Paris Part Deux

Suffice it to say that my Paris experience has improved dramatically since the weather improved. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the last several days wandering around the streets of Paris, eating in the restaurants, and seeing the sights. Unfortunately, that hasn’t let much time for blog updates, especially considering the hotel I got moved into does not have any sort of internet.

I met up for drinks with Chris Carriero from iKangaroo.com who lives in Paris. He took me to a Basque restaurant and a local expat pub where the England vs Andorra World Cup qualifying match was on TV (yes, Andorra has a national soccer team). Chris is a former tour guide and is working on some audio guides for cities you can listen to on your iPod. He has recently released an audio guide to Rome following the sites from Angles & Demons. If you are going to Rome, or even if you aren’t, you should check it out.

I’ve also been able to visit Versailles, which totally made me understand why the French had a revolution. It was the most ostentatious thing I’ve ever seen in my life. I’m surprised that the British monarchs never had quite anything so large and gaudy as the French monarchs did. That might explain why they are still around and the French kings are not.

Today I’m going to the Eiffel Tower, which I actually haven’t bothered to do yet, and hopefully Sacre Coeur.

Like Rome, there is no way I can see everything there is to see in Paris in a single week. You have to come here with the assumption that you will return. I’ll be leaving in a day or two for the Motherland: aka Luxembourg. I’m one of the few Americans, along with my brother, who can claim to have ancestors who come from all three of the Benelux nations: Belgium (my father’s, mother’s family), Luxembourg (my mother’s, mother’s family), and the Netherlands (my mother’s, father’s family). I assume that Luxembourg is the rare card in the set.

12 thoughts on “Paris Part Deux”

  1. Isn’t it funny how much the weather can impact your impressions of a place? I’m glad you were able to have at least a couple of sunny days in Paris :) It really can be beautiful on a sunny day – especially the large parks like Bois de Vincennes and Bois de Boulogne.

  2. I concur the note about the palaces of Russian Czars. Just like Versailles, the Winter Palace and other royal residences in St. Petersburg help you understand why revolution(s) did happen.

  3. I had my visit to Paris couple of month back. like everyone else i also suffered from some wicked experiences. Except from these, Paris is absolutely a dream city, its more charming that Vegas, I guess so.

  4. Jean is right – you’ve got to see Paris from up the Eiffel Tower. It’s such a well laid-out city it deserves to be seen from all angles.

    I’ve made a point of trying to get up the tallest towers in many cities I’ve been to (Yangon, Melbourne, Sydney, Auckland to name a few) and Paris has the best view bar none.

    • Typically I do love to go to the tallest buildings or towers anywhere, but the openness and the swaying of the E. Tower made me nervous and I just did not feel well. My husband and son went so I saw their pics. But, yes, not the same as seeing it for yourself!

  5. I never know that there is so much things you can do while up to the Eifel Tower. Thank you for your stories. I will save my money to Paris end of this year.

  6. Wow! You totally inspire me. I’ve been traveling for a month and you make me want to simply keep going!

  7. I was just in Paris for 5 days in April, saw so many wonderful buildings and streetscapes, but feel like I need to go back…if only to go to the top of the Eiffel Tower – I chickened out halfway up!

  8. I had the same thought as you when visiting the tsars’ palaces in St. Petersburg, Russia. So much gold and finery while the peasants were forced to sell their grain at prices set by the government.

  9. “the Eiffel Tower” things as popular as that may just slip the list sometimes, coz so farmiliar with it, or quite a tourist thing. But I personally quite like the high observations in a city. Usually feel very different with heights. And for Paris, a well-structured city, think worth the visiting.

  10. I’m English and I still think Paris is awesome. Don’t tell anyone – I think it’s a crime over here. The Eiffel Tower is worth the effort but I hope you got there early to dodge the queues. I went for walking up – it’s cheaper and there’s a lot to read on the signs on the stairs.

    Rome also is staggering. I think I saw every tourist site plotted on the map I had (with the exception of the Vatican – forget it with those queues). And all on foot. In 2 days. Owie.

    As for Luxembourg, the capital is a truly beautiful little city. Not a whole lot to wander around, but I love the bridges over the greenery-enshrouded valley. Gorgeous.

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