Thursday was another lazy day with lecture and then most of the group leaving to catch flights for weekend trips - one group to Milan, one to Barcelona, one to Rome...So the few of us that were left went out to dinner Thursday night since Amanda was leaving to accept her fellowship in PEI the next day. It took a while to figure somewhere out, but we ended up going to a little place called Zizzi's. It was quite good, I had this chicken ravioli in a tomatoey cream sauce. It was also nice to hang out with ppl I hadn't seen much throughout the trip, including the other Canadians. It made me a little sad to realize I won't see them once I go home - Kelly and Ryan are both staying over here and Amanda will be in PEI. Not to mention the other ppl in the group. We'll leave the end of this week and probably not see each other again...
Anyway, enough with that sentimental stuff, for now. Friday I got up super early (3:15am to be exact!) to get to the train station to Paris for 5:30am, and I realized I had caught the bug that has been making it's way around the group. My throat was really sore. My roommate, Robyn has had it for a few days so I figured it was only a matter of time before it hit me too. Of course, it just HAD to be the day I left for Paris, but oh well. I went and caught my bus and got to the train station with plenty of time to spare. We all checked in at the Grayline desk, only about 8 or 9 of us, where we got a whole package with our train tickets, Paris map, etc. It was so easy! They even had my voucher for my hotel and everything! I would definitely recommend booking a trip like this to anyone, especially if you're travelling alone like I was. I didn't have to worry about a thing.
Our group was neat too, there was a great mix - a mother and daughter from Texas, two older couples from New Zealand/Australia, and a girl about my age from Malaysia/Australia. It was nice to have a small group b/c we all talked easily and the older couples looked out for me and the other young girl since we were alone.
The train ride was nice, though I dozed through most of it (unfortunately I've been suffering with some kind of cold/flu thingy the last few days). I mean when it comes right down to it also, if you've seen one countryside, you've seen them all. It's all green fields with trees and sheep, which is not terribly exciting. Our guide met us directly at the station, which was also very easy.
Before he led us outside he told us that if we're asked if we speak english we were supposed to say 'no'. I thought this was strange considering I DO speak english, but I realized as soon as we got outside. Sure enough there were Romanion pick pockets in your face right away asking if we spoke english, trying to distract us. It was pretty scary actually - and I guess it's a huge problem there.We went right to the coach and waited there for a couple others coming on another train. I went into a little shop to buy a sandwich and was quite proud of myself that I knew enough english to get by. One of the older couples that went in with me had no idea and the lady got kind of mad at them.
We just drove around the city a bit to start while the guide provided a bit of commentary - you know the usual bus tour stuff. We drove by the Louvre, Champs Elysee, Palais Royale, etc....all the main sites. We got off after a bit and stood in line to go up the Eiffel Tower. It's funny that the tower looks so small from far away but the bottom of it is huge! We were standing right under it and the bottom even is so high up - it was a really neat perspective. We only waited in line maybe 30 minutes too, which I thought would be longer. We took a little funicular thingy up the side and we were on the second floor! It was so wierd....it's one of those things I've always wanted to do so I got that surreal feeling doing it finally. It really was a great view (360!) and it was a gorgeous sunny day so you could see really well. It wasn't too crowded either so you could actually stand at the side and look around.
After we came down we all walked over to the side of the river. There was a bride sitting having pictures taken (right off a postcard!) and her dress was so beautiful! I felt bad for her though cause I figured she'd end up with black marks all over the butt from sitting on the stone lol. We all piled onto this long, wide river boat for a cruise down the Seine. Needless to say it wasn't very relaxing b/c it was FULL of school kids and they were sooooo loud. I couldn't hear any of the commentary of the guide but they were playing this light, french jazz which made me feel very Parisien *wink*. I swear the two days I was there it was class trip day for every school in France and they all converged on Paris at all the sites I visited b/c I was surrounded by them the whole time I was there. Oh joy (you can't see but my eyes are rolling big time)...
The cruise was nice, except for the great view of the tent cities of homeless people under all the bridges. We sailed by the Notre Dame cathedral, etc, and it was a great way to see the buildings up and down the river. It certainly wasn't the highlight of the trip but it wasn't bad. We got back on the coach after this and drove by the Arc de Triomphe then down the Champs Elysee. That was really neat to see and we drove by lots of designer boutiques, including the largest Louis Vuitton store in the world! The street is so long and it's lined on either side with big green trees. We ended up back by the Louvre and we went our seperate ways. I was the only one of the group staying overnight so that was a little daunting, but it also made me feel confident. I chatted with another young girl on the tour travelling by herself and she had an interesting story - she is from Malaysia but now lives in Australia. I also think she was rich b/c she was asking the tour guide where Chanel was (so jealous!).
I wasn't sure what to do with myself - I didn't want to go to the hotel yet b/c it was only 3:30 in the afternoon. Being sick with my cold I wasn't feeling 100% but I figured I might as well go to the Louvre since it was right there and it would free up time the next day. This was also surreal b/c I'd always wanted to go here as well, so I was quite excited to go. The line wasn't too long, which was unexpected, so I got inside quite quickly. It was very daunting however, because I had no idea where to start even with a map. I figured I'd go see the main things and then see what else I felt like or had time for. So I walked through and found the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo. The rooms are beautiful and there is so much to see you could spend days there. It was crowded, however, and I was starting to run out of energy due to fever/fatigue from my cold. I didn't want to leave b/c I wanted to see as much as I could but I was just getting too hot and tired so I left. I'm just glad I went and saw the main things, but I do wish I was feeling better b/c I could have spent more time. I decided to just call it a day and head to the hotel. On the way I bought a few souvenirs, stopped at a tourist centre to ask about Metro passes, tried to buy a Metro pass from a machine but was unsuccessful, and finally tried to find the hotel.
I had a bit of trouble and it was more of a walk then I thought so I was exhausted and sweaty by the time I arrived. It was great though b/c everything was taken care of through the tour company, so it didn't take long to check in and there was no charge. I was so grateful for that b/c I just wanted to get to my room and lay down for a bit. I couldn't bring myself to go to a restaurant for dinner since I was alone and tired so I walked to a grocery store around the corner and got some snacks. I still can't get over seeing wine and spirits sold in the open in grocery stores over here...
Needless to say I went to bed quite early, but didn't get my wake up call for 8am that I asked for so I got up a bit late. Had breakfast (complimentry!) at the hotel (which was very nice btw, and clean in a good location....I was impressed) and headed out. First stop was the huge metro station down the street to get a Metro pass. I'm very proud of myself that I took the Metro and buses all day long in Paris all by myself and didn't have any problems! My pass for the whole day only cost 5.50 euros (about 10-12 bucks Cdn) and it was unlimited trips on all transit! There was a few points of confusion since my french isn't great and there were certain lines closed, etc, but mostly very easy. Almost everywhere I went I came out of the Metro station and the place I was looking for was right there, too! I didn't have to search endlessly for anything. I didn't really enjoy the drunks and insane people on some trains harassing passengers though. However, an older man got onto one train I was on and starting playing the violin and it was lovely! It's a crying shame that he has to play on dirty subway trains in order to make extra change.
So, my first stop was right by the Louvre again at the Jardin de Tuileries. It's basically a large, long park full of statues, greenery, fountains, etc. It was beautiful! It was a nice sunny day again (hot!) so everything was so green and the water sparkled. There were hundreds of people just walking and sitting around the fountains or in the small cafes along the sides. I walked the whole length of the gardens admiring the dozens of roman/greek statues, green leafy trees along the avenue, and ponds (one with brand new baby ducks in them!). At the end of the avenue there's a huge pool with a big tall obelisk at the end of it. I'm not sure if the significance but it was beautiful, covered in gold leaf. I walked back up and through a hedge area full of more statues and back out onto the street. It was so relaxing and lovely.
My next Metro ride took me to the Pare Lachaise cemetary, where I walked for about an hour just looking around. I wanted to see Jim Morrison's grave as well, and I did. It's fairly unremarkable and in fact is slightly behind other stones so you can't really see it. It looked like it was stuffed in there haphazardly, but it was covered in flowers...apparently it's a big "spiritual" site for a lot of people. The cemetary was like a little city unto itself with little avenues and even little street signs. There were maps that laid out where all the famous people were buried, like Delacroix, Chopin, etc. I didn't see any of those simply b/c I didn't have a personal map and I just wanted to walk around and see what I could see. The monuments are so beautiful, some are so big and ornate. It was humbling to see very young people's graves and to see the enormous work and respect that went into some of the family monuments. It was very quiet and nice to walk through contemplating. It struck me how universal death and loss is as well, since there were graves for Jews and Asians as well as French people.
I still had lots of time so I changed my plans a bit and decided to head for the Paris Catacombes. I was excited because I didn't think I'd end up going there due to a lack of time. It was definitely a cool experience even though I'm slightly claustrophobic and travelling alone. You go down a loooooong spiral staircase underground about 20m, under the Metro and everything. They have various info on the walls telling about the museum and then you turn a corner and you're actually in the Catacombe tunnels. The walls are all hewn out of the rock/dirt, ceilings low with small lights. It's quite dark and damp. It was quite scary when I first went in b/c there was no one in front of me or behind me. As I walked I caught up with people though and it was fine, but note to self, don't go alone again. The tunnel went on quite a bit with plaques along the way on the wall describing things and finally you come to a larger room with two big columns and then a doorway that you go through into the actual Catacombes. These tunnels are where bodies were stored after being moved from cemetaries, so the walls were piled with skulls and human bones! It sounds gross but it was really cool! Along the way there were various marble plaques with religious passages on them, crosses, etc. It was very eerie with very little light and low ceilings with these skulls staring at you. I walked throught the whole thing, which is like an underground maze of tunnels for about 40 minutes. There were also sarcophogi in various spots along the tunnel.
By the time I got out of there I was pretty beat and needed to find somewhere to sit and have a cold drink. I got on the Metro to what I thought was the closest stop to the Basilique du Sacre Couer, which was my next stop, but when I came out I was definitely in a black ghetto of some kind full of sketchy shops and people. I was so freaked out! I went right back down into the Subway and caught a train back the way I came and got off randomly at a stop. It was so crowded and I was all by myself so I started to get worried for my safety at this point. I had no idea what stop to get off at, so I just got off at Gare du Lest, which is another large station, hoping to find a good cafe nearby when I came out. I finally did, where a french woman proceeded to not answer me about where the bathroom was until I said 'Bonjour' to her. This didn't add to my feelings at the time, I must say. In any case I sat for a bit to refuel and have a cold drink (an iced tea which cost me almost $10 Cdn!).
I didn't want to get back on the Metro again, so I tried to figure out a bus to get to Sacre Coeur but had problems. I finally asked one of the drivers and he didn't understand me til I showed him on the map and he (thank god!) told me what bus to take. It turned out well b/c I got off the bus and the street you walk up to the Basilica was right there! This little street was so dirty and crowded and covered on all sides with souvenir shops. I mean, basically all the shops carried the same merchandise and nothing too nice, but I bought a few things anyway. I figured there wouldn't be anywhere else to buy anything so whatever. The Basilica was so beautiful at the end of the street on top of this steep, green hill. It reminded me of the Taj Mahal in it's architecture and there were people everywhere! You have to either walk up a bunch of steep flights of steps or take the funicular - which (of course!) wasn't working, so guess what I did?! I trudged up those 8 or so flights of steep stairs to the top where the Basilica was, all with a mild fever and cold and in 30 degree heat. I was so glad I did though once I got up there because the views were amazing! I walked through the Basilica as well but didn't have enough energy to go up in the dome or down in the Crypt. I was getting to the end of my rope, admittedly, with the crowds and being harassed by men trying to sell me dumb bracelets and stuff.
So, I walked back down, bought some souvenirs on the way, and satisfied that I'd seen everything I wanted to see, went back to my hotel, picked up my bag, and got a bus to the train station. I was quite a bit early, but honestly I couldn't wait to check in and get on the train and sleep so I didn't care. I was looking forward to getting back to somewhere with people I knew that spoke English also. I dozed most of the train ride back and by the time I got the Tube from there to Baker Street and walked to the College from the station, it was 11:00 at night. I had been going since 9am that morning and was feeling lousy. I'm so glad I went though, and I'm very proud of myself that I did it all on my own! I wouldn't go alone again, just b/c it was lonely and I feared for my safety at times, but it was a great experience.
Sorry about blabbing on forever! There was just so much to tell! Sunday was uneventful since I was so exhausted and my cold was much worse. I pretty much relaxed, did homework all day, and talked to people as they each came back from their trips. It was obscenely hot and I was pretty much trying not to die from nasal congestion and sore throat. I was even worse this morning, but I started taking antibiotics so it's getting better. We had a fairly uneventful visit to Kaizo PR, and Katalyn, Ryan and I went to a bookstore called Foyles - which I love! Better yet, we walked by a small shop that had knock off Chanel bags for £35! We're SO going back there!
I've just been here all night trying to get our scrapbook stuff done and my paper, etc. Everything is due the next couple days so I'm stressing a bit trying to get it all done.
Anyway, enough blabbing for one day and my head hurts so, more later :D
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