“Un Carnet!” I said with my finger pointing in the air to the ticket attendant and that is how my Paris trip began. Un Carnet or one book of tickets may sound like a simple phrase to say but it certainly wasn’t for us English-speaking guys getting off the train at Gare de Nord international train station. I don’t think we were anticipating the language barrier when we booked our trip or for that matter got off the train. Regardless it only added to what was a wonderful weekend in Paris, France.
For one, the travel was wonderful. Going from point A to point B via train is unbelievable. Relaxing, convenient, and quick. Eurostar – while they have had their problems – did a great job getting us to and from Paris, France.
After getting off the train and finally getting our book of tickets the metro was our next stop. I can say with confidence that the metro system in Paris is definitely inferior to the transportation system here in London. It is dirty, graffiti is omnipresent, and somewhat difficult to navigate. I think one of my colleagues said it best when they said that in Washington DC or in London – everybody uses public transport while in Paris you could definitely see a class divide with the working class and young people using the metro predominantly.
As we searched for the Aloha Hostel we were nervous. The reviews of the place were not all that positive and thought we would have another “Shining” experience (avid readers of the blog will get that reference). We were pleasantly surprised! The place was clean, the location was awesome, the people were friendly, and the showers were warm! I highly recommend staying at the Aloha Hostel if you are a young person traveling abroad.
After check in we went where everybody goes when the come to Paris: The Eiffel Tower! It is so pretty at night and when they sparkle its lights there are no words to describe it. Walking underneath I stood in awe at the engineering that went into building Paris’ number one attraction. Unbelievable!
From there Dinner was a must, complete with a bottle of French wine at the table. For one it was great to have an awesome meal. London has a lot of things---but great food is not one of them (at least I think so).
After a stop at a local pub it was time to head back to the hostel for tomorrow was going to be a busy day.
We began our journey at the Notre Dame Cathedral—unbelievable. As we waited to climb to the top I had an awesome Crepe. They are delicious in Paris.
From there I picked up a French Baguette and went for a stroll through the Luxemburg Gardens. There I am in front of the place where the French Senate meets.
It was then time to walk to the Famous Louvre. Way too much stuff in there but we saw the main attraction: The Mona Lisa.
As day began to turn into night we walked up the famous The Champs-Élysées road ending with the Arc de Triumphe – a historic structure built so Napoleon’s victorious soldiers could walk through arches on the journey home from War. We got there at the perfect time – 6PM. For everyday at that time there is a ceremony to honor the Unknown Soldier who was buried there after WWI. Additionally, on the arc there is tribute to a man named “St. George.” Since my surname comes from France-I was wandering if it was a distant relative. I thought a lot about my last name when I was in France, curious about my ancestry that I know little about.
After that—our feet were tired and it was time to rest up before a night out on the town. I picked up a 95-cent bottle of wine---yes 95-cent bottle of wine! I want go into detail about the night out---after all what happens in Paris – stays in Paris.
Sunday found us in Versailles and the historic palace of King Louis XIV. Our journey was a bit rainy in the morning-and very windy!. I would later learn that was because of the cyclone and hurricane force winds that were pounding the southern coast of France. My, thousands of miles away, was freaking out!
The Palace was unreal---unreal. To think that I was standing in same room where US presidents visit and where historic treaties were signed again confounded me.
After the palace we walked around the quaint town for a couple of hours and stopped at a French Bakery. OMG! The Macaroons were the best dessert I have ever had. Let me repeat – THE BEST EVER (and I have had a lot of desserts). French definitely do desserts right.
As we headed back to the hostel—we all agreed a quiet evening was in order. But first we had to find a place to watch the US-Canadian Hockey Game. We ended up back in the Latin Quarter in an Italian Restaurant with a bunch of Canadians. Although the ending wasn’t what we wanted—it was still fun nonetheless.
Our last day found us very busy with a lot to do. And we conquered it all. On Monday alone we climbed over 1000 steps between the Sacre Coure Basilica and the Eiffel Tower. A towering day—but definitely worth it! The views were simply amazing. We had a little extra time before our train back to London so we stopped off to see singer Jim Morrison’s grave and the building where Napoleon was buried. Sadly we could not see his tomb up close and personal because President Sarkozy was using the building Fair excuse right?
All in all our entire trip to Paris was remarkable. We had awesome weather and saw a ton of the city. We came back with lots of stories and some great photos. Everyone should make a trip to Paris at least once in his or her lifetime---I know I will be back to eat the Macaroons!
