PARIS: 2009-08-21

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I slept okay last night...went to sleep around 11pm but still woke up every hour or so. The room is very quiet, the windows have definately been sound proofed. I finally got out of bed around 8am and threw some clothes on and went down to floor -1 (the breakfast room). I brought my Rick Steves Paris book (which never leaves my side) and my wallet/purse. A very nice woman greeted me and asked if I wanted coffee, tea or hot chocolate. I asked her for hot tea...she brought me the hot water and I helped myself to an assortment of tea bags to choose from...Earl Grey was the winner. I was still debating as to what I was going to do today...I knew I wanted to go to Montmartre and see Sacre Coeur so while I was eating my breakfast I read through the section in RS's book on the Montmartre self guided tour. Breakfast was okay...eggs, ham and deux pain au chocolat! Grapefruit juice was yummy too. After breakfast I went back up to my room and showered and dressed for the day. DIdn't take too long to get ready but i'll never understand why there isn't a full partition for the showers...just a little plastic wall...and I end up flooding the floors in the hotels all over Europe. Didn't have that problem in Prague though...Mom and I had a great big stand up shower. Anyways...need to remember to ask for a washcloth too...Europeans aren't big on them and I forgot to pack mine.

I'm ready to begin my 1st full day of tourism...I stopped by the front desk and asked for their opinion on what metro I should go to and where they suggested I transfer in order to get up to the "mountain". I started walking towards the L'Ecole Militaire metro stop...but I couldn't find the entrance...I was looking on the left but the next day I found it was on the corner around from my favorite cafe. So instead I just started wandering around the parks and toward the Eiffel Tower. I don't care how many times I've seen it but it still takes my breath away. I walked along through the Parc du Champs de Mars and photographed the ET from many different prospectives. I kept walking past and under the ET and crossed the Pont D'Iena (seine) and walked up to the Trocadero.

I figured I had wandered enough...knew where the metro stop was at the Trocadero and took it to Charles DeGaulle and switched lines to go to Anvers. Once you get out of the metro I knew I just wanted to walk up the hill and towards the Basilica...I saw it as soon as i exited the metro...it was awesome! It is kind of seedy up there...really odd items for sale in stores...bargain basement stuff like 3 euros for a pair of jeans?! I was very cognizant of people trying to pick pocket...it was definately great location for thieves...the tourists were like fish in a bowl. I walked past all the stores and headed straight for the church. I was so engrossed in getting to my destination I didn't realize people were talking to me. I'm still pretty jet lagged and don't feel like I have all my bearings yet....and to top it off I know I am normally too nice and gullible...so add the jet lag onto that and you get a moron! An African man approaced me and said no worries no money wanted...just hold out your finger...i did...my index finger...and he started braiding a "friendship" bracelet and he was asking me questions and kept me distracted while he made it. Before I knew it, this bracelet was tied around my wrist and then what do you do. I asked how much? he said however much you want to give. I gave him 2 euros....but then he didn't want to leave my side. He asked if I was going up to the church...I said of course. His english was pretty good. He told me he was from Senegal and he'd been in Paris for 10 years....I'm guessing he was maybe in his early twenties. I asked him his name and he said Libedo..."Libedo"? i repeated and he said yes yes! Okay...someone is tryign to pull my leg...where's the hidden camera I'm thinking to myself. The worst part was the smell...couldn'nt tell you the last time this man showered and i'm sure he's never used deoderant in his life. It was a day in the 80's and the sun was strong. I began gagging from the stench...I'm trying to see which way the wind is blowing so that I can avoid the downwind from him. (as teh week went on I learned to hold my breath in alot of situations...like a packed metro) He climbed up the rest of the steps with me to the church..and I thought he won't go in there....oh no...he wouldn't leave my side...like a lost puppy dog I couldn't shake him...i had one hand on my wallet and one hand on my camera and one eye on him all the time. I told him I wanted to pray...which I did...and when I was done I opened my eyes and didn't have to look for him...I could smell him standing at the end fo the pew. I told him I wanted to be alone...he said he wanted to take me to Moulin Rouge...I said I didn't drink...looked at me funny like why are you in Europe if you don't drink?! After a few minutes I was FINALLY able to get rid of him. Only downside to the church was you are not allowed to take photographs inside. And they had many people policing the perimeter and pews to make sure you weren't capturing any images.

I exited the church and sat on the front steps basking in the view of the city. It is a beautiful day...clear and sunny and not too hot and not muggy like DC. I finally took out my new lense...the fish eye and tested it out on the exterior of the church...then switched to my zoom and then back to my normal lens. Lots of camera fun!!! I continued my walk through Montmartre according to Rick Steve's guide book

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