*These French keyboards are a bit difficult to navigate, so my blog posts might be getting shorter if I dont figure them out soon!*
Slept in a bit and caught the 10:13am train from Brussels to Paris The ride took just one hour and 25 minutes and it was nice to see a bit of the countryside. I made my way over to the info kiosk to make hotel arrangements. I had decided to take world cup of rugby is in France this year. I wouldnt say it was a disaster, but I probably would have had a better rate and location if I had booked online a few days ago. I am spending 2 nights at the Libertel Saint Martin Canal and a, tentatively booked into a hostel for two additional nights (the next big rugby match is on Wednesday and I wanted to avoid sleeping on a park bench!)
Checked in and discovered my room had not been made up -- I will spare you the details. I made a bit of a stink about this before heading off to explore the city. I would make an even bigger stink when I returned at 7:30pm and found the room was in exactly the same state. I ended up with a new room.
My current lodgings are right next to a metro station, which means I can get to any part of the city without too much effort (which must be particularly important for those who wear stylish - and impractical - shoes!) In about 20 minutes I emerged right in front of the Louvre. I did not go in though - I am saving this for another day.
I wasn't really sure what to do on my first day. In the end, I decided to just wander around and get my bearings. I ended up seeing most of my "must see" sites during my walking tour -- most notably the Eiffel Tower, Champs-Elysées and the Arc de Triomphe.
Eiffel Tower
Took about 100 photos from all different vantage points. Many self-portraits of varying degrees of success. It is definitely an impressive site to see in person.The Tour was built for the 1889 World Fair and is na,ed for its designer, Gustave Eiffel. It is 325 metres high and is constructed from 10,000 tonnes of iron.
Champs-Elysées
Thanks to Steve, I have logged many hours in front of the boob tube watching the Tour de France. This is the final leg of the final day of the race. It is also 2kms up a hill, which means I got my exercise for the day! This street has been a symbol of the style of Paris since the 19th Century, but is more of a touristy area today.
Arc de Triomphe
This is the reward for travelling up the Champs-Elysées! It is a stunning site. It was commissioned by Napoleon in 1806 to commemorate his imperial victories but re,ained unfinished when he started losing (it was finally completed in 1830).
While this may not seem like a lot, it represents 5.5 solid hours of walking around central Paris!
The weather has been great so far this trip (65F-70F and clear) but the rain started a few hours ago. Tomorrow may be a wet one, and unfortunately most of the major museums are closed on Tuesdays. I do plan to visit the Rodin (sculpture) museum, and might be forced to do some shopping (I have been good so far so I am due for a bit of a spree!) The weather is then supposed to be great for the rest of the trip. Keep your fingers crossed for me!
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