Here we go, part 3 of my trip to France. Why 3 parts? Because who doesn’t love a trilogy. If you missed part 1 and 2 I talked about getting there and riding bikes in part 1 and my adventures in landscape photography in part 2. And if you’re just here for the photos, head to the bottom.
If you want a little back story about how I got to Paris and when check out part 1. But long story short, car, train strike, bus, train, cab, hotel, in that order. Now its 2ish pm, I’m dressed and ready to hit the road. My hotel is out at the airport to make life easier in the morning, so I hop on the subway and head into town.
Exit Helles in search of food. Yelp led me to Comptoir de la Gastronomie. It was fantastic. Why I didn’t get a photo in there is beyond me. Perhaps I didn’t want to look like a tourist, as if my lack of ability to speak French and Bank of America credit card didn’t give me away.
Post first dinner I strolled to the Louve. Walked around outside. Gawked at all the people pretending to be holding the point of the glass pyramid with their hand. It was really neat to look at but man were there a ton of people. Two or three quick photos and on to the next.
From there I walked down the Champs-Elysées to the Arc de Triomphe. I never realized how much uphill the Champs-Elysées was. Watching the cyclist race on the last day of the Tour de France gives me even more appreciation for the ride. Mix the long grind with cobbles and yeah, I bet it is pretty tough. Cycling aside the Champ is basically like walking around an outdoor mall.
Once I arrived at the Arc de Triomphe I found more people. Tons of people. Who would have thought all of this would be so busy on a Monday? Not me. Traffic around the Arc was pretty entertaining. 12 euros to go to the top to be surrounded by a ton of people. Pass. Keep on truckin’. Next stop, Eiffel Tower.
The Eiffel Tower has a presence in the city that cannot be denied. Approaching the tower from Pont de l’Alma is pretty awesome. It hides the fact that the tower is surrounded by a supremely hideous fence and security checkpoints. The fence looks like tin roofing and honestly took a lot of my excitement of seeing this piece of history away. I guess they are working a more permanent solution due to all the construction going on but for now it sucks. All the grassy areas around the Eiffel Tower were fenced off as well. The message from this; terrorism sucks but fear of terrorism is worse.
Moving on! I went back the general direction I came, walking along the shores of the river Seine. That might have been my favorite part of the tour. Perhaps it was because along the river felt the most local and not so touristy. Groups of 2-5 were sitting along the river, sharing wine and enjoying conversations. Along the way there were floating restaurants and bars on the river, with popup restaurants on the banks. If I lived in Paris this would be my spot.
At this point I’m hustling. I am trying to get to Notre Dame before the sun goes down. Might I remind you that it is now 9:30pm and this is my concern. Holy cow does the sun set late here. Anyway, all my hustling paid off because I got there just in time. This might have been my favorite stop in Paris. The detail carved in the walls is mind-blowing. Every inch of this building tells a story. I could go on and on about what each doorway means but there are other sources out there like this one that will do a much better job. I took my time wandering around the building. I wish I was here earlier and quite honestly could have missed the trip to the Arc to venture inside but oh well, next time.
The sun has set, photos are done for the day, now off to find dinner #2. I figure due to the proximity to Belgium I should be able to find a beer joint featuring Belgium beers. I figured right. Au Trappiste was pretty close by and was excellent. HUGE beer selection and good food. I dug in to a Quad, Tripel and Smoked Hefe with a side of mussels and french fries. Fat, happy and a little buzzed I got myself back on the subway and to my hotel room. At the end of the day I walked over 16 miles per my step counter. Whipped!
The next day I had planned on waking up early and going back in town but that just didn’t happen. I didn’t want to be rushed in the Airport and sleeping in sounded good due to the fact I would be traveling for what seems like forever. All in all Paris was fun but truthfully, I’m not a city person. Too many people. Too many tourist, even though I was one of them. I could only imagine what this would have been like on a weekend. I would have loved to visit a couple museums but I didn’t have time and the one I really wanted to visit is not open on Monday. I am glad I went but next time I will take a couple days and have more intimate trips to Notre Dame and some museums, while avoiding the Eiffel Tower and Arc.
Thanks for the good times France. And until next time, enjoy the photos.
