Paris, The Odds & Ends

Five minutes from my apartment -- Notre Dame by night.

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  Continued from my previous Paris post...let's get right to it!

Where I Stayed
  Since I was going to be in Paris for such a short time (roughly 35 hours), I didn't want to waste time traveling in and out of the city center to/from my hotel. And a decent hotel in the midst of all the action is pretty pricey, so I decided to find an apartment to rent for a night (via AirBnB).

  The flat I rented was amazingly small -- we're talking maybe 15 ft x 10 ft. I can't imagine living in such a confined place all the time. I would never want to be there cause it was SO small! But I understand that the cost of living is high, and rent is extremely expensive in Paris, so people make living quarters out of anything.

Ready to hit the ground running for the day!

  A benefit to renting an apartment was that I'd be able to bring food with me since it would have a fully equipped kitchen (even though the kitchen happened to be in the same room as the 'living room' and the 'bedroom'). That made my mornings easier as I could have filling breakfast before heading out for the day.

  The apartment in the Latin Quarter gave me everything I needed: centrally located, clean, quiet, a hot shower, and most importantly, a place to lay my head for the night!

 A Few 'Sorrys'

Entry at Stadium Paris. Too bad this is all I saw.

  I tried visiting Stadium Paris (another Nike store) on Saturday, only to, essentially, be turned away because the person misunderstood 'what I wanted to see', and sent me 'upstairs' -- to nothing. I'm still trying to figure out what he thought I said, and where exactly he was sending me. It was freezing and snowing, and had just turned dark, so I chose to cut my losses and head back home.

  I was in Paris for one night, and I had Chipotle for dinner. Sorry! It's the first time I've run across a 'Mexican' (American) place while in Europe. And since I won't see anything like that in Dunkerque, or anywhere else I'll be in the next several months, I had to treat myself. 11 euros for a chicken burrito, by the way!

I'm so artistic. ;)

  The same can be said for Starbucks. I wouldn't normally go twice a day for two days straight, but since my apartment didn't have a coffee maker, and I won't see a Starbucks (or the like) til I'm back Stateside, I had to indulge!

  I did go to the Louvre, but I didn't go inside. I went inside the Pyramid, does that count?!? Sorry!

  I took a pretty boring boat tour from Pont Neuf. I usually love boat tours, but this one was nothing special. In fact, it was probably the least favorite thing I did while in Paris.

Downpour during the boat tour. At least I was undercover!

  The timing of the boat tour was perfect however. Midway through, it started raining, then sleeting and finally snowing. Had I been out in the elements, I would have been drenched, and the rest of my afternoon would have been ruined! So I guess it was a life-saver that day.

  In my opinion, you can see the sights just as well, if not better, from walking along the Seine. Of course, being on a boat is convenient, and gives you a chance to rest your
legs while still actively seeing a few things. But
I can't say I recommend it!

Rainbow over Pont des Arts.

Shoulda, Coulda, Wouldas

  One thing I kind of wanted to do, that I couldn't fit into my itinerary, was to visit the Catacombs of Paris. Maybe next time!

  I also wish I could have explored Île Saint-Louis and Le Marais neighborhoods a little more thoroughly.

  And I had read about seeing a panorama of the city from inside a department store on  
Boulevard Haussmann, but I didn't get there
until too late in the day, and it was already closed. 

  So there are a few items to put on my agenda for next time!

French flag flying high on Île Saint-Louis.

Random Travel Thoughts
  Paris, by far, flies the most French flags I've ever seen. At any give place, you are sure to find the French flag flying high!

  Traveling by train is so easy and convenient! I wish we had the same smooth-running systems in the US.

  They need to put the metro maps inside the subways up higher on the walls. Many people, including myself, broke their backs trying to bend down at a weird angle to read the lines and connections. 

I wonder if they taste as delicious as they look.

  For the second time in less than a year, I learned that a 'big, bad' city was neither big nor bad. 

  Like New York City, Paris somewhat intimidated me. One thing Manhattan had on Paris was that English is the first language spoken (though I'm sure some people might argue otherwise). Once I got my bearings, and learned the layout of the city, just as I had in New York, I felt quite
comfortable in the City of Lights.

 Looking down Passage des Panoramas.

  Solo-travel does have its perks. You get to do whatever YOU want to do. And you don't have to worry about alienating anyone you're traveling with (hey, it happens!).

  But for me, solo travel does have its downside.  After a couple days of disconnected looks from hundreds and hundreds of people everyday, I find that I get antsy and actually miss personal interaction! It was the same this summer when I visited New York.

  That said, I thoroughly enjoyed my short visit to the City of Lights. I love experiencing the international flavor that you get in a big city like Paris. And of course the sights of the city are incomparable!

As always, lots of pictures below!

Biscuit shop on Île Saint-Louis.

I thought the metro station signs were cool!

Smiling, but cold!

Yet another French flag flying high.

View from Pont du Carrousel.

Looking back into the Louvre entrance.

From Pont Neuf.

The Eiffel Tower from the boat tour.

Pont Alexandre III.

The entry way to the apartment building I was staying at.

Église de la Sainte-Trinité.

Base of the Eiffel Tower.

Montmartre streets.

Always had to be on the lookout in Montmartre -- art everywhere!

Another award-winning boulangerie in Montmartre. Line out the door.

Favorite view from Montmartre.

Approaching Sacré Cœur and another pretty view!

Details of Sacré Coeur.

More Montmartre.

Champs-Élysées.

US Embassy.

Nike Paris.

Backside of Notre Dame.

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.