I went to MacDo for breakfast and had a chocolate muffin and orange juice. I was rather impressed with the chic modern décor inside! A guy made a kiss-face at me and said something… cherie to me. Bleh!
I took the metro to the Arc de Triomph. When I came out of the subway, it was ridiculously sunny so I rooted around in my bag for my sunglasses. A guy came over to ask if I knew how to get to the middle and when I said I though probably you had to go under the street, he started to walk away, but then turned saying, “you coming?” I followed. Together, we made our way to the center of the roundabout, right under the Arc. He was from Seattle but lived in London. After we took our share of photos and returned to the outside of the circle, I ditched him. He was going to the Eiffel Tower and I was not trying to go there 2 days in a row. Also, I wouldn’t be walking if I was. I was a little sad to see my new companion go, though, really.
I strolled the Champs-Elysee. I looked for “Les Grands Magasins” but essentially failed to find them.
I saw Natalie’s store, Monoprix and went in. Aude had said her mother liked it and couldn’t imagine why Natalie did. I could see it. They have clothes and office supplies and food! What’s not to love? It’s FRENCH!
I got to a park at the end of the shops and asked a man in a newsstand about les grands magazins. He sent me back the way I’d come. I passed them? Clearly, I’d expected something more… something… better.
I had my lunch in a small restaurant. It was chicken risotto. It was pretty delish.
I then took the metro to Monmarte. It’s the cute part of town where they filmed Amelie. I felt like I’d finally arrived in Paris! There were loads of cute little buildings on lots of cute little streets. I stood in a square looking at my map for a while and then decided to just… MOVE! I was looking for Sacre Coeur and couldn’t see which way was up. I ended up at the funicular right in front of it, luckily. I took the funicular. When there is an option not to walk, I take it!!
I looked out over the city from the patio in front of the church. I wondered where the Eiffel Tower was, knowing it SHOULD be out there somewhere! The clouds were concealing it.
I went inside of the big white church and was surprised that its signature central dome had NOTHING in its interior! What kind of fancy church is this?! It had nice gothic arches, as I’ve come to expect. Most of the chapels were like little stone houses with a dude on top, presumably a saint or someone important.
I really wished cameras were allowed when I spotted the cleaner standing on top of one of the chapel tables. It looked so disrespectful and down-right comical!
After a tour around the back of the main altar, I took a seat in one of the back pews. I sat down just to sit! I needed a break. I got a postcard in the shop on the side and if I ever find it, you'll see it here.
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Out front, I waited for someone to ask to take my photo. I have realized that often, an Asian person is better. From Korea, I learned that many Asian people are obsessed with photos of themselves, just like I am. They work hard on composition. Like yesterday at the Eiffel Tower: a blond woman cropped off the top of the tower in my photo and the Asian man I asked next handed back my camera with a bow, saying “check!” I did check and it was a perfect photo.
Then I decided to wander around the side of the church. I found the entry for the dome and crypt. I really just wanted to go to the crypt, but paid my way into both. There was a machine and a turnstile issuing tickets!
About 20 steps up, I realized that this was THE worst idea ever! Like I wasn’t already tired! Like my legs didn’t already hurt! I don’t WANT to climb a bjillion (300) steps!
There was a nice view from top though. Oh THERE’s the Eiffel tower! I thought. The sun had come out just long enough for it to peek out.
Then I went down dozens of OTHER stairs to the crypt. It was sincerely creepy. I gave a woman a fright. I was looking at a little display case of bones? And she came around a corner and I surprised her. She nearly screamed. It was wonderful.
Then I walked around Monmarte. I found the photo everyone must take of the artists’ easels in front of buildings in front of the Sacre Coeur dome.
I found a windmill and a cinema and all of the cute shops we learned about in school—the boulangerie, the charcuterie, the fromagerie…
I knew I was hoping to wander in the direction of the Moulin Rouge. It was nearby, apparently, but where? I happened to pop out of the neighborhood onto a main street NEXT to it. I recognized “uge” on its sign as I neared it.
It is surrounded by sex shops and scandal. I felt a little uncomfortable so I got back on the metro and went to the Victor Hugo stop, thinking I’d walk back to the movie theater. I’d hoped to have more verve for my last day, thinking I’d get to the Musee d’Orsay today as well. That got cut in the morning. I just was mentally ready to go HOME.
I found a really popular patisserie. I had a crumble—a dessert with streusel and fruit. I also got a pain au chocolate for le matin.
I walked to the movie theater and quickly discovered the Arc de Triomph has a confusing circle on it and the theater was further down Champs Elysee than I’d thought! I finally got to the theater, minute before Valentine’s Day was to start. I got to the front and was told I was at the wrong theater. My movie was across the street at the theater with the LONG line.
A woman tried to ask me if she also had to stand in line if she’d gotten advanced tickets. I told her I had no idea, I was American!
The restroom was INSIDE the theater like in the room where the movie plays! I almost cried in the first few minutes of the movie, just seeing AMERICA!! And hearing Michael Franti. I thought it was a good movie, a little like Love Actually in its collection of interwoven stories and the general theme.
Then I went to my own neighborhood *(Aude’s friends wouldn’t visit her near where I am when she lived there—apparently it’s sketchy). I went to the grocery store for snacks and sodas.
Then I went to MacDo to get Chicken Nuggets. I took them to my hotel, thinking I’d eat in the privacy of my room. Two men were waiting when I arrived—the receptionist and the one I’d giggled over the receptionist’s snoring with. Really they were just smoking, but they both beamed at me. My laughing buddy said Salut! Apparently we’re friends. The receptionist came in to give me my key and said I had it. Um, no. I don’t. I gave it in this morning. (thinking: it’s LOST?!) He found the spare after searching around the desk area not-too-carefully. We went up to my floor and he tried every key on the ring to no avail. I just stood there and watched. Then he said I should go back to the lobby. But I want to be on the other side of this door! I want to be resting and eating my nuggets in peace! I want to be relaxing! Ok.
I waited and the key was found in the break room. The housekeeper was blamed for its disappearance.
I got my computer and went back downstairs to go online briefly. I had to tell Aude I wasn’t coming to her parents’ house (which I’m sure she knew since it was so late). She had a suggestion for how I should go to the airport. Great! It was a bus from the metro straight to Beauvais. I didn’t have to take a train in between! With that, off to bed for a short few hours’ sleep!
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