Paris!

My first day in Paris, I wasn’t impressed. I woke up early and grumpy from little sleep the night before – after catching a late flight from Prague, I arrived at my hotel at 1am, where, despite the fact that I had received an email telling me that my booking had been confirmed, they had cancelled my booking at 2pm on the day of my arrival. Although there were still beds free, the American guy at the counter made me wait an extra 15 minutes before he checked me in – despite the fact that he was waiting on two people who also had been cancelled for no reason. They were a no-show, so I got the bed, although I was pissed off at having to wait, and that my order had been cancelled. Finally, I found there was some sleep in the night, until someone’s phone alarm woke me up in the early morning. Phone alarms are the most insidious evil of the dorm room (probably almost as bad as babies on night flights!), as the person with the alarm rarely even wakes up, while everyone else wakes up every time it goes off every ten minutes.

So I was awake, poorly slept and grumpy – probably not the best start for a day in Paris. I walked to the Eiffel tower, then to the Arc de Triomphe, and down the Champs Elysees to the Louvre. While the Eiffel tower certainly was a big tower and the Arc de Triomphe certainly was on a big roundabout, and the Champs Elysees certainly is a long road, I wasn’t able to appreciate their charms properly in my grumpy, half-asleep state of mind. Passing through the Jardin des Tuilleries on the way to the Louvre, I stopped to munch on a tuna baguette and admire the gardens. Next I entered the Louvre. Even in my grumpy state of mind, I couldn't fail to be mightily impressed by the magnificence of the Louvre. The amount of world history they have amassed is amazing, from whole Egyptian tombs, statues of Ramses, and Assyrian fertility statues to great works by Greek, Italian, and French masters. I couldn’t help thinking that the museums in other countries could be much more interesting if the French hadn’t taken these articles from them.

That night, I went to bed early and woke up late the next morning, fully refreshed. Happier, I met some Canadian, American and Aussie travellers and we chatted over breakfast. Then I rested for a bit longer before starting my walking around Paris again – this time, ostensibly to see some vintage markets. I never made it, as they closed before I arrive, although I did see the Hopitale des Invalides, and the gardens and palace of Luxembourg, before heading towards the city centre and checking out the Notre Dame. It looks good from the outside, although I didn’t bother entering as the line to get in stretched beyond the black stump. Next I dropped by the flower markets, and then jumped on the metro to the Sacre Coeur. Although I did go inside this church, it’s just a normal church. It’s what’s on the outside of the Sacre Coeur that’s important. I checked out the artist’s quarter, where there are rows of painters and artists sketching portraits, as well as some very cool cafes and restaurants. As the Sacre Coeur is on a hilltop, there is a perfect view of the Eiffel Tower from one point. The best view, however, is from the steps of the Sacre Coeur, where entrepreneurial masterminds were selling ice-cold beers for two Euros each. I passed a perfect twilight watching the sun sink over Paris, drinking my beer. After the sun had fallen sufficiently, I walked down the hill to nearby Pigalle, Paris’ notorious night life district, most famous for the Moulin Rouge. Sex shops abounded, with interesting costume displays outside and even some specialty ones, like ones especially for lesbians.

I decided to see more of Paris at night, so walked from there back to my hostel (about a 4 hour walk), passing by Opera, Madeleine, les Galleries Lafayette, the Palace, a short stretch of the Champs Elysees, and back via the Eiffel tower, perfectly lit up at night. This whole day, Paris had been weaving its infectious charm over me, until by the time I reached the hostel, I was punch drunk in love with this amazing capital city. My last day in Paris was a perfect end to my trip, and when I woke up early the next morning, I was very sad to say goodbye to the last city on my travels, especially one so full of charm. It was still night as I walked to the metro station, and above the tops of buildings as I was going down the steps to the metro, I caught a final glimpse of the top of the Eiffel Tower. Goodbye Paris, and Goodbye travels!