Swompdonkey

On Friday, we checked into our oddly-brazillian themed hotel, the Acacias St-Germain in the Montparnasse area and took a stroll around. Eventually we ended up eating at a nice restaurant in the quartier Latin called Perraudin. Next we headed down to Place Saint Michel to browse the tacky tourist stalls and take in the atmosphere. By the time we arrived along the banks of the Seine, night had fallen, so we wandered West along the left bank, enjoying the view of Paris at night.

The next morning, we grabbed the obligatory petit-dejeuner at a cafe and jumped on the Metro (which ain't half as bad as some people make it out to be) and headed for Notre Dame. While I found it impressive, I can't say it is the most awe-inspiring church I have seen on this trip, and I was put off a bit by the inevitable tourist hordes. Next, we wandered across Ile Saint-Louis and towards place de la Bastille. The Marais is really a fantastic neighbourhood during the day? but I bet it is even better at night... of course, because this is Paris I'm talking about, you could probably say the same thing about half-a-dozen other neighbourhoods. Eventually, we ended up walking dozn the Rue de Rivoli, which kind of reminds me of Saint Catherine street in Montreal....times 100. The crowds were insane, but we got occasional respite by wandering up side streets and taking in the magnificence of Place des Vosges or Les Halles. Finally, after exhausting ourselves with all the walking? we left Eglise Saint Eustache and jumped on the metro to see the Arc de Triomphe. This is one monument that a photo can simply not do justice to.... the thing is IMMENSE, a true tribute to the glory of Napoleon, who started it, and to the history of the French nation over the following two centuries, whose leaders expanded and added to it? so that it is now a tribute to the achievements to all veterans since Napoleon.

We then meandered our way down the Champs Elysees before jumping on the metro to Montmartre, which provided the first real surprise of the trip. Montmartre has to be one of the coolest and most delightful places I have ever visited. Even the throngs of tourists cannot detract from the charm of its winding streets and charming buildings. It is bohemian and down-at-the-heels in some parts, but altogether spectacularly romantic. We ate at a tiny restaurant called la Maison Rose, and then checked out the Basilique du Sacre Coeur, where a crowd was gathering because, unbeknoznst to us, a big fireworks show was being put-on. We listened to a narrator trace the past two centuries of Paris' history, with syncronized music and lights as well as the fireworks? the overall effect was fantastic. What a great way to round out the day!

Sunday saw us grab a coffee and viennoiserie in the Saint Germain area, which I loved. It has some amazing historic buildings, including the oldest Church in Paris, for which the area is named: Saint Germain des Pres, which was first founded in the Merovingian period 1500 years ago ( it was named in honour of the first bishop of Paris, Saint Germanus). Next, was the Louvre. No words can do this place justice. It is the sine qua non of art collections, surpassing even the Vatican in scope. I managed to see all the must-sees, including the Mona Lisa, but I also took in some personal faves of my own that certainly pleased me. Eventually, after an exhausting few hours of touring this gargantuan palace of art, we took in a fez more sights, including Place Vendome, La Madeleine, and Place de la Concorde, before heading back to Saint Germain to eat at L'Arbuci and enjoy the incomparable nightlife.

Finally, having decided to head to Chartres in the evening, we checked out the Eiffel Tower (I think there is actually some kind of law for tourists that they can't leave the city without visiting the metal arparagus, because the place was crawling with sightseers). We walked up the stairs to the second level to avoid the queues for the lifts and got a great workout as part of the bargain. Finally, we parted ways for a couple of hours - Nesrine wanted to shop, I wanted to indulge my inner military history nerd and visit les invalides (which featured an incredible collection of Napoleonic memorabilia in its museum) and l'Eglise du Dome, which houses the Tomb of Napoleon --a monstrous thing that could easily house the bodies of Napoleon; all of his Marshalls, and his beloved Josephine all at once. By 4 pm we had met up back at the hotel, exhausted and exhilerated. We strapped on our packs and headed for Gare Montparnasse, thrilled with Paris, but definitely ready to move on to something a little slower paced. So we headed for Chartres.

I'll save that story for my next update....