The Traveler: J'adore, Paris

Paris took a long time... My train on Saturday was not until nearly 3. I was still tired from the night before, despite sleeping for about 7 hours. My train was nice, and it should have een seeing as I paid €50 to reserve my seat! I slept on the train, until the conductor woke me up for my ticket. I was glad to arrive in Paris, the weather was suppose to be nice (Amsterdam was pretty rainy). I was in love with Paris as soon I got of my train. I figured out the metro system and went to my hostel. I was a little annoyed when they couldn't give me a map (they had ran out) because a) I wanted to look around that night, and b) I would get lost without a map! There were maps around the city, so that helped me. I had to go to the Gare de Nord to buy a ticket on the EuroStar to get to London, but upon finding out the price (outrageous!) I started to consider flying... I went back to the Montematre area, which is where the most famous artists (Picasso, Van Gogh, Monet, Rembrandt, and anybody whos's anybody in art) hung out clearly my future is in art, but cause that's where I hang out! Really though, that's where my hostel is. It's not only cool and artsy, it's also seedy. Within an hour of getting out of my hostel, I had been 'bonjour-ed' by about 4 people. Even worse, while visiting the Sacré-Cœur, one man grabbed me! I was furious, and I didn't care which language came out (it happened to be 'non toccami!') I told him where to go. Coo at me, and try and sell me stuff, but once I walk away or say 'no merci', don't grab me! I was really angry, and disappointed that people in Paris would treat me like this, and then it nearly happened again, but I was so freshly aware, and made I clean in English for him not to touch me*. It really is a shame that my big memories of the beautiful Sacré-Cœur are of me feeling unsafe, people worry about a young woman traveling alone, but I don't think that I sould have to feel afraid; I am not stupid, I use my common sense, I travel smartly, those things should be enough to keep me safe.

Sacré-Cœur

the view over Paris from the Sacré-Cœur

I walked a little around Montematre, but I was also getting hungry. I didnt want to eat at a restaurant, so I went to the supermarché and bough a wok box (best thing!), and a chocolate mousse for desert, and it was only about €5! I also stocked up on bread, ham and cheese, and some of my beloved, and missed, thé caramel! I went back to the hostel, feasted on my amazing meal, and finished the night of with a cup of thé.

Moulin Rouge

I had also found a brochure advertising a 'tip trip' around the city (it also had a handy map inside), so I figured the best way to introduce myself to Paris, would be to take part in a 3 1/2 hour walking tour. It, again, was another great idea. We started at Place St Michel, with our guide Tyler. I looked around our group and saw Matt from Sydney (we also took the same train from Amsterdam to Paris)! It was nice to know someone. From Place St Michel, we walked to the pont Nuef, and then to the 'Carrie' bridge (pont des Arts) where Big swept Carrie of her feet in 'Sex and the City'! All the girls sighed. Nobody sighed or even got remotely excite when Tyler told us that Matt Damon said, in the 'Boure Identity', "meet me on the pont Nuef".

St Michel

The 'Carrie' bridge, pont des'Arts

After being carried over the pont des Arts, we excited Paris by standing on her "clitoris". Yes, apparently Paris is a girl, and the island in the flueve siene is her clitoris; she was excited to have us there. Here we learned about the history of Paris. We also learned about King Henri IV, and were told that he was too sexy to be a king, and about the 6 attempts on his life (the sixth was successful). The man who finally assassinated him was strung and quartered by horses, gutted like a fish, beaten with crusty baguettes, and burned at the steak. They Parisians weren't happy, because they liked Henri.

We walked to La Louvre, through the jardin de tuillieres, concord, the obelisque, Champs-élysées, and the grand and petit places. It was a great way to see the city in 3.5 hours, and not get lost! After the conclusion, Matt from Sydney, and one of the other guys from the tour, and I strutted up Ave des Champs-Élysées to the Arc de Triomphe and climbed the stairs for a beautiful view down the tree lined, luxurey Avenue. Each time I saw la tour Eiffel it was bigger! I was getting closer to it. After the Arc, I walked the avenue hoping to find something to buy. I didn't succeed. It had been a long day so I went home, and spent the evening walking around Montematre, and rested on the grass at the Sacré-Cœur. Some drunk old crazy french man sat next to me, and clearly he didn't understand 'je ne parle pas francais'. Maybe he wasn't French, but he was definitely crazy!