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Published: January 5th 2010
Our New Year's Eve was spent right at our Hostel in London. We had to change locations due to a lack of available accomodation at the Hootananny (We were sad to leave) and moved to an area just outside of Regents Park. This area, home to many immigrants from Middle Eastern Countries made me a little nostalgic for the time I spent in Egypt and Morocco. It was different (but at the same time not at all) to see and hear Arabic all over. We walked around other areas in London we had yet to explore including Buckingham Palace which we just viewed from the outside. I do believe the Queen has nicer diggs than Mr. Obama. Perhaps our most interesting experience was running into a volunteer police officer (he had retired) who spent twenty minutes making small talk with us. He covered all the subjects--World War II, France, America, English Cars, Immigration, among other subjects--he then flagged a bus down for us and helped get us on our way. We were pretty impressed.
We spent New Year's Eve in our Hostel which was also above a bar. We had intended to see how close we could get to the river for the fireworks but our bartender told us that people go several hours ahead of time and bring bottles with them if they needed to go to the bathroom. Suddenly we were less than enthused about heading down to the area. Whether or not crowded, it would have been a lot more walking as they were changing the Underground system to accomodate for so many people. Staying at our Hostel turned out to be a good decision. We met some interesting people--one guy from Italy and another from Canada (I decided to abstain from filling him in on my lackluster appreciation for Canadians from Manitoba after having worked retail). We even met some Minnesotans, whom we were able to peg upon hearing someone use the word "bag" in a way only Minnesotans know how.
On Jan 1 we packed up our things and headed for St. Pancras train station where we could catch our Eurostar Train to Paris. We boarded the train and headed off full speed for Paris. The train was very efficient, quick, and was definitely a good decision in hindsight despite any reservations we may have had over a particular incident the week before. The train plunged us right in the heart of Paris so it took a little time to get accustomed to our new surroundings. We were able to take the Metro right from the train station to pretty near our hostel. The Parisian Metro system, however is much more confusing than the London Underground, so it has taken a little bit of time to get used to. We checked in without a problem and after throwing out stuff down, headed out to explore the area.
Our Hostel, the Montclair, is located in Montmartre a nice burrough or "Arrondissmant" of Paris that at one time was the stomping grounds of Salvador Dali, Vincent Van Gogh, and Pablo Picasso. It is the area in which the film "Moulin Rouge!" was set as well as the French film "Amelie." At the top of the hill lies the Sacré Cœur, a basilica which marks the highest point in the city and affords some spectacular views of Paris in its entirety. This was our destination, and after what seemed like millions of little cobble stoned stairs we finally arrived at the top of the hill. From here we could see Paris unmistakable skyline, including the Eiffel Tower--despite seeing and hearing all the French everywhere, I think this was probably the biggest indicator (and good reminder) of exactly where we were. However, we decided that maybe we should check out the Eiffel Tower in a little more detail, so we Metroed right down to its base which was quite impressive. The structure is so much larger than I had originally thought and it truly is a marvel of engineering considering when it had been built--1889 for the World's Fair. At night, it lights up and sparkles which could be cliche, but really wasn't and was quite spectacular to see--as long as you don't suffer from Epilepsy.
We spent our first full day in Paris visiting The Concierge and Sainte-Chapelle on the Île de la Cité. The Concierge was a prison used during the French Revolution to detain prisoners about to be executed by guillotine. Marie Antoinette was a prisoner here. The Sainte-Chapelle, next door is a chapel with absolutely remarkable glass stained windows. We stopped for a bite to eat at a cafe across the street. The tables are separated from each other by about two inches, so your dinner neighbors become more of your dinner guests. However we sat next to a couple from England that was a lot of fun to eat with.
After eating we headed to Notre Dame, right around the corner. It is even more impresive inside than it is outside. However outside, for a fee you can have your picture taken with a pretty decent Quasimodo. After some time here we headed back to Montmartre. When we returned to our Hostel we met two people staying in our same room--Jesse and Yussi. Of course as soon as we ask Jesse where he is from he responds with "Minnesota"--it really is a small world. He had just finished a semester in Copenhagen and was seeing some other places before heading back to the United States. Yussi was originally from Saudi Arabia, but she had been living in California for a few years, and was spending some time traveling Europe.
Our next day in Paris was the first Sunday of the monthy--conveniently also the day that all the Museums in the city are free. Good thing, bad thing. Free is always nice, but along with it comes thousands and thousands of people. The four of us: Yussi, Jesse, Brandon, and I decided to take our chances with the crowds. We attacked the Louvre first. The Metro stop conveniently brings you right undernearth the enormous building which is nice because you avoid the long line outside in the cold. Walking underneath the large glass pyramid is also pretty cool--you know exactly where you are. First stop: Mona Lisa. Basically none of us were art experts, but we thought no trip to Paris would be complete without this important stop. The painting, perhaps the most famous in the entire world, is somewhat undwerwhelming. It is quite small in comparison to many of the other paintings in the museum and is completely swarmed by people all the time. Nonetheless it was still great to see. You could walk through the Louvre forever. It is the largest museum in the world--a reputation that is well deserved considering its 35,000 paintings.
After a few hours in the Louvre we took off for a bite to eat in the Latin Quarter. Walking along the Seine reminded by of the movie "Charade," in which Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn walk along the same stretch. After walking for a long time, and letting the weather go from nice to overcast, we headed to the Musee d'Orsay, an old train station renovated to be an art gallery exclusively for Impressonist art. There we found all the great works be Van Gogh, Matisse, and Monet. After closing the museum down we headed to the Metro and back to our hostel once more. We said goodbye to Yussi, she was checking into a different hostel and then leaving the next morning. Jesse, Brandon, and I spent our time hanging out in our hostel's pretty interesting lobby area eating bread and cheese--a very traditional French dinner.
Paris has been a really great experience, but I think I'll be ready to head on to Spain. One thing that's been difficult is the somewhat language barrier for me. While in the Middle East I thought it was acceptable to not speak the local language, I have felt much guiltier about not speaking the language and about being and American here than I ever had in the Morocco or Egypt. The barrier has impeded my ability to sort of "immerse" myself into the culture and I've found that in Paris its tough to get off the beaten track. Hopefully this will change in Spain, but it has nevertheless furthered my resolve to learn at least a little bit more French.
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heidi
non-member comment
you go geoff
We are loving traveling with you, keep up the info