Day 34 - Chasing Da Vinci
Looking through the Pyramid
Our adventures today only proved that our 3 day visit is nothing but a mere token gesture and that to truly take in the Parisian architecture, culture, museums, food and beauty you really need to be here for weeks and even months.
We headed off on a 1.5 hour guided bus tour that took in all the major architectural and significant areas of Paris and it was truly amazing to see the number of beautiful cathedrals, churches, buildings, sculptures and gardens along the way. I was actually amazed at the number of gardens, parks and activity areas that have been specifically designated throughout the city of Paris as well as how beautifully architected all the streets and buildings are. Unlike most cities that have a clear mix of old, new and bizarre, all of the buildings blend in with each other to form this ongoing mix of apartment buildings to office buildings to buildings with historical significance without degrading from the Parisian look and feel.
Our tour took us to places such as the Arc de Triumph, Champs des Elysees, Cathedral of Notre Dame, Madeleine (the only church without a visible external cross), Louvre, Place de la Opera, Place Vendome, Place de la Concorde, Hotel des Invalides, Ecole Militaire, Cite de L'Architecture, Sorbonne, Place du Pantheon, Senat, Palais du Luxumbourg, St Pulpice, St Germain Des Pres and the Institut de France. It was en excellent way to see all the key sites in a small period of time and the commentary enabled you to learn about this great culture and history. It is very clear the impact that Napoleon the First had on this country with many of the key items being commissioned by himself.
After the tour we grabbed a quick bite to eat before heading into the Louvre to find the mysterious woman: the Mona Lisa. Now here is a quick tip for all those coming to Paris. The line-up outside the Pyramid in the courtyard of the Louvre is ridiculous. Head straight for Rue de Rivoli and enter from there as: 1) There are ticket machines where you can buy your tickets; and 2) the line up to enter is non existent and you can walk straight in. We instantly made our way to the Italian section (although we did follow the pictures of the Mona Lisa and the arrows) to locate the famous painting. It is quite easy to rush straight there, take the mandatory photo's and then head off for the next tick in the box, however if you slow down and take in what is around you, the history and age of the paintings is incredible. We were viewing artwork dating back to the 14 and 15 hundreds.
When we did arrive, I was also amazed at the lack of chaos. Most people were patient and waited until they were at the front to take photo's and then haven taken the obligatory 20 - 30 to ensure you got the right shot, you then move on. We checked out some other significant artwork on the way out such as "The Winged Victory of Samothrace" and the "Venus de Milo".
After taking in our cultural fill for the day we decided that we had not shopped enough so headed to the Galleria La Fayette. Now this is one impressive department store. It has everything and every brand and is huge. Having walked in at the Shoe Department and seeing brands like Jimmy Choo, Zac and I decided it was time to split and let the girls do their thing and us do ours. In the end the only purchase that was made was a new Mont Blanc pen for myself which is something that was on my list from when we left. I mean where else would you buy a Mont Blanc than in Paris (I know it is German however sounds French enough for me).
We then met up with Jacq and Talia, headed back to the hotel for a recharge before again heading to the Eiffel Tower with a view of heading up. However as it turns out, the lines were huge and we did not have appropriate stair climbing attire so we decided to book tickets for the elevator for tomorrow night around dusk to see the changing from day to night and will most likely turn up early with a view of walking up the stairs early in the morning before we complete out tick the box exercise. Jacq has identified some coffee shops (as it is suprisingly hard to get a decent coffee in Paris) near some key landmarks so we will head there during the day.
As we abandoned our ideals of heading up the tower we did the next best thing and ate at a restaurant with the best view of the tower. Sure, you pay for the view however it was worth every penny.
Before I sign off I am leaving with 3 clear observations that I have made about Paris:
We headed off on a 1.5 hour guided bus tour that took in all the major architectural and significant areas of Paris and it was truly amazing to see the number of beautiful cathedrals, churches, buildings, sculptures and gardens along the way. I was actually amazed at the number of gardens, parks and activity areas that have been specifically designated throughout the city of Paris as well as how beautifully architected all the streets and buildings are. Unlike most cities that have a clear mix of old, new and bizarre, all of the buildings blend in with each other to form this ongoing mix of apartment buildings to office buildings to buildings with historical significance without degrading from the Parisian look and feel.
Our tour took us to places such as the Arc de Triumph, Champs des Elysees, Cathedral of Notre Dame, Madeleine (the only church without a visible external cross), Louvre, Place de la Opera, Place Vendome, Place de la Concorde, Hotel des Invalides, Ecole Militaire, Cite de L'Architecture, Sorbonne, Place du Pantheon, Senat, Palais du Luxumbourg, St Pulpice, St Germain Des Pres and the Institut de France. It was en excellent way to see all the key sites in a small period of time and the commentary enabled you to learn about this great culture and history. It is very clear the impact that Napoleon the First had on this country with many of the key items being commissioned by himself.
After the tour we grabbed a quick bite to eat before heading into the Louvre to find the mysterious woman: the Mona Lisa. Now here is a quick tip for all those coming to Paris. The line-up outside the Pyramid in the courtyard of the Louvre is ridiculous. Head straight for Rue de Rivoli and enter from there as: 1) There are ticket machines where you can buy your tickets; and 2) the line up to enter is non existent and you can walk straight in. We instantly made our way to the Italian section (although we did follow the pictures of the Mona Lisa and the arrows) to locate the famous painting. It is quite easy to rush straight there, take the mandatory photo's and then head off for the next tick in the box, however if you slow down and take in what is around you, the history and age of the paintings is incredible. We were viewing artwork dating back to the 14 and 15 hundreds.
When we did arrive, I was also amazed at the lack of chaos. Most people were patient and waited until they were at the front to take photo's and then haven taken the obligatory 20 - 30 to ensure you got the right shot, you then move on. We checked out some other significant artwork on the way out such as "The Winged Victory of Samothrace" and the "Venus de Milo".
After taking in our cultural fill for the day we decided that we had not shopped enough so headed to the Galleria La Fayette. Now this is one impressive department store. It has everything and every brand and is huge. Having walked in at the Shoe Department and seeing brands like Jimmy Choo, Zac and I decided it was time to split and let the girls do their thing and us do ours. In the end the only purchase that was made was a new Mont Blanc pen for myself which is something that was on my list from when we left. I mean where else would you buy a Mont Blanc than in Paris (I know it is German however sounds French enough for me).
We then met up with Jacq and Talia, headed back to the hotel for a recharge before again heading to the Eiffel Tower with a view of heading up. However as it turns out, the lines were huge and we did not have appropriate stair climbing attire so we decided to book tickets for the elevator for tomorrow night around dusk to see the changing from day to night and will most likely turn up early with a view of walking up the stairs early in the morning before we complete out tick the box exercise. Jacq has identified some coffee shops (as it is suprisingly hard to get a decent coffee in Paris) near some key landmarks so we will head there during the day.
As we abandoned our ideals of heading up the tower we did the next best thing and ate at a restaurant with the best view of the tower. Sure, you pay for the view however it was worth every penny.
Before I sign off I am leaving with 3 clear observations that I have made about Paris:
- All the roadside cafe's have the tables and chairs set out in rows that run the length of the sidewalk. Rather than having the chairs around a table, there will be 4 chairs side by side sharing 1 table in front of the middle 2 chairs. That way all can get a view of the street. In some cases, there are 2 rows, one near the windows and one closer to the sidewalk. Quite unique.
- The waiters always appear to be busy doing something except for customer service. When you are seated at a table (after attempting as much French as possible) and left with a menu it can take up to 15 minutes to be served. Then both the drinks and food orders are taken at the same time and they arrive at the same time. Then it can again take a long time from when you are finished eating to grab the attention of a waiter and even more time to receive the bill and pay. Maybe because we are not French this happens however my observations are that all in the cafe (French and non French) experience this same level of service. Key tip: be patient and ensure you leave plenty of time to be served and to eat.
- Going to the Toilette is a unique experience as the wash area is most times a share space and the male urinals are often only separate by swinging doors with all able to see from knees down and shoulders up. This can be daunting the first couple of times when you hear female voices. In some areas the toilets are unisex so it is common to be leaving a toilet to have a female enter at the same time. Again, daunting however you do get used to it.
