Paris

From London, I got on the Chunnel train to Paris.  It was fast and convenient; it took a bit over two hours.  I sat in a comfortable chair and read my Kindle until we arrived.  I even got a drink and a snack from the food car.  From the station I got onto another train to my hotel in the Trocodero, right next to the Palais de Chaillot.  Thanks to Dianne for helping me book the room!  I was totally paralyzed in trying to figure out where to stay while I was there, and she recommended for me the perfect spot.  Tiny little room, and overpriced breakfast buffet, but right next to the Eiffel tower with a metro station almost right outside the door.  The Cafe Kleber was just next door, where I had excellent Croque Monsieur and ham and cheese omelette.

I was already pretty tired, so I tended to get up late.  This was unfortunate, since museums and parks and sightseeing-type stuff generally closes by 6pm, so I wasn't able to see as much as I hoped.  Still, I saw a lot!  I had a Rick Steves guide to Paris, which gave some very specific instructions on how to get places and what to look at when you got there.  I saw a lot of things that way that I would have missed on my own.  My first evening I went over to the Champs Elysees, but without my camera.  My first impression of Paris was that it was very crowded.  It didn't really change.

Seeing things in Paris is tricky, especially over Monday and Tuesday.  Several museums are closed on Mondays, and the others are closed on Tuesdays.  So it takes planning to see anything at all.  The first thing I went to see was the catacombs.

 Even in October, the lines were long for everything, but they move pretty quickly.  This history of the catacombs is fascinating, but no flash allowed in the actual ossuary.  It's a humbling experience.  That day I also went to Notre Dame and lit a little candle for my sweetie. 

This was the line, but it moved pretty fast.

From there I followed the guide to see most of the significant parts of Paris.  By the time I got through the walk, the museums were closed.  I got to the Jardins de Luxembourg just as they were closing the gates.  But I got to walk through the Left Bank and take some nice pictures.  I saw artists and the locks on the Pont des Arts bridge.  It was a lovely day.  Cold, though.  Colder than London.

The next day I went to the Musee National de Marine, because it was nearby, to get a two day museum pass.  Since it was Monday, I spent most of the day at the Louvre.  So much to see, I only hit the highlights.  I saw the Mona Lisa, of course, and Hammurabi's code, and lots of beautiful paintings and sculptures.

From the Louvre, I went through the Jardin de Tuileries.  If I lived in Paris, I would probably spend a lot of time there.  So pretty, so much to see.

Now here is where my trip got really interesting.  My last full day there I intended to spend at Versailles.  The price to see Versailles is what would have made the museum pass worth buying.  It just so happened that the retirement-age-strike began that day.  I got on a train that would take me there, but they stopped at the station just before the one closest to Versailles.  That was our first clue that something was wrong.  A small group of other Americans and I walked (following the crowd) to Versailles, which wasn't open yet.

They kept saying they would open soon, a few more minutes, whatever.  While waiting, I went down towards the Grand Trianon (also closed), walking through the gardens and looking for a geocache which I didn't find, and another which I did.  The Petit Trianon is apparently separate from the rest of Versailles, because it was open.  As the day wore on, it became obvious that it would be the only part of Versailles which would be open that day.  I was very disappointed, but the Petit Trianon, the village and grounds near it, and the gardens of Versailles were beautiful and very grand.  It's easy to see WHY the peasants revolted, and I can't blame them.  But I was majorly pissed off at the French that day, even though they did give me a good story to tell about their stupid strike.

The next day, I got back on the train to return to London for one last quick tour before home.