If you think Paris is all about fashion, food, and the Eifel Tower, you would be about 50% correct. Paris IS about Notre Dame(oh, who ever forgot the hunchback!), oil paintings by the streets, colors, fashion, shopping, food & drinks, the Eifel Tower, the Louvre and other musees, love, engineering, Sacre Caeur, posters, jewels, perfumes, celebrations, all that, and more…
The Beginning:The Thalys saves time! Since we had the Eurail passes, we took advantage and went from Brussels to Paris at the dot of an hour. What’s amusing is that it would take almost as long by air and may cost more unless you have pre-booked on say Ryan Air.
We had put up at the Hotel Armstrong ranked #770/1761 and growing list on Tripadvisor.com. Available at an affordable price and located close to the Porte de Montreuil Metro station, it appealed to us, but the surroundings didn’t feel too Parisian as it is inhabited mostly by immigrants. Also, the hotel is just about average with tiny rooms lit just enough. There’s a paid sauna and paid buffet breakfast too, but all of them are preferably skipped for better options available elsewhere in the city.
The husband had been to Paris a couple of times before, so he sort of knew his way around. We picked the 3 day welcome card for Zone 1, which is where more or less all the attractions are. The Disneyland however, is outside this Zone. The greatest thing about taking the underground is the musicians. Honestly, they play their instruments with such finesse that it feels like an expert concert.
Day 1: We began our day at the Notre Damecathedral with its stained glasses and candles and the HUGE organ!
We then chose mainly to walk by the river checking out the paintings and posters or one odd tourist good store, having a hot chocolate at some café nearby, and generally getting intoxicated in the beautiful weather, sights, and smells. If you appreciate good food, you need no telling to sample the local food and it doesn’t get more authentic than Escargots! Yes, snails. Yes, chewy. Yes, an experience. But try, I say!
Day 2: To satiate the gluttons in us yet again, we went to the food market at Maire de Paris. Lovely flowers, food, and folks all around. We picked up a moutarde(mustard) with raisins from the market and I can now say that I like my sandwiches even better with this spread!
Walking along the streets took us to Maison Blanche and there was a buzz. Some procession was arriving and given out Ypres experience, we knew to stick around and voila! It was the Chinese New Year celebrations, which is quite a big hit in Paris, welcoming the year of the rat! Colorful dragons, and people did their thing, and we clicked photos. It was nice.
We moved on to the Arch du Triomphe that honors the soldiers somewhat similar to the India Gate in Delhi. Of course, the fact that it has Napoleonic connections also makes it significant. There are so many gates of significance in Europe that I maybe losing count – this one, the Brandenburg in Berlin, the gate near Jubel Park in Brussels – phew!
Walking further, we glimpsed the next-gen cars at a car expo and then boarded a metro to the Eifel Tower. Earlier, we used to think that Paris is all about this metal tower, but my trip so far taught me differently. I had seen the Notre Dame, the arch, and the tower and we were not even close to be half done! Spending more than 10 mins here at Eifel can be annoying with the hawkers making your life difficult. So, we grabbed a pancake and saw the Eifel Tower dazzle at 6.00 PM in its gold and diamond lights. Sigh! That’s one jewel a woman can’t have for herself!
The queue was horrendously long, so we moved on to the tower of Montparnasse instead, which is the 2nd tallest building at 65 stories, and gives an unobstructed panoramic view of the city, much like the Eifel Tower does. At 9 Euros, it was half decent over a bowl of salad.
Past 10.00 PM we walked by the famous Hotel de Ville. It wasn’t as spooky as you would expect as it is in the heart of all activities near the square. And there was also this ice skating rink in action, so it was even more interesting.
Day 3: Began at the Louvre. Again, we were accosted with another horrendously long queue, so we decided to skip the museum tour and gaze at the palace and the garden instead.
A breakfast later we hit Pigalle – the Moulin Rouge! It was an experience in itself with all the explicit shops, posters, etc. Quite funny, actually. The husband and I giggled and clicked through the whole strip and then moved on to Abessess after wee bit shopping.
The Sacre Coeurwas next and it was breathtaking as would be the climb up, so we took the funicular instead. Also, the musicians doing their bit, the performers doing their thang in the bright, crisp day did us good. We wanted to check out the painters on Place du Tetre, so we hurried down. That was a stupid move as the place was right up there! So, we got robbed of our breath while we huffed and puffed our way back up. The painters were brilliant and the prices were high, but nevermind, we got the photos!
A warning here, on the plain on your way down, some boys may approach you. They are quick with their hands and words, so you need to make your move fast. They tie some goodluck charm, a Gullugullu or something, which is supposedly a Senegalese tradition or so, but here in Paris, its just a trap. We escaped by paying 2 Euros, when we shouldn’t have paid a cent. Beware.
Some street shopping for paintings and posters later, we called it a day. We did the cemetery at Pere Lachaise on a later date. On paying our respects to Edith Piaf, Oscar Wilde, and Jim Morrison, we were ready to label it a well rounded trip!
Don’t forget to shop at Marais, which is the only market open on Sundays. Look for brooches, clothes, and perfumes, and anything else you would like to take back. I didn’t! Miss the opportunity, I mean. Without shopping like a true Parisian, you can not call it a Parisian experience, simple!
Photos on Flickr at https://flickr.com/photos/mons/sets/72157603890759617/
Travel Costs:
Return Train Tickets – Depends on whether or not one has the Eurail pass
Accommodation – Approx Euros 100 per night at an average hotel
Food - Approx. Euros 15 a meal
Local commute – Weekend Welcome pass for approx. Euros 20
Misc. Costs –Museum or tower entry fees approx. Euros 6-10/- each
Total Costs - Approx. Euros 200~ Rs. 12, 000 /- per person per day
