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Published: August 7th 2009
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What a weekend!
Day 405
After a four day week we packed our bags and headed to Paris. After a drama free flight we arrived at Charles de Guile airport and opted for a taxi. Arriving at one of Carly's college's father's apartments less than a mile from the Eiffel Tower. We settled in ready for our next few days.
Day 406
After a sleep in we set off in search of our prebooked Fat Tire Bike tour unfortunetely in the rush Carly failed to take note of where the meeting point was. With only the office on our booking form and with less than limited french we struggled trying to find out where we were supposed to be before finally stumbling across an internet cafe. We then discovered we were supposed to be at the Eiffel tower in 10 minutes and were further away then when we started! We hot footed it, making it just in time before the group set of to office, where we were fitted with bikes. We set off past the Eiffel Tower and military museum, militery hospital, the former Royal church, Egyptian oblesisk (which they apparently formly request for it to be returned
every year), Tuilleries Park where we stopped for a pictureque but pricy lunch of Crepe and monasomething croque (french for flash toastie!). After lunch we cruised past the famous Louve Museum, to the bridge, overlooking the D'Orsay art museum. Overall the Fat Fire tour was fantastic .. highly recommended for first time Paris goers.
On the completion of our tour we ditched the bikes and took the metro to impressive Notre Dame Cathedral its sheer size is stunning, then across the road to the Saint Chapelle church with amazing stained glass windows.
We stopped at bar for a cold beer in the glorious sun shine something we hadn't seen a lot of recently. Back to the apartment for a quick change we set off in search of a local recommended bistro for dinner. The menu was all in French... things were going to be tough, we fumbled around with the Paris guide trying to expand our limited french cruisine language knowledge and quizzed our waiter before making some bad decisions or misguided expectations we ended up with a very plain steak and chips and chicken and mash not exactly what we were planning for our first french experience.
Day
407
We set off bright and early keen to beat the crowds and the weather was perfect. First stop was the Eiffel tower we managed to beat most of the tourists and hagglers trying to sell miniture Eiffel Towers. After we photographed it from every angle we moved onto the Louve Museum (via the secret enterance), we opted for a self directed highlight tour, given it would take a couple years with 30 seconds at each artefact to get through the lot. Mona Lisa was first stop, not sure what was more impressive the painting itself or the hoards of people trying to see her and get a picture of both the painting and themselves, needless to say we joined them. Next stop, was Venus de Milo the famous sculpture, past the Wedding of Cana, and the many other amazing paintings and sculptures. We wandered through the apartments of Napolian III, lavashly decorated with entire ceiling murials, enormous chandeliers and no expenses spared.
We took a lunch break at a busy bagettes place returned to the Louve to take in the other sections including an entire floor of stolen Egyptian artefacts. All 'arted' out we walked home whipping up a
quick dinner before heading back out to see the sights by night. With some time to kill before night fall we grabbed drink at the bar and did some people watching. We then took the metro into centre, for some night pics of the fountain, the Arc de Triomph and the Eiffel Tower from a far (arguably even better at night). We stopped for some Traditional french desserts of proffitroles and chocolate sauce and crème de brulay at King Georges on Champes Elycees. Back at the apartment we crashed... after covering a lot of Paris on foot.
Day 408
Roland Garros French Open, we set off early in search of day tickets. We arrived right on 7am and we just 13th in line for tickets for todays play. With Court 1 (Lleyton V's Carlovic) sold out Jez failed to hide his lack of disappointment as we were left with centre court tickets with Ana Ivanovic first up. Ana wiped her less glamourous opponent off the court in two quick sets but her opponet made made it entertaining with heated arguement with the match umpire. Game over, we set off on our mission to get into Lleyton Hewitts match
on Court one currently 2 sets a piece. Jez stumbled and stuttered at the gate I don't speak french... as the crowds were spilling out at a break and came up truimps with two passouts. We regretfully purchased some 10ml of sunscreen for a mere 15 euros and slipped straight in and found ourselves a seat. We cheered Llyton Hewitt to a epic win over Carlovic in five sets. After Hewitts win we returned to centre court to see the last set of Marat Safin game glad our seats were in the shade.
We wandered around the outside courts stopping for a few games here and there of the unknowns (to us anyway) until we decided to call it a day.
We stopped at Mcdonalds for an icecream only to be evactuated minutes later due to an unknown smell/gas maybe capsicum powder that left us coughing and spluttering. Exhausted after a day in the sun we hopelessly searched for open supermarket but being Sunday and ended up settling for pizza and calling it a night.
Day 409
Sleep in!! We cleaned up the apartment and packed away our gear as the apartments next guests were arriving that day. We
walked to Arc de triomphe and then searched for a traditional French lunch on Champs Elyses, Garlic and escholottes (snails) for entree, followed by frogs legs for Carly and scallope dish for Jez.. delicous.
Back on the metro we headed to the Basilica Sacre Coeur, a magnificant white building (due to constantly excusating calcite) located on the Montmarte the highest point in the city! Entertained by the street performers we wandered through the church and its gardens.
After soaking up as much sun as we could it was time to head back to England we stopped at the apartment to pick up our luggage and headed back to the airport.
We couldn't work out where to buy tickets when we changed from the metro to the overground and arrived at the gates to the airport with another twenty people with invalid tickets that wouldn't let us through. After taking another blokes lead we squeezed through gate but were startled by the french voice over the speaker, instinctively we ran and left the others stranded at the gate.
With some time to kill we stopped for beer once checked in only to be delayed over a hour. We made it back
to Birmingham and with no drama's on the train track were home by midnight.
Clearly exhausted Carly set the alarm and failed notice it remained on Paris time, only to be up and showered for work at 4.30am thinking it was 6.30am. Opps!!
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Catherine
non-member comment
French Open
Hi Carly and Jez I've just been having a glance through a few different blogs on here, and came across this entry of your's on the French Open (amongst other things) I'm actually just watching it now, and have always wanted to go (go to Wimbledon every year but never made it to any of the other slams) Anyways I read that you just queued up for your tickets on the morning of the day of play? Do you know if that's usually the case? I was under the impression that tickets were strictly sold on the internet and nowhere else....or did you buy them from a tout off the street? Sorry for rambling. Hope you can help, and that you enjoyed your travelling :) I love Paris...it's a gorgeous city! Catherine x