We arrived at CDG airport in Paris in the early evening and took a train all the way to La Gare de L'Est where our hotel was located. Unfortunately, our train car was filled with the pungent smell of dog urine: not the way to welcome a foreigner into Paris. Musicians got onboard and played the accordion and violin and entertained us for a while until they moved onto the following car.
Once at the hotel lobby, the manager informed me that they were at maximum capacity and had upgraded us to an Executive Suite on the sixth floor.
When Sebastian heard the word "suite" his ears perked up and he asked me to confirm. We rode up the elevator to find ourselves in the nicest suite either one of us had ever been in. Face to face with a living room with refrigerator, full bathroom, closets, and a separate bedroom, we jumped with joy and ran to the window to see what kind of view we had.
There in the distance stood our beloved Tour Eiffel.
To our right, the Basilique du Sacré Coeur stood on a hill, quietly illuminated.
We decided to go out to dinner to a restaurant across the street where I ordered for the both of us. We came back to our hotel and went to sleep, ready to start our journée the following day.
We decided to walk instead of riding the metro all day as we had done previously in London. We walked all over the city to the Louvre, Notre Dame and the Eiffel Tower. We walked so much our feet didn't hurt anymore.
We had dinner at different restaurants every meal, all the time excited about the choice in foods and environment we would come across. A very useful tip I learned a few years back was to learn how to ask for tap water in France. Every waiter will try to offer you "still or sparkling" water without the customer realizing that they are selling you a bottle of water. "Un carafe d'eau" is free tap water in a used but clean bottle.
We went to visit the Louvre and because I was still under 25 and travelling with my European Union Passport, managed to get in for free while Sebastian paid 9€ for his ticket.
We strolled around, looking at the statues and paintings, and came face-to-face with La Joconde- the Mona Lisa, hanging alone on a wall about 20'x20' (so that more people can view her at once.)
Afterwards, we walked through the Tuileries Garden and made our way to the Eiffel Tower, following the path of the Seine river. We walked for so long we saw the light show repeatedly in the distance.
Overall, our visit to Paris was very relaxing and enjoyable. I think it had a lot to do with being able to speak the language and not get taken like an ass. We walked around a lot, and I think that was my favorite part of hanging out with Sebastian. We got to talk and joke around and please our tummies with delicious crêpes along the way.
Next blog:
Tous à bord! Départ pour Marseille!
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