A Short Week in Paris

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The city of lights and romance is more than the simplest nickname invokes. An old city rebuilt often in history while trying (and succeeding) to hold true to the olde style of architecture in a modern world using modern material (at the time of reconstruction). I will honestly state to all of you that I have not been able to see everything here. One week barely gives you time to explore Paris properly. But with limited time and other issues taking away my time, I have tried my best (with the help of a good friend) to see as much as I could without rushing.



My first day here was mostly wasted as I spent a day on the outskirts of Paris close to the airport. It would have been fine if this was one short spot on my longer journey. But I wanted a chance to see Paris during that one short day and not simply float over it like a migratory bird. If my original plans had remained in place, I would never had this chance. My luck forced me pleasantly to change my plans including changing to a hotel within the inner city. The “Ideal Hotel Design” (108 Blvd Jourdan) placed me in direct access to both the tourist traps and the hidden gems of this city. I did get a few photos of the suburbs of Paris which are added so you can see the simple beauty.



My second day started with the changing of hotel, scanning my new surrounding, and a visit to the Eiffel Tower. Before you ask, no, I did not climb the tower on this day. Because it was late in the afternoon when I arrived, I would not hazard the hour or two waiting in line for my chance to see Paris from above. I chose instead to walk the pathway from the tower to the military college. Fields of green and fine beige gravel pathways laid before me with dog parks, children play areas, and courts for the older children and teens. The largest portion was still for sightseers, couples, and families to picnic and relax on the green grass like the old royals of France's past. The beauty and atmosphere as beautiful like walking through the edges of a fairy tale. But my body and mind had still not fully recovered from the flight plus I was still only slightly understanding the multiple paths I found on the guide of Paris I had bought.



I took supper at one of the many coffee restaurants near the military college while deciphering the guide map of the combined routes of subways, bus, trains, & trams to find a path way home to the hotel. I ended up having compare this map with the bus map and the train map before finding a path home on a bus. It was a long ride showing just how big the central core of Paris actually was. More proof to me that walking the distance would burn away my day and render me unable to actually appreciate the beauty I would be seeing. I returned to the hotel to discover a message from a friend (David). We had tried earlier to communicate since he lived and worked in the area of Paris. I contacting him back and arranged an early morning meeting to start my second exploration day and third official day in Paris.



I was off and running early the next morning to meet David and continue exploring the city. David showed himself as the perfect guide as he warned me about tourist traps and other possible places that would not normally appear in guides to visit. Even after his complaints about it, we used the subway to ride quickly to the heart of the city. During this time he explained how the maps worked and about the alternate train system, known as RER, could make travel easier and faster still. But he would prefer riding buses since “you cannot see the city while riding underground” which I agreed. I still used the subways a few times because of the increased speed it had to reach the next destination even if you needed to change subway lines. We had breakfast at a small cafe near Notre Dame Cathedral which would the starting point of our sight seeing tour.



He warned me of the changes that had happen with the Cathedral because of the over sized crowd disturbing the place. Paris put in place a fee for entering the Cathedral itself to lessen the overload of visitors that could disturb this church from functioning normally. From there we walked to the Louvre grounds. I realized quickly that like my visit to the Eiffel Tower, the line up to enter the place was insanely long. “Most of the places can only be accessed easily if you arrive very early in the morning.” David informed me before motioning me to follow him. At first I thought it was a secondary entrance unknown to the general tourist, but I was mistaken. We toured the grounds to be greeted by a woman in vintage costume with a white painted face. She worked here independently on the ground greeting guest with curtsies and a smile. After photos, we had a chance to discuss with her discovering a second language barrier that we over come using what little Italian both I and David knew. We learned the story of her coming to Paris a few years prior from Milan. She perfect this act daily to greet the people surviving on only the small amount she collected daily. Usually a quiet sentinel that would curtsy as greeting to the passerby with a smile and offer to pose with them for photos. It was a hard life she happily accepted living in the City of Lights. We thanked her for this opportunity before continuing on the path David had selected for us.



We stopped next at Saint Lazar Station (largest inner city train station). This was when I received my second lesson regarding how the train that could take us to the outskirts of Paris and all over France worked. Thanks to this and the guide I had purchased, I could travel anywhere in Paris and even take a chance to travel in France itself but that was not to be done during this trip, unfortunately. Because he worked there, I had the chance for a special picture of me at the controls of a Parisian train. From there, we crossed through the area of the infamous Moulin Rouge on our way to the steep streets of Montmartre. This area sits in the only subway free zone of the inner city of Paris because of the older tunnels and catacombs that riddle this hill. The biggest claim to fame for this section of Paris is that the movie “Amelie” was filmed exclusively there. At the top of this hill sits “Sacre Coeur Cathedral” (Sacred Heart Cathedral), another of the many cathedrals and Churches within Paris. We had a chance to visit the chapel at the base of this grand church. They unfortunately do not allow pictures to be taken to disturb the parishioners of this still active church opened to the public. The simplicity of this holy place reminded me of my child hood church before it was reconstructed. Serene and dimly lit gave an air of timelessness to this beautiful old church.



We made our way slowly down the hill to a late lunch at “Les 2 Saveur” (“The two flavors” 42 rue Véron 75018 Paris). David swore that this was the best restaurant in all of Paris. I did have doubts about his words at first. This was a small unassuming restaurant, half hidden away in a side street. Only 9 to 10 tables with a seating space of 20 to 25 customers made if look like what most would think a second rate dive. This was my first lesson about never underestimating a place from the side or because it's easy to overlook. I personally would never have visited this place simply because of the location but I was lucky to be accompanied by an “expert” on Paris like David was. The daily changing menu is written on a portable chalk board place by the table for the dinner to select from. The inconsistent menu is due to the chef's morning visit to the food venders of Paris to collect the best fresh ingredients to create the day's meals. This is one of the reasons “Les 2 Saveur” is the top and most hidden restaurant in Paris. Usually a seat is available for lunch, but I would suggest you make reservations if you plan a supper time visit.



The guided tour ended by around 4:30 pm (16h30) as we returned to Saint Lazar Station for David to start work. I slowly made my way back by bus to my hotel. My legs hurt and I was very tired as I steeped into my hotel room in the early evening. I easily accepted a final kiss from my pillows before drifting off to sleep.



So ended my my 3^rd day in Paris. The ending of my week in Paris was unfortunately quieter then the wondrous beginning. L'Arche de Triomphe and some small parks was my last sights of Paris. I was too busy now filing papers and copying documents for my tourist visa application to truly explore the rest of Paris properly. I feel so much was left unseen in Paris by my eyes and the lens of my camera. But my journey needed to continue forward as I headed out to reach Jinhua, Zhejiang province, China.

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Photos

20150426_171726
My wonderful room in Paris

Paris Subways
Musical treat while transferring subways.

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