I am not used to the laptop but we are getting there.
Well I worked up until about 2 hours before we left for the airport. A bit stressful for Ves but we made it. The flight with Emerates was very good. The food was fine and there were plenty of movies to watch to distract us from the long flight.
Arrived in Paris about 1.30pm Friday and picked up by Paris Shuttle for our roundabout trip to our apartment in the Marais district. It was good though and gave us a bit of a chance to soak up the sites and to get our bearings....or so I thought.
The traffic in Paris is nuts. I will never complain about Sydney Traffic ever again. I had almost forgotten how fast the pace is in Paris and if you are riding a motor bike you have special powers to be able to squeeze through the narrowest of spaces as fast as you can go. Oh, and pedestrian cossings, well yes they have lots of them but don't expect to get priority when you try to cross one.
For us this trip will be about Paris life, and trying to be a part of it. We have already been lost a couple of times, well rather miscalculated our bearings, but thats all part of the adventure and discovering the unexpected.
Like last night we went out for a walk to clear our heads and get some fresh air and familiarise with the area and we stumbled onto a fabulous area, Ves called it the Jewish quarter. In Rue de Rosiers we found one of Paris best best falafel shops and Sasha Finkelsztajn's Deli. Dylan found a hole in the wall creperie and had a nutella and banana crepe. I had a bite and it was yum.
We found a lovely little square around the corner from our apartment which was rimmed with outdoors cafes and restaurants with people eating, drinking and of course smoking which is a right of Parissienes. We returned there later for dinner at about 9pm after picking up a few supplies from a local market. Prices are not too bad. Dinner was a three couse set menu for e22 each .
Jess called at about 10.30 just as were having desert (almost falling asleep at the table) and by the time finished and paid the bill and walked around the corner she was at the front opening the door to the apartment.
It was great to see her..she loved our apartment and we set up talking for about an hour, but we were al so tired it was off to bed for a decent sleep before day 1, showing Jess around and a bit of getting to know Paris with some famous sites along the way.
By the way the apartment is great. 39 rue de Turenne not far from the St Paul Metro. We have two bedrooms a combined dining and lounge and a separate little kitchen. Both of the bedrooms have a nice view over the roof tops and nearby apartments. Its very Paris and really cosy and we all love it. Just as we had envisaged and we are right amongst the cafes bars and bustling Paris life.
View from our apartment
Saturday 28 June 2013
We walked around the corner to the Plase Des Vosges, gardens and former home of Victor Hugo. We then headed down the main road rue de Rivoli towards the Seine and Notre Dame. There was a Church service on and we could not go inside but it was still nice to watch on the big screen outside with the milling crowd.
Around the corner and on the other side of the Seine we found the Old Shakespeare Book Company. Ves was so happy as this was something she wanted to find. Jess bought the Game of Thrones book. From there we went to the Latin Quarter, great restaurants and a bit touristy but an area new to all of us, and we ended up back here again later for lunch at e10 for three courses, very good value.
Next stop the Pont des Arts the lovers lock bridge as its known. Covered in locks linked to the mesh along the sides of the bridge. Of course Ves had pre organised a lock for us and Kelly and Murray too at Kelly's request.
After lunch we got back on the metro and headed off towards the Eiffel Tower. It really is quite spectacular even the second time around. You get glimpses of it in various vantage points of the city but its not the same as seeing it in its fill context and the beautiful park and distance Trocadero. We will be there for dinner on Monday night for the official 50th celebration for Ves.
Back to St Paul on the metro which is our closest Metro stop for some supplies and back to the apartment to get ready for dinner.
Tomorrow we are off to the Basilique du Sacre Coeur at Montmatre. Jess and Dylan have agreed subject to getting free time in the afternoon to explore on their own. Sounds like good deal.
Well we actually didn't make it for dinner. We all crashed at about 8pm and slept through until morning. Did I mention that it does not get dark her until 10pm and the sun is up at about 6am. Luv the French daylight saving.
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