I tried to buy a subway ticket and had trouble. I tried to let the people behind me go first, but they insisted on helping me instead. I wanted to buy a book of 10 tickets, but the machine doesn’t take bills! I got a single ticket and off I went.
I got on the subway and a woman with a baby wrapped into her scarf was begging for money. She was asked to step off by another woman who stood up from the front in uniform. Busted!
I had a lot of difficulty figuring out where I needed to go to transfer. I just want to go to the Tour Eiffel!! My train stopped at Musee d’Orsay and just didn’t go on. I waited nearly ½ an hour before deciding that it was time to get out.
I went to a café, and had a croque monsieur for my lunch. It was a bit richer than I expected. I tried to speak French, but the waiter replied in English.
I decided to go to the Louvre since the Musee d’Orsay was closed for the day. I still went by the Musee d'Orsay and took its photo since that was the stop I was at.
I walked along the Seine and then over a nice bridge with lots of statues. Nearly ¾ of the way across, a woman came straight up to me and asked me if I’d dropped the gold ring in her hand (in English). It was very plain and fairly ugly. I said no and she kept talking to me. A French woman came along to warn me that this woman was a pick pocket and I should zip up my purse. Well, my purse doesn’t zipper. But I’m not as stupid as either one of them thought. My camera was in the front pocket of my pants and my money was stuck in a zipper pocket deep inside the purse. If she really wanted to pick-pocket my gloves or my water bottle, I could handle it. The woman saw a police van and ran across the street to report the woman to them.
I went through a grand archway in a building into a traffic circle that happened to be, yes, the Louvre. How did I know? The giant glass pyramid out front. I took several photos and then went inside and bought myself a ticket.
I really wanted to see the Mona Lisa. That was my sole goal. I wasn’t sure what I’d do once I found her. I looked on my map and saw she was #29. I followed the signs to room 29. I went through Greek and Egyptian and Iranian artifacts. It was an interesting set of exhibits to be sure. I was almost more impressed with the palace that houses them though. I feel a little like such a big museum with so many cultures’ relics is a little bit like cheating! I like to see the things in context in the land that they come from. Perhaps I’m spoiled. You ARE allowed to take pictures in the Louvre. Crazy!
I realized I’d gone the wrong way and returned to the center with the pyramid. I was glad I’d gotten lost or I might not have gone through the exhibits I’d been in. I found Mona, also called la Joconde en Francais. She looked a little dull to me. I couldn't understand why she was more famous than so many of the other paintings in the museum. I'm also inserting a photo from google images of Mona.
I looked at some of the other paintings in Mona’s wing and decided I liked them overall even though they were also mostly odd religious scenes. I’ve just about adjusted to them now. These ones seemed extra vivid and extra lively. Also, a fair number of them were HUGE.
From there I went to the basement instead of the ground floor to check out the Northern or Western European art. It was a little bit different from the things I’ve seen. The statues seemed skinnier and they were almost all made of wood. They were painted with pale colors and seemed softer than the bold religious things I’ve seen.
There was a room on that floor that had things that were touchable. There was a sign that said unlike all of the other rooms in the museum, in this one, you’re ENCOURAGED to touch the statues. So I did. Every single one.
Then I went back to the pyramid and found a café, where I had a yogurt drink and chocolate chip cookie. Neither one quite lived up to my expectations, but I consumed them all the same. I was glad and lucky just to have a table. People hovered near me, hoping I’d leave. I almost stayed just to spite one couple that was especially rude.
Then I went out of the Louvre and back across the bridge. I looked around, realizing I should be able to see the Tour Eiffel! I finally spotted it and decided that I really did want to see it… NOW!
So I went. I got out of the metro and looked around for it again. I found it was short! Being such a worldly monument, I expected it to be towering above me, almost imposing. I expected to be wowed. But the tower was teeny!
I found out that there were separate entrances to the tower from each of its four feet. One involved a lift and one involved stairs. I asked the prices, knowing full-well that I was taking the lift. It was only 6.40 and the stairs were 4. I avoid walking whenever I have the chance! There were loads of men selling CHEAP Eiffel tower models. I thought to myself that they should make them in pink. Even I would buy one in pink!
The lift goes diagonally up the leg of the tower. I went to the 2nd story. By the time I was on the tower it didn’t seem quite so small. I am afraid of heights and could definitely tell that I was high above the ground. The tippy top was closed, but that was totally fine with me. I was pretty sure the view couldn’t be much better! I wandered around the sort of balcony around the area and took photos. I recognized Paris’ statue of liberty on an island in the Seine and listened as a man told his fellow travelers about the other sights that could be seen from the top.
I decided that I wanted to stop off on the 1st floor just to see what it was like. It had a gift shop with, yes, PINK Eiffel towers. I had a gofre from the café with chocolate. It’s basically a waffle, but a little crisper.
I went to the “park” in front of the tour Eiffel. To me, it seemed like a patch of grass. I told Aude that later and she was a bit offended.
I took the metro to the St. Michel stop because it was the transfer toward home, but it is ALSO the stop for Notre Dame de Paris. I decided to go there. It was a little more than an hour until it was supposed to close. Inside, mass was in session. There was a woman singing. I decided that I wanted to look anyway since lots of other tourists were still snapping away. I was surprised that it was FREE to go inside. It was very dark inside.
I paid my 3 Euro to get into the sacricity. I had a feeling that photos weren't allowed, but I couldn't help myself. There hadn't been a sign! There were several display cases of treasures and there was a chapel on the side. It had nicely painted walls and some sort of plaques for various people on one wall. There was another chamber with more cases and things.
I continued around the back of the main alter and looked at the back chapels. On the side they had candles that you could light there or take home. I considered getting one and wish I had. I found out that it was too late for me to go up into the Quasimodo bell towers. Notre Dame had nice arches and hands-down the best stained glass windows I've seen on this trip. The chapels were really nice too. I was intrigued to see that the candles cost more for some of the chapels. I suppose they had more common or more important saints.
Then I went back outside to look for an internet cafe. I needed to find out where Aude had said we should meet and what time! I asked a few guys in shops beside the cathedral and was sent to the other side of it. I found an internet cafe cost 1 Euro for 10 minutes! I found out Aude wanted to meet in the center of the Odeon square (by the statue) at 8:10.
I realized that meant I had time to wander. I walked up some random streets and deicded I really did want a beret. I found a shop that had them for 4 Euros and chose a red one.
When I went to the subway, a man made eye contact with me as he was going up an escalator and I was going down. He appeared next to me when I reached the bottom of the escalator. He talked to me a little bit, which was fine. He said something about parents and I said I was American (meaning, no, he didn't know my parents). He kept talking about something-noir. I said no, I had to get on the subway and got out my card. He got out his too-- he was ready to get on with me! I had to flat out turn him down to get rid of him. Aude was later talking about something-noir and it turned out to be ice skating!
When I got to the subway stop where I was supposed to meet her, I came up straight into the square. I had almost 15 minutes to kill so I went to Starbucks for a juice drink. I sat down at a table as a man got up. I drank my drink and hoped it would cure my headache. While I was sitting, a guy came over and asked me if he could sit in my other chair in French. I responded in English and later we started talking. He said he's from Berkeley. I feel like I KEEP meeting people from home now that I'm abroad!
I met aude outside. She saw me before I saw her. We did the French double-kiss greeting and then she almost immediately commented that this was weird. Well, yes, it is. However, I think saying so only makes it worse! She also said she was mad at me for not calling her to tell her I was coming to Paris.
She said that she'd read on facebook that I wanted to eat crepes and that she knew of a crepe restaurant. Well, I also said I wanted to be followed by an accordianist. I was just joking about French stereotypes, but I accepted the crepes thing. I DID want to eat a crepe in France!
She had lots of questions about me and seemed to know lots of the answers already. I was a little bit surprised. She also said something about her friends and that they'd talked about the upcoming exchange between us. I have a feeling it was a bit of bon chance! (good luck).
We found 2 crepe restaurants on the same street and chose one (only by the fact that it had a vacant table). Our table had to be pulled out for Aude to sit on the bench behind it because the other tables were so neatly placed close to it. Aude said you could tell that lots of tourists came to the restaurant by the fact that the menu was also in English. She said at the end of the work day, she likes to be done with English. She said she could only have a sweet crepe if it had chocolate. I got one with apples. She ordered alcoholic cider, saying it just goes with crepes. She was very sure to tell me that crepes are not a national dish, they come from a particular reason and they do not eat them in the rest of the country regularly.
I asked her about HER job. She's in journalism working for a TV station that broadcasts in Africa, France, and nations that speak English. She says it's not catching on in English-- the French perspective on news. However, she doesn't really care because she has the job! It's in a distant arrondisment (quarter/area) so she's in a pinch living in the opposite end of Paris, but she doesn't like many of the neighborhoods in between. She says the first is rich old people and gay young people. She had lots to say about who lives in which neighborhood. We looked at my map and almost burned it over a candle next to us.
The evening progressed nicely, getting less and less awkward. She feels a bit insecure about her age and place in life. She says she wants a baby, but not someone to make it with. However she HAS a boyfriend who she initally referred to as her ex but then said he's still there.
After dinner, I went to the bathroom and when I returned, the check had been paid. Aude said in France, everything is free!
We walked to Notre Dame because I'd only told her I went to the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre. She seemed to think that was overload so I didn't mention the cathedral. She suggested we go see it at night.
We took a bus to the court. It was once a prision and was a giant complex, like a palace. Aude likes the building lots. Then we went to Notre Dame and I took its photo for good measure.
She pointed out Hotel de Ville, the town counsel-y building that's the head of teh other town councils. She said the arms of Seine make an isle in the center.
We walked and walked and walked to the bastille. She kept saying she didn't know anything about the things we were seeing, but continually told me new facts. By the end, we were having fun!
She suggested that I stay with her family in L'isle Adam instead of staying in my hotel the next night since the airport is closer. Then she put me on the metro with another set of kisses.
I went back to hotel, looking forward to the internet. However, the lobby was under construction. The walls were getting a new finish. There was a new computer there and I was allowed to use it even though it had a rate posted on it. I think the night receptionist likes me. The French keyboard was hard to figure out so I didn't spend much time. Off to bed!
No comments:
Post a Comment