Advertisement
Published: September 25th 2009
Edit Blog Post
As money was running low (actually, that is an understatement! We are now into money we had put aside for other things when we got home!), we decided we would get the water ‘bus’ to the airport instead of a taxi, for under half the price. The trouble with this great idea was that we had to lug our suitcases across a trillion bridges and through packed cobbled stone streets, to get to the said ‘bus’, on the hottest day in Venice they have experienced in history, I am certain!!! All went well though, and after hauling our gear up onto the bus, we sat back for a beautiful 40 minute trip across Venice’s waterways to the Marco Polo Airport (we were so lucky, and had timed our departure just right so that there were only 2 other couples on the boat with us, and it was like being in a stretch limousine.) In timing the boat trip to avoid the rush, we had quite wait at the airport, and my stress levels increased considerably as I watched the tyrant Easy Jet check-in people make everyone fit their carry-on bag into the smallest metal holder I have ever seen…then make them
pay extra to check them in as they were all too large! I was never going to get on with my bag! But as luck would have it, just as we were lining up to check-in, another check-in counter opened, so we went through that one, and I charmingly talked to the guy about the beautiful weather, how beautiful his city was etc. etc. and he let us go through without even looking at what we had! (And no, I wasn’t batting my eyelids! I actually think he fancied Dale, lol) What a relief!
We arrived in Paris at 10.30 pm and got the shuttle to our cheap Ibis hotel at the airport that we had booked for the very purpose of arriving late (and did I mention that it was cheap???). I will give it to them that you couldn’t really hear the airplanes very much but you could hear the people down the hall taking a leak!! The person in the room next door to us had his mobile on vibrate, and I kid you not, we could hear it vibrating from our room (you get what you pay for!!). Ear plugs and drugs (legal ones of
course) were in order, and after a rough night’s sleep we set off for Paris proper!
The hotel we booked through Booking.com (the best website we have found over here for last minute deals on accommodation) is called ‘Sublim Eiffel’, and sublime it is!! After struggling to fit our suitcases in the lift with us (it is seriously 1m square at most!) we arrived at our psychedelic room, complete with sparkling floor lighting in the frosted pink glass encased shower, hot pink ‘mood lighting’ ceiling to floor mirrors, and black and grey carpet that has street maps of Paris on it. There is a plasma on the wall, free wireless internet, air-conditioning, beautiful shampoos, soaps, slippers - the works - and breakfast is included!! But it doesn’t end there…on opening the blackout curtains (that have hot pink stripes on them) we found that we had our own balcony with fantastic views of the Eiffel Tower!! What more could we want!? The Sevres-Lecourbe train station is opposite (but sound proofed windows etc means that we can’t hear it) so it is just a few stops to the heart of Paris.
The weather has been absolutely glorious while we have
been here, and we have taken full advantage of that by seeing as many sites and places as we can - mostly on foot (boy, have we done some walking!) but also via an hour long cruise along the Seine, and via the metro service. Of course the Eiffel Tower was the first thing we saw (it is almost impossible to not see it from anywhere in Paris!) and standing at its foot you really are in awe of its size, structure, and sheer magnificence. Whilst we have really enjoyed seeing everything there is to see, we have gained probably the most pleasure from walking along the banks of the Seine, sitting here and there for a drink/bite to eat, and soaking up the culture of the place. People going to and from work, having lunch, going about their day to day business, within the masses of tourist groups who come at you like a swarm of bees. The areas we have spent the most time in have been less ‘touristy’, and we have preferred that to being hounded by people wanting you to buy trinkets/tacky souvenirs, or begging you for money (or trying to get your money by asking
the time and/or distracting you in other ways).
We have now eaten our way through copious baguettes, ham and cheese (which appears to be the staple diet) and I am pleased to say that the baguettes are delicious! (We found bread in Italy to be very stale/hard so it is lovely to get some really fresh crusty bread warm from the oven.) The wine (and beer) drinking has also reduced to a more ‘acceptable’ level - partly to do with running out of money but also to do with the different culture here in Paris - although I am sure that once we get back to London, at least one of us will pick up speed with the beer drinking again (those pints!!!).
Today is our last day in Paris before heading for London in the morning. We have walked at least 10kms so far today, and are heading back out shortly to do a bit more. Dinner is served late here, so we are going to have a last splurge by dining on the Champs Elysees (with the fairy lights in all the trees lining the streets), before heading to the Eiffel Tower, once again, to climb
it at night. I remember well the spectacular views from up the tower, and especially like it at night time with the city all lit up.
The holiday is quickly coming to an end, and after a few days in London we will be home again…it all feels a bit surreal. But it is not over until the fat lady sings (and I aint singing yet!!!) so I am off to enjoy a bit more of what beautiful Paris has to offer...
Advertisement
Tot: 0.039s; Tpl: 0.012s; cc: 13; qc: 24; dbt: 0.0204s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb
European Escapades
Diane
Correction
Clearly the photo of the Champs Elysees, looking up towards the Arc de Triomphe, is NOT the top of the Eiffel Tower from our room!!! Silly computer! (or is that the operator??)