Discovering the City of Lights
Trip Start
May 04, 2008
1
17
18
Trip End
May 28, 2008
Paris,
Île-de-France,
France
Saturday, May 24, 2008
We arrived at our campsite by about 5:30 and had a chance to unwind in our cabins. These accommodations were not bad as there were two separate rooms with 2 bunk beds in each and an included bathroom with shower, a definite step up from Florence and Rome. We went to dinner and got a welcome glass of Champagne (my favorite) and an escargot for those adventurous enough to try it (quite good!). The welcome treats were followed up with chicken, a rice mix, salad, pasta salad, and an apple strudel for dessert. We spent a relaxing evening at the bar before I called it an early night to be ready for the day in Paris the following morning.
May 25th, 2008
We woke up at 6:45 for a 7:15 breakfast of the usual crappy delights (I was sick of this food by now, and we were spoiled in Switzerland) and left at 8 for a morning tour of Paris before we were on our own. Lauren gave us a quick tour of the city including Napoleon's Tomb and the Opera House before heading to an included tour of the Fragonard Museum and shop. I purchased a vanilla scent perfume and lavender bar of soap for my mom (22.5 euro) and then we were dropped off at the Eiffel Tower for our free day in Paris. A group of us bought tickets to ride the elevator up the tower (12 euro) for awesome views of the city. Others spent less to climb the stairs, but being afraid of heights, I said no thanks on the stairs. Having the Paris Museum Pass and Metro Pass I saved a lot of money on entry fees and barely had to pay anything for the rest of the trip.
Gargoyles atop Notre Dame
After we finished at the Eiffel Tower we walked up to the Arc de Triomphe and went to the top for some more wonderful views of the city (I'd only recommend going up if you have the museum pass, its kind of expensive for a view you almost already got on the Eiffel Tower). Afterwards we walked down the Champs and grabbed a sandwich, drink, and pastry from a shop for 6.60 euro and then caught the metro all the way down to Notre Dame to see the inside very quickly before catching a 4pm bus back to the campsite to get ready for the excursion dinner and cabaret Nouvelle Eve!
After a quick change we headed up to the Montmartre district (beautiful views of the Sacre Couer and the city from the hill) before heading to our restaurant where we had a multiple choice menu. We were greeted with a welcome drink of white wine with black currant liquer before making our orders. I ordered escargot and orange duck, which were both fabulous. The other appetizers included a veggie dish and french onion soup (the french onion soup was good) and
the other entrees included a veggie dish and a beef dish (which was not very good). After the meal we were followed up with a cheese tray and a raspberry cake dessert, plus an after dinner coffee. This whole time we were treated to free flowing wine that, at a table of 6, included a
bottle of house white and two bottles of house red (which I did see being replaced with fresh bottles at other tables). This dinner was much better than the Florence dinner, and that one was amazing.
Paris Day Sheet
I highly recommend it as its a great end to the trip.For those who signed up for the cabaret, we immediately got back on the bus and went down to Nouvelle Eve for our 10pm show. If 3 bottles of wine and a welcome drink was not enough, for each person at the show you are given a half bottle of wine (which is laid out in 2 bottles and 4 glasses) so if you sit with people who dont drink much, you get more. I was hesitant on seeing this tour, as I am a big fan of Cirque Du Soleil and just thought I'd be disappointed in a dance show with acts. Our tour manager and another girl on our tour who lived in Paris both alluded
this show as being exactly like Cirque Du Soleil and I can see exactly what they meant. A cabaret show like Nouvelle Eve has to be what was the inspiration for Cirque Du Soleil as the same acts are present in each and both quite amazing (and that could also be all the wine taking effect too). In either event, it was awesome and I highly recommend it
(and that is coming from a huge Cirque freak).
Our tour manager signed us up for space in a bar afterwards so everyone can have one last party, but since I was going to stay in Paris and needed to be ready for the next day I headed back to the campsite with a few others in included transportation for those who went on the cabaret and called it a night.
May 26th, 2008
This was the saddest morning of the tour, as 85% of the group was heading back to London. We woke at 6:45 for a 7:15 breakfast of bacon, eggs, and fruit (better than the day before) and everyone left for London at 8am while we waved goodbye like the contiki staff normally does.
Napoleons Tomb
We were given until 10am to leave so we had more time to pack. Ironically a bunch of us were all staying in the same area (in Montmartre) and decided to head over there together on the metro. We separated to drop our bags off and met at the louvre at 12:30. After dropping my bags off at my hostel I grabbed a quick baguette sandwich and water for 4.7 euro and headed to the hardrock for a pin (8.8 euro) and an eclair pastry (2.30 euro) at a local bakery on the way.
Since a few of the people were leaving the next day we rushed around so they could see what they wanted. I didn't mind as I had enough time on my own later to do what I wanted. We spent
about 45 minutes in the Louvre hitting Mona Lisa (she isnt smiling, just a smirk), Winged Victory, Venus De Milo, and Raft of the Medusa before heading out. I purchased a very nice coffee table Louvre book for 39 euro and then we caught the metro back to Notre Dame to go up to the top to see the Gargoyles. The view from Notre Dame tower (all of the prior things were included on the pass) was breathtaking and the gargoyles are a lot bigger than they appear from the ground. If you have to pay, I highly recommend this one and the line goes fairly
quickly too. We were going to go into the crypt however it was closed for the day
After experiencing Notre Dame we grabbed a quick snack of crepes (I got a Grand Marnier one which was not very good for 3.60 euro). Around this point we started to disagree on where to go
next and split up and decided to meet for dinner later that night near the Arc.
Opera House
I went back to the hostel and checked in at 4:45. I stayed at Le Village hostel near Sacre Couer and it was quite good. I stayed in a 6 share dorm style room which was not much different than the other hostels and was only 72 euro for 3 nights. I felt very safe at this hostel and felt it deserved such high ratings it received on trip adviser. After checking and cleaning up (and accidentally gettinglocked in the shower room due to crappy locks and my roommates saving me) I headed down to the Arc for a final dinner with my awesome friends. We headed over to the Eiffel Tower before finding a reasonable Italian restaurant where I purchased a pesto pasta, half of a cheese
tray, and glass of Bordeaux for about 20 euro plus tip. It was very good and our waiter was one of the best we had on the whole tour. To end the evening we spent time at the Eiffel Tower taking pictures and watching the light show before saying our goodbyes. (Also a must do).
After sad goodbyes I headed back to the hostel and called it a night.
May 27th, 2008
I woke up at 7:45 on the first day on my own and had a bread and croissant breakfast which was provided at the hostel. I left by 8:30 to find that it was the 3rd day of rain on the whole vacation, much to my disappointment. I headed out to Versailles and, being down by the rain,
was not as impressed as I normally would've been. Don't get me wrong, Versailles is awesome, but I had seen so many Victorian era palaces in the past three weeks that there wasn't anything new at Versailles.
Eiffel Tower!
I headed back into town and hit up the Catacombs to be met with the worstrain I've seen on the whole trip without an umbrella. I ended up making friends with the girls infront of me who happened to be on another Contiki tour that just started. They gave me an umbrella (I freaking loved them at that moment) and we headed over to a coffee shop
and got a drink with ice cream (7 euro) until the rain subsided while I told them everything they were in for and what a good decision they made taking the tour. After the rain died down we got back in line and I ironically ran into two of the girls from my tour who I had said
goodbye to the night prior. We all went into the catacombs after about a 45 minute wait (for 3.50 euro for being under 26) and walked around the 1 km pathway of bones and skulls. This was one of my favorite things in Paris and I highly recommend it if you have time.
Afterwards we wandered into a local diner and I purchased a ham and egg sandwich for 7.50 euro plus tip and I purchased a shot glass and magnet for 6.80 euro total at a souvenir shop. We headed back into Notre Dame and went into the crypt which was just a bunch of ruins of buildings from 500 years ago which was not very exciting and I would not have paid for it
on my own without the pass. We went back into Notre Dame quickly so they could see it as they had not gone in before. Afterwards we made a quick trip to the Musee D'Orsay where I lost my metro pass and became completely disoriented. We were all very tired and said our goodbyes as I tried to figure out how it became lost within 5 minutes.
Eiffel Tower!
I do not think I was pick pocketed as I had much more valuable things right next to it. My best guess is that it fell out when I was removing my museum pass to enter the museum and was picked up by the time we left. I purchased a ticket back to my hostel (1.50 euro) and was asked to change rooms, which added to my being upset for the day. I guess a group of 4 was coming in and me moving would allow them to not separate. I was given free internet for it and didnt mind as I made
friends with 5 American girls who were in the room I went into. Since it was still raining we all bought cheap wine (2.60 for a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc and water) at the local grocery store and I had another salami and cheese baguette (2.90) and talked about our travels while
passing the evening away.
May 28th, 2008
Considering the rain was ruining Paris I decided to sleep in the last day of my trip. I was up and gone by about 9:45 and purchased a one way metro ticket down to the Louvre (1.50 euro) for a slower pace through the Egyptian exhibit (my next international destination). I stopped and purchased a raisin pastry and sprite from a vendor for about 4.50 euro before watching a movie being filmed outside the Louvre and heading inside. I walked around for about an hour taking in all the art and watching the local artisans painting replicas of paintings inside which added to the French allure.
By the time I left the rain had let up and the sun came out. I walked around originally going to go into Saint Chapelle however the line was very long and I decided to pass, instead I purchased a banana and nutella crepe for 5 euro (unbelievably awesome) and walked up to the Arc De Triomphe taking in the Parisian shops and people before buying a metro pass (1.50 euro) back to the hostel early in the day. I went and purchased a France soccer (football) jersey for 15 euro and relaxed at the hostel looking up information for my flight on the following day. I bought a 1.5 L bottle of sangria from the grocery store for 1.42 euro, and it was the worst tasting drink I had the whole trip. I shouldve known for 1.42, but I figured I'd try and maybe get lucky. To finish my trip I purchased a ham and cheese crepe for 3.20 and watched the sunset up at the Sacre Couer at the Montmartre distric and headed back to the hostel to call it a night before getting up at 5am to catch my 8am flight on Lufthansa to Frankfurt with another stop in Chicago before coming home
