We strategically positioned ourselves at Starbucks which was considerably more expensive than a traditional American one, even without the exchange rate from of $1.55 for 1 euro - yeah, we got "lucky" that the exchange rate was so unfavorable for the american currency right when we decided to go to Europe.
Both Wayne and my aunt had some coffee. Since I don't drink coffee, I preferred to use the bathroom at that time instead. To get to the bathroom one has to get a key from the attendant, walk down 2 flights of stairs and enter this completely dark bathroom with infrared reflective lightning reflecting everything white (toilet paper, towels, toilet seat), yet the rest of the place is still in complete darkness.
We got on the train OK, but in the wrong cart and thanks to some stroller blocking incidents, Wayne got really behind.
We finally got to Paris, took a Subway to Charonne metro station and it was time to find our hotel. Mistakenly we followed Voltair Blvd instead of turning on Charonne. It took us about 30 minutes to finally arrive at our hotel and rest for an hour.
Our first night in Paris. First thing we did there is eat at a restaraunt with a mediocre dinner menu, but not so mediocre prices. The other customers around us in the restaurant were Americans as well - yes, we were very close to the popular tourist traps near the Louvre. We took some pictures behind the Louvre without realizing that we were pretty much right there, just on the outside. And later we headed out to the Notre Dame Cathedral. What a beautiful building that is! Its location, streets around it and the square in front of it kinda reminded me of the Navoi Theater in Tashkent. At about 11 pm we decided it was time to have a dessert and we found a great place - Kreposuk crepery. We ordered a buckwheat crepe filled with amaretto pears and dark chocolate. It was incredible.
Visit to the The Sacré-Cœur Basilica.
A Roman Catholic Basilica dedicated to the sacred heart of Jesus. The basilica is located at the summit of Montmartre, the highest point in the city.
To get there, we had to climb lots of stairs. The alternative was to take a finicular - an electric tram that goes up and down the hill. But since we were there so early - it wasn't running yet. Once you're there, there are more stairs to climb to get to the Basilica. But why stop there, at 5 euros per person you can climb up more stairs to the dome of the Sacre Coeur. It was so high, at one point I got scared that we will never make it back:) and the staircase kept going round and round. We finally got to the top - there was no one else there besides us. Only pigeons.
It felt so peaceful to be up there early in the morning with no one around. And all of Paris was right there down below us. It was amazing.
On the way back, Wayne got "attacked" by the bracelet scam artist who was very persistent about putting the bracelet on and quite scary. We were very lucky to come across lots of scammers while in Paris: the ring scheme, the bracelet scheme and the croatian refuge scheme.
Visit to Notre Dame de Paris.
A Gothic cathedral and the seat of the Archbishop of Paris. The name "Notre Dame" means "Our Lady" in French. The cathedral is considered one of the finest pieces of French Gothic Architecture. There were a lot of gypsies around the Cathedral, addressing only Americans with requests to give them money.
We came back to the Cathedral several times during our stay in Paris.
Notre Dame Cathedral at night:
Notre Dame in bright daylight:
Visit to The Tuileries Garden (french: Jardin des Tuileries).
It is surrounded by the Louvre (to the east), the Seine (to the south), the Place de la Concorde (to the west). Further to the north lies the Place Vendome. The Tuileries Garden covers about 63 acres (25 hectares)
Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel is located to the west of the Louvre.
Visit to th Place de la Concorde. That was my favorate part of Paris. The fountains, the Obelisque and lots of Chinease tourists that come in buses.
We then walked towards the Alexander Bridge where we were harrassed by the scam artist with a ring. Twice. Alexander Bridge is rather short like all bridges in Paris. Very intriquite and classic. It felt special being on top of that bridge and watching the boats pass by underneath it.
Grand Palace and Petit Palace.Our last morning in Paris we were determined to see Opera Garnier as well as the famous shopping. We ate a carb rich breakfast that included french bread roll, butter, coffee, tea.
It was chilly and gloomy unlike the rest of our time in Paris. Therefore the pictures don't look as good as the other ones.
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