PARIS!

PARIS IN 2 DAYS

After realizing that going to Paris was actually in the realm of my travels and a short 3 hour train ride away, I decided to bite the bullet and go. 

I haven't had the best of luck using SNCF, the train system here in France.  All 3 trips I've made ended up in some kind of delay but by popular opinion the SNCF usually runs smoothly with no tie-ups.  So I booked my train trip for June 2nd to Paris.  People around here of course talk about going to Paris like going to a big supermarket an hours' ride from home.  I knew this would probably my only chance to visit the city while on this European trip.

Being a Monday morning and the train originating much to the south of La Souterraine (my nearest train station) it ended up being very full by the time it made 3 more stops.  One young girl next to me spent at least a full hour with her makeup cases laid out in front of her, putting on makeup.  It was one of the most ridiculous things I've ever had to sit through.

The train left La Souterraine at 6:30 a.m. and reached Paris just before 9:30.

As soon as I got out of the very large train station at Gare D'AUSTERLITZ I was immediately on the River Seine.(SEN)  All along the river are walkways and bikeways catering to the pedestrian life here.  There were several bikers, walkers and runners utilizing the pathways along the river with easy access up to the main roadways where the traffic as you can imagine was very busy and fast moving.  But the roads being still narrow from many years ago seemingly worked very well considering the traffic in a densely populated city.  I learned that the metro system is widely used by occupants of Paris leaving no need for a car to get around and live here.

The busses are well marked and maps at every bus stop are again very well marked with the routes color-coded.  The metro system also has stations throughout the city with each stop named at the entrance to the underground subway.  The subways are very clean with trains arriving every few minutes.  Once down into the metro system, you can get on and off as many trains needed to get to your destination.  Once out of the subway station and up into the city, you must enter another ticket to re-enter the system.

A short walk along the River Seine I could see St. Michel Notre Dame.  The architecture of course as with all the architecture in Paris is wonderfully amazing.  The line of people emanating from the entrance, around the corner and down the street to get into the Notre Dame was too much for me to consider as I wanted to see as much of Paris in this short time as possible.  Being not yet into the tourist season, there was still quite many tourists (many Asian) waiting to see this fabulous cathedral.

So onward I walked with map in hand determined to get to the Eifel Tower where I thought I wanted to spend some time just sitting and taking in all I could about just being in Paris.

Next major stop along the river was the LOUVRE.  Before getting there I saw the few bridges with "pad locks" locked into the chain-linked fences lining the bridges. Thousands of people "lock" a pad lock to the bridge with the intent of locking in their love for the person they're with.  I don't know when it started but it has led to many, many bridges now with the start of the pad lock fury that is well known in this city.

So... THE LOURVE...  Huge, beautiful building with the famed glass pyramid in the square outside the entrance.  Again I know I would need a whole day once entering the LOURVE to see all there was to see.  And from talking to people I learned that certain pieces like the MONA LISA would also have many tourists in queue and the wait time could be more than I could afford to spend.

But the parks and fountains and statues and gardens around the LOURVE are well worth strolling through and just taking in all the Paris around me.

Upon exiting the area of the park around the LOURVE, in the distance I could see the peak of the Eifel Tower.  So I continued my walk gazing with awe along the way all the beautiful architecture and still not able to fathom the work and hours spent in the manufacture of these 4-5 story buildings.  I could imagine the luxurious apartments that these buildings held with trees and park-like settings on the penthouses of each.

Upon walking up to the Eifel Tower, the souvenir stands and tourist stands got thicker and more congested.  In seeing pictures of the Eifel Tower somehow I had been picturing a much different image in my mind of what this was going to look like.

Suffice it to say, I saw the Eifel Tower, walked under it and left, not spending any time "taking it all in".  I had thought there would be a park-like setting.  Instead a major roadway ran under it!  And tourist busses lined the pathways around it and under it also.  Although I thought I wanted to go to the top of the tower so see all of the city from up high, I didn't.  Now I just wanted to find my way to my hotel up near the Champ-Elysees section of the city.  Being around all these tourists just made me anxious to go elsewhere.  The Champ-Elyees in Paris is very much like 5th Avenue in N.Y.C. with all the major designers and stores and shopping.  My hotel room was made in haste as I had not much time to get a reservation for the 1 night.  So I got on to the subway and figured out that I had to change trains once to get to the nearest station to my hotel, The Hotel Paris Saint Honore', 21 Rue de Penthievre.  I had it clearly marked on my map and felt sure I could find it.  I got off at the right train station but went down the wrong alleyway to get out.  So I was walking through this underground maze with many more trains going and coming.  By the time I figured out how to get out, I had walked actually up to the next station and came out being sort of lost.  I was in what looked like a whole other city but that's what Paris is like.  It's all these tiny cities within the big city.  I got to my hotel after walking about an hour which was just fine.  The person at the desk checked me in, gave me a key to a room on the top floor, the 5th.  There was a lift(elevator) that was only big enough for 1 person and maybe a small carry-on-sized suitcase.  It was a very old elevator with 2 doors that closed before moving.  It only went to the 4th floor.  I had to walk up to the 5th.  The top step of the spiral staircase was the step that went into my room.  So stepping out of my room was actually stepping down on to the stairway.  It was an odd shaped room with only room for a twin bed and a sink.  The toilet room was down the hall a bit as well as the shower room next to the toilet room.  I immediately opened the very tall windows that looked out on to the street below.  It was an ok room good for 1 night.  I felt lucky to have gotten any room in such short notice.
That evening I walked and walked until I just couldn't walk any more.  The areas where I walked consisted of shops and Brassieres where it looked like young people met for drinks after work.  Many had outside seating and everyone was dressed in beautiful professional-styled clothes.
After looking over a few menus posted on the sidewalks, I opted for a mesclun salad and 2 glasses of white wine for dinner.  They serve a bowl of green olives with drinks.  Tomorrow I would wake up in Paris with a whole new day of exploration ahead of me.  I went back to my room, exhausted.  It stayed light until 10:30 p.m.
The next morning I walked back down to the river and again all around and through the park and gardens of the LOUVRE which was closed that day because it was Tuesday.  I walked on the opposite side of the river and ended up at one of two islands in the river.  There were lovely apartment buildings on the island with one roadway accessing it.  Within a few minutes, being the island is very small, I was again in the middle of another little city and area called the BASTILLE.  
That afternoon I decided to go to the Montmartre section of Paris. I'd heard it was the highest point in Paris and I'd be able to look out over the whole city from up there.  Two trains later, I was looking over Paris at a cafe' set on a hillside.  This seemed like so much better than being in a crowded staircase or elevator going to the top of the Eifel Tower.  I walked to the very top of Montmartre which is the name of the town in that area.(Still all part of Paris)  At the very top was a huge cathedral overlooking the whole city.  I was very happy I chose to come here.
Being that my train back to La Souterraine was leaving at 4:30, I thought it best to find my way to the Metro to figure which trains to take to get back the GARE (train station).
All in all it was a whirlwind 2 days but I saw a lot of Paris and if I ever come back will take more time to see a few things in more depth.  I am very glad to have come to Paris!