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Published: January 3rd 2010
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Paris Calling ...
OMG - Am I really here??? Hello all,
Last summer prior to my Germany/Amsterdam excursion, my friend Chris and I talked of going to Paris! He needed to take a business trip and I have a need for foreign travel so - a marriage made in travel was born! Well that and a gift of Christmas Angels LOL.
I took over 300 photos and have loaded what I think is a decent cross section of my trip! I believe that a picture does say a 1000 words so I won't blather on but will touch on the the highlights~
Our flight over was turbulent over the Atlantic - 1 from the air and another from a passenger 3 rows up. She was having an issue with something and I could hear her whaling over my headset~ 5 air hostesses and 45 minutes later she was calm ~ I think they gave her something~ We landed shortly after 6 a.m. & breezed through security & customs and headed towards the trains. Our hotel was in a great location, close to the metro, shops, restaurants etc.
Since we could not physically check in to our room until the afternoon - we did a lil freshen
up, left the bags at the hotel and hit a cafe for breakfast. The one thing that stood out to me was the lack of street activity. it was after 9 a.m. and the foot traffic was not all that. Our 3 course breakfast for 9 Euros was pretty good! Let the walking tour begin.
We were 5 minutes from the Centre Pompidou - The Museum, the collection - Art culture musée ... Modern Art, inside and out (http://www.parispass.com/att-pompidou-centre.asp) The river Seine, the Louvre the d'Orsey were all withing 20 minutes of our hotel.
http://www.louvre.fr/llv/commun/home.jsp?bmLocale=en & http://www.musee-orsay.fr/en/home.html
The first few days I was just in awe of the architecture it's just everywhere - even the smallest of building can have amazing detail - not all was beautiful! They have to tacky 60's buildings as well! One right across from Jim's new apartment (Chris (my travel partner's business partner).
Shopping was off the hook - if you are a clothes whore you would go out of your mind - Every day I became Chris' bag boy ... which is fine with me because I get first dibs on his hand-me-downs~~~ Let's just say I may have directed
his clothing choices ... but I'll never tell!!! Funny enough we hit all the high end shops for him and me being me - the Budget Shopper - found similar items for a fraction - but I was there to see the sights not buy clothes - however, since Jim lives there I will be hitting him up~~~
CHAMPS-ELYSEES·Site Officiel - Is all decorated for the Holidays - full of white tents with all kinds of items for sale - lights and Ice Magic - amazing ice carvings in 20 degree temps~
FOOD ~ for those who know me know me I am a self proclaimed food whore! Any time, any where almost anything I will eat~ The food was AMAZING from the crepes at the street cafe's (which we had almost every nite about midnite, ham & cheese) to the creme de la creme le Train bleu!
During my stay I had bread, bread & more bread! Along with that I tired kangaroo, escargot, duck and on and on - the funniest food story was Jim going on and on about this breakfast pastry. How it was the best and we just had to try it.
So, picture it, Day 2 morning, off to the Louvre we grab a cafe and this lovely little pastry. Almost simultaneously we bite, we taste & we say it's a freakin hot dog in a pastry - undercooked none the less~
The most off-the-hook was le Train Bleu (http://www.le-train-bleu.com/) Built for the opening of the Eiffel Tower - once upon a time it was considered for tear down~ Stunning building - out one set of windows, Paris, out the other the trains come and go~ The photos do it more justice than I ever could~~~
Over all it was just a visceral & aromatic experience for me~ I smelled food on every corner and even the worst pastry, in the Louvre, was still in Paris~ I hope you enjoy my pictorial trip through Paris - granted it won't be the same but - will give you a sense~
For a parting swan song - as we for the last few to board, we were give a pleasant surprise "BUSINESS CLASS UPGRADE" Chris was like - "Gurl you owe me big time" and I have to say that I do - Thank you Chris, I had the best
time~~~
I've started a research project fund, Freedom Fries in Paris, They do exist ~ Contributions welcomed~~~
Have a great 2010~
Travlin Terry
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Sam and Jane
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We envy your trip!
Good to hear about your travels. The photo's, especially of the stained glass at Notre Dame, are excellent. Jane and I envy you your trip to Paris. She went many years ago but we've never gone together. Quite a change from CR, huh! Keep us on the loop.