Day 2. We slept in a bit longer than we anticipated, but hey, we’re on vacation so we are entitled to do that. After grabbing a bite we dashed out onto the street to a start our day at midmorning. We walked from the hotel to the Montmartre area which is known for several things: quiet streets, a history of 19th century art, and a huge basilica made of white limestone, the Sacre Coeur (Sacred Heart). Our route to Montmartre was by way of Boulevard de Clichy, which happened to take us right by the Moulin Rouge.
This is right around lunch time, so we stopped off at the Buffalo Grill for a quick nosh and slosh, and proceeded towards the basilica by way of the Montmartre Cemetery. Note: if you’re trying to find your way in there, don’t waste time walking the perimeter to find the entrance. There are two ways in, and one is to use Rue Rachel. The other is a one-way ticket, so I don’t recommend that way. That wasn’t our primary stop, so we proceeded down the rue and up the hill in the general direction of the basilica. We happened onto a nice Place, which features a small church (Saint-Jean- l'Evangéliste) and an exemplary Metro entrance by Henri Gaudin. The church isn’t much to speak of, but entrance is free and it has some interesting stained glass. The architecture and features look strangely Celtic, but I don’t know enough of the history, or architecture, to say for certain.
And yes, the name Montmartre means “hill of martyrs” and it’s definitely a hill. You’ll get a workout walking up there. We stopped and rode the funicular up some of the steps and let me just say that you can bypass that activity unless you’re old/infirmed. It’s really not interesting at all, and more or less just a waste. So save yourself a few euro and take the steps all the way up. It’s not the most steps you’ll ascend in Paris. There are people literally littered all over the steps. It’s a nice place to get above the din of the city and experience the din of the buskers plonking out tunes on their amplified acoustic guitars, and the African fakirs hawking their fake purses, and the puppeteers deftly maneuvering their marionette guitarist/vocalist to the sound of Rage Against the Machine’s Killing In the Name Of… and the quaint if not pungent smell of urine in most corners. Yes, all of this and more can be in your Paris Experience! Actually, we did see and smell all of those things right there on the steps of the Sacre Coeur, but it wasn’t at all obtrusive. Except for the urine, which seems to be pervasive around Paris. My guess is that it is pet pee and it hasn’t rained for a bit ‘round these parts, since there seems to be an abundance of free public toilettes across the city. Side note: these toilettes are pretty amazing – the interiors are completely washed down and sanitized after each visit. You might even use the same one twice, just to test it: pee on the seat and then go back in. The pee is magically gone! In contrast, there isn’t much dog poo, but it is there. Watch out for Parisian poodle bombs. You can also find flowers all over the place (yes, I know it’s not much of a segue, but I really like this picture).
We didn’t go into the basilica itself this trip, instead we went round to the the tower entrance and proceeded up the 324 steps to the base of the dome. No, there isn’t a lift, and no it isn’t the most steps you’ll ascend in Paris. The basilica is made of a white limestone that gets white each time it rains. What a novel concept… no need to wash it! The ascent up the left side of the basilica isn’t a straight spiral upwards, as in the Arc. This journey takes you up a few spiral staircases, across the rooflines of some architectural features that I can’t name, and then upwards to the base of the dome. You then have an almost completely unobstructed 360 degree view of Paris. It’s rather breath-taking, as is the wind. Don’t expect to have a perfectly-coiffed ‘do after your descent.
Two interesting features you can peep from the dome are the artist’s square and what I’m calling Diagon Alley. For you folks who aren’t fans of Harry Potter, then you could also call this “Sell the Tourists a Bunch of Crap with the word Paris on It, or miniature Eiffel Towers” Alley. I think there’s a similar alley or two in Amsterdam except it features cheese and wooden clogs. More on that later. Anyway, you can see these two features from a few hundred feet up. Don’t miss it, because you’ll want to be able to scope your quick getaway when the 100 or so “artists” want to pimp you for a pastel or charcoal drawing of your and your wife. Or just your wife, back at his place, and you’ll pick her up tomorrow, right?
After descending from the dome and the basilica itself down to Montmartre proper, we proceeded directly to the aforementioned artists’ square and alleyway. These are really not that interesting, and you can proceed directly past them and just wander a bit and take in the gorgeous buildings that exude a sort of 19th century charm. The streets themselves even lend to this atmosphere, with tight turns and built-up walls. There’s even a vineyard tucked away among the buildings.
The whole of this area seems like it stayed back in 1890 while Paris grew up around it. We liked the area, and even got ourselves featured in a movie that was being filmed on one of the streets. I imagine it was some sort of art or film school student production, because they didn’t ask us to sign a waiver, and didn’t give us some cash for being extras. Oh well.
At least we stopped for a slosh (cappuccino time!) at the La Maison Rose, which was a great little joint. And I do mean little. If you decide to stop here, sit outside, enjoy the view (fall colors everywhere, and just that sort of old-towne feeling without the traffic. If you need to visit the toilette, be forewarned that it is a bit of a squeeze. Might want to save that for the sidewalk as the Parisians seem to do*.
Oh, and you’ll find buskers tucked into a few nooks around the artist’s square as well. We were treated to some fantastic** tunes rendered by cello, including some John Lennon classics and some other less appealing tunes. Some passers-by were really getting into it, and by it I mean some sort of alcohol because I surely do not understand why they were “appreciating” this subpar muzak. And I noticed this guy was really proud of his work, because the CDs were priced at a bargain of 20 euro. You gotta really love the cello, and punishment, to want this. Yo-Yo Ma would be turning in his grave if he heard this***.
Oh, and since there are tourists wandering around, you’ll also find some rather interesting behavior, other than “music" appreciation”. We were standing around admiring the scenery, taking some photos, and noticed this guy (on the left) taking a video of a guy (seated) while he ate a plate full of mussels. This guy, whom we’ll call Weirdy, just walked up, camera running the whole time, and stood behind the oblivious diner as he consumed his meal. After about a minute and a half of filming, Weirdy walked off, presumably to stalk someone else eating a more exotic meal.
After we satisfied a reasonable amount of wanderlust in the quaint, charm-filled area around the basilica, we proceeded directly to something less whimisical: the cemetery! Actually we were headed more towards the “lust” side of things as I was keen to get a picture of the Moulin Rouge windmill at night. But we had to pass across the cemetery, and I know Steph is a huge fan of buried people, so I thought it would be fun. You might recall how I mentioned earlier that there is but one way to get into the cemetery at Montmartre. Of that, I am certain as we walked around the entire facility trying to find the entrance, and it is not in the least a small cemetery. Autumn certainly lends itself to creating a strange feeling when it comes to cemeteries. Surely the barren trees of winter could evoke thoughts of death and hopelessness, and spring yields feelings of life and rebirth. Somehow autumn works differently. The tombs are bathed in a glow of light that isn’t sad, but isn’t happy or bright. The light wanes in the evening and gracefully exits, neither quickly nor shuffling; the golden and maroon leaves of poplars and sycamores slowly drop from their branches and seem to lace the tombs and mausoleums with crowns of yearning. That’s probably the best word I can think of to describe the feeling.
There are quite a few famous people buried here: Emile Zola and Honore Balzac to name two. Of note is the fact that you cannot see the cemetery from the street, save for the one bridge that bisects the necropolis. This bridge seems to have been placed very accurately, for some of the mausoleums beneath it are inches away from the structure. And, should you require use of the facilities, be aware that here lies the footpad and the hole. I’ll leave it to your imagination (greatly helped by way of the photo below).
We made it back to Pigalle, the area around the Moulin Rouge, and hung out for about 45 minutes waiting until after sunset so we catch the neon in action. I’m pretty absorbed with light at night, which is why we tend to do a good portion of our sightseeing is at night. It was quite interesting watching the people as well. We observed a pair of guys take pictures of each other in front of the Moulin Rouge for a good 30 minutes, and I am not in the least bit kidding. And, strangely enough, we also managed to get ourselves interviewed by a Croatian news crew who was presumably doing a bit piece on travel destinations from Croatia. They asked about safety, nightlife, and other things which I presume are of interest to Croats, like beer, waffles, and pancakes. Oh wait, that’s Amsterdam – never mind, Croatia! We did the interview and didn’t get paid for it (dammit!) but had fun doing it and got a picture with the hostess and camera man. I also got my neon picture too.
From there, we attempted to wend our way back to the golden polygon that has become our trekking path and managed to find our way down to Place de la Concorde, which is where they a) built airplanes, or b) signed a peace treaty, or c) executed people during the French Revolution. Bonus points if you can get the right answer(s). The Place leads down to the Garden of Tuileries, which isn’t very spectactular at night (it’s closed) and then to the Louvre. There is a neat obelisk in the center of the Place which, in typical imperialist fashion, was liberated from Egypt some time ago. The obelisk is 3500 years old. It’s worth a look as the view from the Place is straight up the Champs-Elysee and you can see the Arc in the distance. It doesn’t look that far, but it’s a tad less than a mile.
The Louvre is just past Garden, but is probably another 3/4 mile. We strolled down and took in IM Pei’s Pyramid entrance to the Louvre at night.
We walked around a bit, and then found a brasserie to take in a nosh and slosh. There, we decided that 15 miles was enough walking for the day, and being that it was approaching 2300 we decided to take the Metro back to the hotel. Steph liberated a KitKat from the vending machine while we waiting, and then it was off to bed.
*Yes, I’m kidding. I’m sure that’s all dog pee. Really.
**Crap. Difficult to contain laughter during performance.
*** Hearing this would kill him, and cause him to then turn in his grave. Yes, I know he’s not dead!
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.
Just a quick post to say how much we're enjoying Amsterdam. Yes, we've enjoyed Paris as well, but we didn't have free internet access there, so we're taking advantage here in Amsterdam. By the way, if you happen to travel to Amsterdam, you **must** stay at the Amsterdam Hilton. It is a fabulous hotel, and Amsterdam is a fantastic city! If you can get past the red light district and coffee shops (unless you're in to that sort of thing) then there is a wonderful city waiting to be explored here. More later, getting ready to head off to another political discussion with an Egyptian doctor we met here in the Hilton Executive Lounge.
It took 9 months, and it was probably less painful than birthing a child, but we have finally done what we set out to do back in January. We've sold our house on Montview Drive, and purchased our home for the next 20 years. Our stuff will be getting moved into the home in about 24 minutes, in the meantime we will be getting ready to head off to the airport. Yes, somehow we managed to close on a house sale, a home purchase, travel with 2 children and 2 dogs up to Charlotte, remotely contract for fence construction and also get some work done in between diaper changes, dog feedings and general chaos.
Now, we get 10 days in Paris and Amsterdam. It will be a much needed break for Stephanie and I, and as much as I would like to stay "disconnected", I will probably be checking in to deposit pictures every couple of days or so - Steph still has a bit of homework to get done, so that will give me some time to upload pix. And, I don't want a repeat of the Greece trip of '06*. We'll see you in Paris!
*That was a the one where I had to go to Miami right after the trip, and my laptop got stolen with hundreds of pictures from our trip. I only saved about 250 that I had previously uploaded, so this time I'll be proactive in getting the pix saved.
Today after we finished up at the client site I had a few extra minutes to go for a hike in Carbon Canyon and check out the Carbon Canyon Dam. Enjoy!
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