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Today was our first of two full days in Paris. It was very busy and we are pretty tired. Tomorrow will be another long day, so this blog entry may be a little short.
We started by using the palm pilot as an alarm clock because there is no clock in the hotel room. We had also left a wake-up call, but it did not come until 30 minutes late, so it was a good thing we were able to get ourselves up anyway.
We took the Metro from a stop that is near our hotel, made a connection which involved a whole lot of walking and stairs, and arrived on the street where our tour said to be about an hour early. We went down the street and found the place, exchanged our paperwork for tour tickets, and then went to a nearby café for breakfast (it was only tea, juice, and a croissant). But we boarded the bus and spent the morning driving around Paris.
We had asked for an English speaking tour, but did not realiz that it also included Italian and Spanish too. Only about 1/3 of the time was the information in English.
Rose Window
at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris FranceBut traffic was so heavy that in most cases all 3 languages were covered before the bus moved on. We eventually ended up at the Cathedral of Notre Dame. The guide gave us information about the cathedral, walked us through part of it (pointing out the 3 largest stained glass windows in France – not the originals because those were destroyed during the French Revolution) and the 1800 pipes in the organ. We were free to wander around the church ourselves and then to meet at the boat pier just across the bridge from Notre Dame.
The tour ended by us taking a shuttle boat that runs up and down the Seine and we all got off at the Louvre. It is a huge place and could take days to explore, but we only had time to walk past, and further past, and even more past. The guide seemed to be in a hurry for his lunch because we were hustling at a pretty quick pace. But when we all got back to the starting point, be explained that this tour was over and that we were free for about 90 minutes until a 2nd tour began at 2:30.
Notre Dame
in Paris France We went to the new tour company (not the same one, but somehow they shared business) a couple of blocks down the street and got new tickets for the afternoon. Then we went to a restaurant for some lunch. We had Panini sandwiches but they had some kind of relish that Janet did not care for, so she did not get a whole lot to eat for lunch. Then we went back to the tour place and did some shopping in the souvenir stores before boarding the next bus. It drove us around but this time we all had earphones and could select the language of our choice.
The afternoon tour covered some of the same streets and bits of history as the morning route, we spent most of our time elsewhere (like going down the Champ d’Elysses, around the Arch de Triumph, and finished at the Eifel Tower. Then we had “no wait” tickets to ride to the second level and view Paris from on high. It was very impressive.
Afterwards we had boat tickets for a one hour tour ride down the Seine. It was very restful and we enjoyed it. But by then it
was 7:00 and we knew there weren’t many choices for dinner around our hotel, so we ate at one of the stands below the Eifel Tower along the Seine. Then it was off to the Metro to return to our hotel. That walk turned out to be a lot further than we expected and was pretty tiring. There was a person there who helped us determine the best route back to our station, but he only did credit cards to purchase tickets and we had to use the vending machine. Fortunately Janet was able to figure it out and we got return tickets. The trains showed up pretty quickly, but the long segment of the ride was very crowded. But at last we got back to our hotel.
Since it provides more details, we have pasted in the tour description from the internet (hope it displays ok in the blog)
This tour offers a unique opportunity to visit Old Paris, the Notre Dame Cathedral, a Seine river cruise and a visit to the to the second floor of the Eiffel Tower, with guided commentary. Another benefit of this fantastic tour is no waiting in lines. This tour visits
Eiffel Tower
Paris, France Paris from east to west and goes back to the origins of the city.
Paris is an ancient city, created over 2000 years ago at the City Island (Ile de la Cite). This tour enlightens and entertains, as it captures the soul of Paris. With special emphasis on the history and art of the capital, this tour includes:
A drive through the oldest part of the city, the Marais District, and its hotels (private townhouses occupies by nobility during the 17th and 18th centuries)
The Latin Quarter and Sorbonne, the University of Paris
The Luxembourg Gardens
Saint-Germain des Pres, ancient cathedral and famous cafes
A guided visit of the interior of Notre Dame Cathedral
A short cruise to the Cite Island (available if water levels are not too high)
One of the best characteristics of French culture is the monumental respect for history and commitment to the restoration of their national monuments. The result of this preservation of the past has created the beautiful and historic city as we know it now, thru its unique perspectives, geometric squares, sculptures and monuments. This tour concentrates on showing Paris from two different angles; above and
below. From the Eiffel Tower, enjoy a 360 degree panoramic aerial view of the capital. From the River Seine cruise, visitors will be captivated by an up-close-and-personal view of the monuments and bridges.
The TV only has French channels, so we are trusting that the volcano is no longer a problem and we are trying to figure out the weather forecast for tomorrow. Here we are, half way through with Paris and kind of pooped. We will need to use Janet’s palm pilot again to get up for a 6:30 minibus pick-up for tomorrow, so this is about all the details for today.
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