We departed from Charlotte, NC connecting through Newark, NJ on Saturday, 18 October 2008. It was a hectic time getting to our vacation, as we had two house closings, a move, and then getting our twins and pair of dogs up to the grandparent’s house for their own vacation. Through it all, we kept sight of Paris and the imposed rest and relaxation. Thoughts like those kept us going through the difficult pre- and post-closing activities.
We were on an incredibly small airplane for the trip to Newark – not the usual regional jet (“CRJ”). This was an ERJ, which featured a 2-1 seating combination instead of a 2-2. It was an uneventful if cramped flight and we emerged into Newark unscathed. My memories of Newark were previously pretty fuzzy as I had only passed through there a few times on business. This time we were in Newark’s International Terminal which seemed to be quite new. There were many restaurants and cuisines available, and a number of shopping opportunities. I happened upon a silver merchant and purchased a pair of sterling earrings for Stephanie, since she forgot hers on the night stand at the grandparent’s house.
After an hour and a half layover, a beer and a snack, we boarded the flight to Paris. We were in a 3-3 plane, which is quite odd for an international flight as far as I am aware, but perhaps things are different since my last trip to Paris, which was 10 years ago. We got middle and aisle seats – which can be both a blessing and a curse. As it turns out, the fellow in the window seat didn’t get up once during the whole flight. I think I saw him get up when we landed, so he probably wasn’t dead. The flight across the pond was uneventful as well; and of course I didn’t sleep, as I tend not to do so on airplanes. This is rather poor luck for me since flying eastward puts 6 hours on the clock and we arrive in Paris at 0800 local time, or around 0200 body time, which isn’t the least bit exciting. The biggest gripe on the plane is that one of the free movies we watched was “Baby Mama”. The gripe? I had also rented it to watch on my iPhone. Cripes! The movie was not nearly as funny as I thought and I wish I hadn’t rented it at all, but it wasn’t that expensive so I guess I’ll drop that complaint.
We arrived in Paris on Sunday and deplaned around 0830 - of course I was pretty tired. Stephanie managed a few winks on the plane, but was still worn out. One of the nice things about international airports is they tend to have free luggage carts, and Charles de Gaulle is no exception. That was helpful to get our bags moved around the busy airport, and was it ever busy! So many people, so many languages… that’s always one of the shocks when one gets into an international locale. I wonder what it would be like to “hear” the thoughts of those around you. Do people think in the language they speak? If so, how confusing would it be to listen in on the random stream of a crowd’s consciousness?
Back to Paris, back to Charles de Gaulle. We got some Euro from a bank machine (side note: I like the Dutch word for ATM: geldmaachinen) and grabbed a taxi in town. I supposed we could’ve arranged to take the train in, but with two roller bags and two backpacks we didn’t want luggage-related hassles. The taxi ride in was quite speedy. Our cab driver was hell-on-four-wheels, and wasn’t about to let a silly thing like traffic laws and speed limits get in the way of getting us safely to the Hilton Arc de Triomphe. The scenery along the way wasn’t too terribly interesting, I suppose, if you’re used to the European suburbia between farmland and inner city. If not, then you’re not missing much. There is typical farmland, leading into light industrial and commercial areas, and then outer “new” city developments like 1950s-60s European-style block apartment housing and commercial/industrial parks. Once inside the loop, things start to look a little more like the Paris you expect – 100 year-old buildings crammed together with tight roads, imaginative traffic patterns, stately green spaces, and the ubiquitous scooters. The taxi came to a screeching halt in front of the Hilton, which incidentally forms what the Hilton marketing team calls a “golden triangle” between the Arc, the hotel, and the Louvre. I suppose it’s a triangle, but it’s rather oblique. It’s a bit of a haul from the hotel to the Louvre, but not unmanageable. The hotel itself is rather nice, in a 1920s Egyptian art-deco style, which is a bit of a departure from the Louis XIV/Renaissance styling of the Hilton Rome or the “moderne” styling of the Hilton Athens. The concierge was nice, and was able to get our room ready by 1100, which afforded us a chance to take a shower and a nap before heading out. Unfortunately, sleep deprivation got the best of us and we forgot to request a room upgrade with access to the executive lounge. Oops! But we did manage to score free breakfast passes for the duration of our stay, which is both economically and gastronomically advantageous. The Hilton’s breakfast buffet selection would put the Shoney’s Breakfast Bar to shame! Well, to be fair the Breakfast Bar at Shoney’s doesn’t feature salad(??) and a large selection of smoked fish and meat, nor does it need to.
We got up around 1600, and headed out for a stroll. The weather was clear and brisk, perfect for a walk. We trekked up to the Arc and got a bite to eat at a brasserie off the Champs-Elysee.
If you’ve never been to Paris, then you will need to know that it isn’t exactly cheap. It can be, but in areas frequented by tourists, well, they are letting us foot the bill for their kid’s dental work or something. Prices anywhere near the Champs-Elysee are crazy – we saw a place right on the Champs-all-insane with “hamburgers” for 30 euro! That’s about $45 and did not include a gold-leaf bun as far as I know. At any rate, we had a nice snack in view of the Arc with a table top that had a leopard print. Steph was duly impressed – ok, perhaps “impressed” is too strong a word, I guess maybe “intrigued” or some other “in-“ word would do, but it was an outdoor table at a joint that served snacks and Stephanie’s latest obsession: cappuccino. I suspect I may know what to get her for Christmas this year, since we probably have some counter space available in the new home.
After the snack, we did something I’ve done before – walked across the roundabout that encircles the Arc. This is not something I would recommend, and I can only assume that we were still jet lagged to figure out that there is an underground walkway where you can easily cross the street. Oops. It was rather good timing on our part, as we arrived to the Arc at the same time as a procession went across the roundabout, so traffic was held up. Apparently they were relighting the torch on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier which is located beneath the interior arch of the Arc. There was quite a bit pomp, under the circumstances.
You can purchase a billet (ticket) that gives you access to climb up 284 steps to the top of the Arc and a small museum area. It’s really a lot of steps, but not the most you’ll tackle on a trip to Paris.
I had hoped to get up top before sunset to have a look across the Parisian cityscape, take in a few features with Steph, and then catch the sunset. We managed all of the above with plenty of time to get face-chapped by the wind! Such is the price you pay for a great experience.
There’s also something different with the Eiffel Tower this year, or least it wasn’t around 10 years ago. At night, the tower dons a gossamer veil of sequins, or rather, there are lots of sparkly lights every half hour or so for a few hours in the evening.
<< insert video of sparkly >>
After spending a good deal of time up top, we descended and went for the classic if not touristy photo of traffic in the Champs. We succeeded in getting both the picture and across the thousand or so (or six) lanes of traffic.
We proceeded to promenade down the Champs-Elysee, in search of life. It doesn’t take long, in fact we really didn’t have to look, it was just there, all around us. Usually October is a bit of a shoulder season when it comes to tourism and we don’t expect many crowds, but that’s not the case right now for Paris. I guess I was used to 10 years ago in late November, when it was really cold, near Thanksgiving, and the town was practically mine for the taking. This time, not so much, but I imagine it is incredibly crowded and unrelentingly hot in the summer, something I’m not inclined to find out for myself. After a rather circuitous route, we found ourselves cruising along the Siene, and discovered that the Eiffel Tower also is awash in a deep blue lighting set up at night. I think it’s something to do with the European Economic Community, the flag of which is a also a deep blue, but perhaps somebody just likes blue. It’s hard to complain about it, because it is quite striking.
We quickly found the Pont Alexandre bridge and crossed, taking an opportunity to snap some parting shots before heading back towards the hotel.
Stephanie managed to put up with my constant picture snapping, as I am wont to do, and she was quite the trooper. Kudos to her.
<< did we eat somewhere?
We walked back to the hotel and grabbed some much-needed sleep for tomorrow’s festivities.
