most of the sales. 

Was on the lookout for David Beckham, but this is all I saw.

  I still enjoyed the stroll. It was fun to people watch, car watch, and window shop.

  Staying true to form, I had to visit Nike Paris -- on the Champs-Élysées, no less. It actually had some of the best gear I've seen in a Nike store in Europe. Lots of basketball and training attire. And not completely overrun by the futbol department, as is the case most of the time. 

  Two other fun sights were the lovelocks on Pont de l'Archevêché and Pont des Arts (and there's a third collection of locks on passerelle Léopold-Sédar-Senghor, but I didn't visit this one). I even saw a marriage proposal on the Pont des Arts (she said yes, I think.).

Pont de l'Archevêché and the lovelocks. Notre Dame behind.

  Apparently these lovelocks bridges have become quite popular worldwide, and a little controversial in recent years. In Paris in 2010, City Hall wanted to remove the locks from the bridges in order to 'preservate the architectural heritage'. Just after, the lovelocks of the Pont des Arts disappeared one night in May 2010. Lovelocks immediately began appearing on the Pont de l'Archevêché, and obviously have since reappeared on the Pont des Arts. 

Fortunate Traveler

  I feel very lucky to have been able to visit three of the world's capitals in the span of a year (New York, London, and now Paris). I'm hardly a big city kind of girl, but I've learned to feel very comfortable navigating the bustling streets and the jam-packed subway systems.

  I spend hour upon hour walking while exploring the new (to me) city. The tired and sore legs, feet, and back are definitely worth the payoff!

The Louvre.

  I had a fabulous weekend in the City of Lights AND, I made it home in plenty of time stay up entirely too late and watch the Super Bowl. It's not quite like the watch parties many of you had, but it's better than not being able to see the game at all!

  I have a second part coming up next time covering more odds and ends from my weekend in Paris. So stay tuned!

.......More pictures below, and some a random tidbit: 

My FuelBand showed the evidence of my exploration this weekend:

Saturday: FuelPoints: 7,199 Steps: 28,288 Miles: 11.61 Active Time: 14:42.

Sunday: FuelPoints: 6,143 Steps: 19,094 Miles: 7.84 Active Time: 13:08.

An average 'off' day w/no workout: FuelPoints: 2,290 Steps: 5,985 Miles: 2.46 Active Time: 6:41.

Notre Dame.

Notre Dame.

The 'main' scene on the front facade of Notre Dame.

The doorway of the home of 'the world's greatest true love story'. Their faces are on the doors.

Notre Dame from the river.

Side facade of Notre Dame.

First glimpse of the Eiffel Tower!

Pont des Arts and the lovelocks.

Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel.

The Eiffel Tower from the boat tour.

A downpour is coming.

Cool metro sign, Moulin Rouge behind.

Montmartre.

Montmartre. Sacré Coeur on the hillside above.

Sacré Coeur behind.

The 'awful wedding cake', as our tour guide called it.

A tiny vineyard inside Montmartre.

Café des 2 Moulins from the movie "Amelie".

Nike Paris.

Arc de Triomphe, another Paris icon.

NYC -- New York in the Flesh

Times Square: along with hoards of other tourists!

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  From the second I stepped foot onto Manhattan soil, one thing was glaringly obvious: New Yorkers are a different breed.

  I took a weekday red-eye from Portland to Newark. And after relatively painless flight and an easy bus ride out of New Jersey, I arrived into Manhattan before the workday had even begun. With the hustle and bustle surrounding me, I did my best to gather my bearings, and figure out which way was up (or in this case, which way was towards Lexington Ave).

  It was the epitome of being a small fish in an enormous pond. Nevertheless, I found my way.

Navigating the Big Apple

Cab line-up at Grand Central.

  Manhattan is incredibly easy to navigate and maneuver around. All you have to do is pay a little attention, and know how to count. 'Avenues' run north and south, while the numbered 'Streets' run east and west. 5th Ave. separates the east and west side. There's one little caveat, once you reach lower Manhattan, the easy-navigable grid system goes out the window. But really, there's no excuse for getting lost (for too long anyway) in NYC. 

  Right off the bat, New Yorkers pay zero attention to what the crosswalk light says. 'Walk' or 'Don't Walk', if there's even a slight opening in traffic, they're across the street. When there were cars and cabs whizzing by every which way, I thought they were crazy -- standing two to three feet off the curb, so they could get a good jump. But I guess that's just their norm, and what they're used to. By my second day in the city, I was following suit.

  My mode of transportation while visiting NYC was how New Yorkers get around each and every day: on foot, or on the subway. It was refreshing not to rely on a car to get around town. Though the hot, humid summer days had me sweating barely five steps out the door!

  I've always thought the best way to explore a city, and to get to know a new city, is by walking it. So what did I do? I walked over 34,000 steps on my first day in the city (so says my Nike FuelBand). And I bought a seven day unlimited trips MetroCard for $30 that I put to good use during my five day stay in Manhattan.

  Subway trips are interesting. And during high volume traffic times, they can be a bit uncomfortable. So many people, so little space. I found that most New Yorkers opt to stay in their own little worlds during their commutes: either by reading, listening to music, catching a few extra minutes of sleep, or on their phones (or sometimes, all of the above).

Thought I was doing something wrong: An empty subway car??

Grand Central Terminal

  That's another way New Yorkers are different: though they encounter thousands of people on a daily basis, there is zero interaction between them. Both on the subway and in the streets. I found it to be very disconnected. Not that I chat up every Joe Schmo I pass by either. But I've grown accustomed to occasionally saying hello, making eye contact, or exchanging a nod or a smile with people I encounter in Portland. (Portland can't be the only city that does this.)

  To be fair, when you encounter thousands of unknown faces day after day, I suppose you're bound to start ignoring them fairly quickly.

Day-to-Day Life
  Everyday living in Manhattan also seemed like something that would need some getting used-to.

  I made the mistake of stopping in at the Trader Joe's near Union Square at 5:30pm on a weekday. Mass chaos is an understatement. There were easily 15-20 checkout stands open, and two lines still wound around the entire store. I realized my error in timing, and actually had thoughts of putting my basket down and walking out of the store. But I needed some groceries, so I gave it a shot.

  To my surprise, it was well-organized, and went fairly quickly. And it would have to be. I can't imagine New Yorkers putting up with an inept system that took too long, or was too inconvenient. The really smart shoppers got in line immediately, and did their shopping as the line wound throughout the store. They were obviously longtime Trader Joe's vets.

  For me, grocery shopping would be a big stumbling block. You could never buy too much at once because you still have to get it home! I'm sure there's a way around this problem that has already been solved: perhaps online shopping and delivery is the norm?

Flatiron District.

  With space at a premium, apartments have the bare bones. You learn to live with what you need, not necessarily what you want. Kitchen amenities, laundry facilities, outdoor living spaces, etc; unless you have a money tree, chances are there will be something you'll have to go without.

  Finally, dealing with the influx of tourists day after day has got to be tiresome. What part of Manhattan isn't 'touristy', anyway?

Brooklyn Heights

  While it would take me some getting used to, I actually think New York-living is something to be admired: public transport, modest living conditions, living off of need, not want.

  Five days is hardly enough time to know what it's like to actually live in a city. Even though the pace, and the number of people wore me out after just a few days, I found New York City to be spectacular.

  And while living there might be biting off a little too much for me to chew, I would love to spend more time exploring and getting to know NYC!

RELATED POSTS:

NYC -- The Prelude

Statue of Liberty ferry.

Busy Mid-Town streets.

More Mid-Town.

Radio City Music Hall

Flatiron Building.

Hudson River. Looking at New Jersey.

Statue of Liberty from Battery Park.

Central Park.

Nike FuelBand Review

Goal attained!

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  I'm an admitted Nike addict. And a tech-junkie to boot. So when rumblings of a Nike gadget hit the Internet, I wanted to be first in line to get a Nike FuelBand.

  It took longer than I wanted, but I managed to get my FuelBand about three weeks ago. And while I knew I wanted to put together a review, I also wanted to give it a sufficient 'go' before I jumped to any conclusions. Three weeks is plenty of time to form an objective opinion, don't you think?

  First, a quick rundown of Nike's history in the tech biz, and the FuelBand's predecessors. (If you're here solely for the FuelBand, scroll down a few paragraphs!)

Nike+ iPod
  Nike started their journey into the tech biz when they joined forces with Apple several years back to develop Nike+ iPod.

  At the time, I was a beginning runner, but quickly became a Nike+ participant. It consisted of an oval shaped sensor you put in the sole of your running (or walking) shoe, along with a small receiver that you plugged into your iPod Nano (at the time, Nike+ iPod  was only compatible with the Nano. But now it is available for every iPod model).

Nike+ iPod

  You simply calibrated your stride, and the sensor would accurately keep track of your pace, calories burned, and time elapsed, and displayed it for you to see on your Nano. When your workout was over, you could upload your workouts to Nike+  by syncing your Nano to your computer.

  Easy as that.

  It was a simple way to track results, and turn your workouts into a game. If you needed a little extra incentive to get out there and run, or run a little faster, Nike+ iPod was there to provide some motivation.

  It wasn't super high-tech by today's standards (this was released in 2006, after all), but Nike was still working out the kinks, and working towards a larger goal.

Nike+ Sportwatch GPS 
  In 2011, Nike got into the GPS watch business with their Nike+ Sportwatch GPS. Powered by TomTom, the Nike Sportwatch tracks your location, time, pace, distance, and calories burned.

  Just like with the Nike+ iPod, you sync the Sportwatch to your computer (via USB port, or wirelessly) to upload all your information to Nike Plus.

Nike+ Sportwatch GPS

  But with GPS in the game, you can review your routes online, and easily track your progress.

  On Nikeplus.com you're able to view mapped-out routes, detailed pace data (mile time splits), and changes in elevation of all the workouts you have done while wearing the Sportwatch. The accuracy of your pace is also improved since you no longer are relying on a calibrated sensor.

  Now, as an avid runner, I love the Sportwatch. I believe it has made me run faster, farther, and more often. And the watch isn't bad looking either. Many times, GPS watches are big and bulky, and you never want to wear them. But the Nike+ GPS Sportwatch has a nice design -- not to mention fun colors! 

Nike FuelBand

The first FuelBand -- or life monitoring bracelets from Star Wars?

  Since February of 2012, the FuelBand has been a hot commodity on Nike shelves.

  During the first few months of being on the market, getting your hands on a FuelBand was a tough task. After that initial launch craze, the FuelBand is now easier to come by.

  So what exactly is the Nike FuelBand? Let's start with the obvious: it's cool. Who doesn't want to wear a digital wristband, that lights up with 20 LED lights and a matrix display?

  To be honest, when I first saw the FuelBand, I immediately thought of Star Wars and the Ewok Adventure movies from my childhood. In my eyes, those life monitor bracelets were the first FuelBands.

  The FuelBand is meant to be worn throughout the day. No matter if you're working out or not. The digital bracelet tracks your physical activity and movement on a daily basis.

  It tracks: Fuel points earned, calories burned, steps taken, and also serves as a watch.

My all-time high -- as of Summer 2012.

  Now, what are Fuel points? Unlike calories, which are dependent on many factors, Fuel points are a unique unit to measure activity that is equal for every person.

  For example, if a 135-pound person, and a 190-pound person, both walk for 20 minutes, the 190-pound person will burn more calories, based on their size alone; but they will earn the same amount of Fuel points.

  That's what makes the FuelBand unique. Nike has created a way for everyone, no matter size, age, or gender, to be able to compete and compare their daily activity.

  Fuel points have no correlation to calories burned. This allows for fair competition between friends, colleagues, family members, and teammates. Who can earn the most Fuel points per day?

  The FuelBand measures how much you move. Period.

Or how much your arm moves.
  My only complaint about the FuelBand, is that it only registers movement when the arm you're wearing it on moves. Obviously, when you walk or run, your arms naturally move in unison with your legs.

  But say you're on a stair-machine, riding a bike, or doing yoga -- the FuelBand will not register any movement, even though you are clearly moving.

Mid-day Fuel check.

  The FuelBand comes in Small, Medium, or Large sizes. And also has removable spacers to give the band a better fit to your wrist.

  In a perfect world (or maybe the next release), there would be a way to also wear it on your ankle (when doing lower body cardio), or be able to tell the FuelBand you're doing a core body workout.

  I know many of us partake in yoga, pilates, spin, bike rides, workouts on the stair-stepper -- activities where your arm isn't vigorously moving. So this is something that needs to be addressed for future usage.

  My second complaint is that there seems to be no value for intensity. Running and walking for an hour gets you roughly the same amount of Fuel points.

  And similarly, I wore my FuelBand for an hour and 15 minute long shooting (basketball) workout, and got more points than I did when I played pickup basketball for the same amount of time. Standing in one spot and shooting is drastically less intense than playing full court basketball. The FuelBand should reflect that.

  Like the iPod sensor and the Sportwatch, the FuelBand, easily syncs to your computer. It uses the same account on Nikeplus.com, and you're able to track your daily progress in one place. That is where you're also able personalize your FuelBand and set your daily Fuel goal.

  At the end of each day, plug the FuelBand into your computer and watch your results pop up in front of you (or wirelessly, via an app). Syncing to a computer also recharges the FuelBand (it usually lasts three or four days without recharging, and only needs about 20-30 minutes to fully recharge).

The Payoff
  The FuelBand doesn't lie. If you've sat at your desk, or in front of the TV for too long, the FuelBand will tell you that it's time to move. It won't literally tell you. On several occasions, I've been enjoying an easy morning, only to check my FuelBand and see a measly 200 Fuel points. That means it's time to go!

  Also, on one or two occasions, I've found myself doing jumping jacks at 11 o'clock at night because I'm a few hundred points short of my Fuel goal. The FuelBand will get you moving, that's for sure.

  It's fun because it makes being active, and moving, a game. We all love competing, so whether it's competing against your previous best, or against your best friend, the FuelBand will get you moving!

  In our society, where we seem to need a little extra push to get active, I think the FuelBand is an excellent motivator, and actually, a reality check as well!

  If you don't need motivation to move, maybe the FuelBand isn't for you. But if you're active, and want to track your results, or seek some extra competition (or you're inactive, and trying to move those legs a little more), then I think the FuelBand is a great investment ($149).

  (Two side notes: 1) If you're deciding between the GPS Sportwatch, and a FuelBand, and you're a runner, go with the Sportwatch, hands down. Having the GPS capabilities is an incredible tool for runners. And the Nike Plus software is an added bonus! 2) It is not recommended to swim or shower with your FuelBand on. It is water resistant, not water proof.)

LINKS:

NikeFuel Zine: Creative Ways to Earn NikeFuel

NikeFuel Missions