Paris day 4

May 11, 2012 04:41

So hard to believe it's almost time to go home!

Today was Day 4, aka "What haven't I done yet that I really want to do?" day.


I was up a little after 6--I'm really having a hard time adjusting to the time difference here. I'm hoping the lack of sleep means I won't be completely torn up when we get home on Saturday. (hush, don't wreck my dream any of you!) I lazed about before getting ready for the day. CG and I headed out around 9am. We went to a local cafe--L'Arc Restaurant (right near the Arc d'Triumphe). We had a super yummy breakfast--the waitress was very kind and helpful.

I do have to say that I had heard stories of how horrible Parisians are and haven't seen it at all. Everyone I've talked to has been super nice and understanding. Even the folks who don't speak a word of English I've managed to communicate with--somehow. And that makes me happy.

So anyway--today.

CG and I left the restaurant and hopped on the 1. We parted ways only 2 stops later when he headed to the radio station he's working at this week, and I continued on. This adorable little boy (age 3) and his mom got on at the next stop and we had a fun talk--they didn't speak English and I speak a smidgen of French but somehow we communicated. Then a trumpet player jumped on and entertained us the rest of the way to my stop (for those following along at home, I exited at the Louvre-Rivoli stop. And, of course, went the wrong way. Once I realized (about a block in) that I was heading the wrong way, I turned around and got back on track. My first stop was St. Chapelle. The line wasn't long, but it took a while--then I found out why: Metal detector! I didn't think about it but because St. Chapelle is adjacent to the police station/jail/courthouse of course they need to make sure no-one is sneaking anything in.

So I got through the line and entered St. Chapelle. I walked in and was like...."huh? Is this it?? Where the heck is the big stained glass window? This is lame! I paid 8 Euro for THIS??" Then I saw the stairs going up. Duh! And there it was---once again, like Notre Dame, words cannot describe the beauty of it. Just gorgeous. I didn't take many pictures because they can never do something like that justice.

This whole day I was struck over and over and over again by the thousands of years people have been living in this area. I've heard that Americans don't have a sense of time like you get in other places--and it's true. As Z and I joke about: This was some seriously old shit.

Alrighty, getting morbid there.

So I left St. Chapelle and then wandered over to try and find Shakespeare & Co.. I couldn't find it. I wandered around and around but nothing. So I gave up and wandered over to the biggest wish on my wish lift of Paris: Musee de National Moyen Age. I had been told it was beautiful and slightly overwhelming and awesome and....

They were right. When I turned the corner and entered the old Roman bathhouse my jaw dropped. It literally took my breath away. The whole museum was like that. Room after room of beauty. Tapestries (OMG the tapestries!), wooden carvings, wax seals, beautiful C&I, did I mention the tapestries, sculptures, artwork. Room and room of it. By the end of the tour my brain was FULL. I had bought the audio guide and I'm so glad I did, it really helped, since most of the displays were in French (which, for those of you who may not remember, I only speak about 20 words of). I would go back tomorrow if I didn't have other stuff I want to do. I could spend days there examining the exhibits. Days!

So I emerged from Cluny. Starving and already tired. I grabbed a sandwich, water, and frappuccino (yes, I know) and wandered back towards Notre Dame. I ate my sandwich in the square and just basked in the beauty of it.

Then off to wander the Latin Quarter. I was hoping to find Shakespeare & Co. this time, but failed. Instead I found a really cool geek/comic book store, and then the Pabtheon! It looked a lot farther than it was from the map. I wandered around checking it out, then started heading back towards Notre Dame. I went into a few stores looking for more cool Paris shirts for Rowan, then found a cafe and sat down to rest my feet. One yummy glass of wine and small carafe of water later, I was on my way to my final destination of the day: The Crypte Archeologique du Paris. Go to the website. Then come back.

..............

Did you look? Did you see the pictures??? OMG so worth the 4 Euro I spent. So so so so so cool! I love Roman era stuff (no I'm not going to join Vito OR Darkyard, thank you very much. *grin*) I just love that time period. In a kinda obsessive way. Remind me to tell you about the kid's story I want to write one day.....

So anyway, by this time I was DONE. My feet hurt, my brain was full, and everyone around me wasn't speaking English. I needed to go to the fortress of solitude (aka the apartment) and be quiet for a while. And take off my socks and shoes. They had to come off the minute I walked in the door. I stopped and got a roast chicken (OMG 18 Euro for a roast chicken?), some bread, a 1.5 litre of Coke Zero, and headed to the apartment.

Which, oh yeah, here's the "how tired I was" story:

I enter the courtyard of the apartment building. Then the building itself. I go to the apartment door and MY KEY DOESN'T FIT!!! I'm near tears---why won't it fit, what did I do wrong, do I have the apartment guy's number, omg CG is 26km outside of Paris, I'll just have to sit here on the floor and drink my coke zero, eating the chicken because I'm starving, and wait for him to come with his key....omg omg omg.

Wait. What? d'oh!!!! Wrong door. Wrong apartment. I hadn't gone up enough flights of stairs.

So yeah: Zsof, here's your sign!

I crashed once I got in. If we were in a hotel, we'd have ordered room service. As it was we went out for dinner instead once CG got home.

Now he's passed out and I'm wide awake. It's 11pm local time and I should head to bed soon.

Tomorrow I'll be hitting Pere Lachaise cemetery in the morning, then meeting CG at 1 when he wraps up at the station. We'll romp around for a bit before coming back for dinner (that dang chicken!) and packing. Our flight leaves at 11:35am tomorrow but the taxi is coming for us at 8. It's a 8.5 hour flight back to NYC (landing in NY at 1:25pm EST), then we get to Cleveland at 4:30pm. Now THAT is going to be a long day! Then we get the kids and head home. Yay! My kids! I miss them so.....

EDIT: so last night I was typing this up and hit the back button by accident and the post was lost. I was sad and bummed and gave up. This morning (Friday ), we went out for breakfast then back to the apartment for a bit. I decided to type up yesterday (again) but this time in notepad. I finished typing it (again) and opened LJ to post it when voila! LJ asked me if I wanted to restore my draft from earlier-and there was my post from last night! Yay! but boo cause I typed it up again!

Things I missed in my first post that I'll state here:

1. My one piece of advice for the Cluny is: pee first. Going through there with a full bladder sucks. I was racing by the last two rooms because I needed to pee.

2. Cafe creme is the best invention in the world--third only to the wheel and fire. mmmmm Cafe creme...

3. Bring an umbrella. It has rained for at least some part every day.

4. Even if you think you've been doing great getting into physical shape for Paris, you haven't. My thighs ache from all the stairs I've been walking.

5. Parisians smoke a lot. If you are a reformed smoker, this will test you. Bring gum or something to help you not grab a pack.

6. The Parisian women romp around in heels. This floors me. My feet hurt just looking at them!

On that note, I'm off to Pere Lachaise. I really want to go back to bed but I promised myself I'd go--I fear if I go back to bed I'd sleep the day away....

paris

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