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It has been nice living in our “own” place for over a week. Chilling out ,unpacking a bit and getting washing done. We have enjoyed shopping each morning at the market or the local shops for food for dinner and Vanessa and Liam are getting good at getting the baguettes for lunch and dinner using their best French of course.
Because we have had lots of time here it has been nice just doing one or two sights a day and we have been doing lots of walking which is a great way of getting the feel of what Paris is all about. The cafes seem to be busy any time of day and there are so many quirky and stylish little shops and boutiques.
Something we have all noticed is that people in Paris smoke a lot more than at home and in Britain, I guess they aren’t allowed to smoke indoors any more so they are all smoking on the street. There are also a lot more drunks, derelicts, and unemployed people sitting around than anywhere else we have been.
The most disappointing part of Paris has been the weather, unfortunately it has been cold, cloudy and rainy since we got here, however it hasn’t dampened our enthusiasm too much. It just proves how lucky we were in London.
A great innovation Paris has adopted, is a system of communal bicycles, where all round the city are bike stands where you can swipe your card, grab a bike and drop it off anywhere in the city. A great idea for keeping the traffic and pollution down and the population fit !!
We have found that the Euro buys less in Paris than the pound does in London, apart from beer and wine and diesel, that are very similar.
Despite the weather we have got around all the major sights in the city. We would spend half the morning shopping for food, computing and diary writing and then buy a baguette and head off late morning for the sights, mostly on foot and then at the end of the day Metro home for dinner.
One of the highlights was the day we spent at Montmatre. Sacre Coeur was splendid and the views were great. We sat on the steps and were entertained for over half an hour by 3 guys singing and getting all the crowd to join in. Then we wandered the streets full of art galleries and cafes to the square where all the artists are working and displaying their efforts for sale , offering to do portraits for you. It was very colourful and lively , if somewhat crowded, although some of the guys trying to sell stuff said tourist numbers were low. I’d hate to be there when it was busy then!!!
Le Louvre was also a highlight, although Liam would probably not agree - he thought art galleries were extremely boring!! The rest of us enjoyed it, particularly the sculptures, the treasures of the royalty and seeing Napolean Bonapartes apartment still furnished as it was in his day. We spied the Mona Lisa from a distance as it was crowded round with people all jostling for the best photo!
The churches in Paris are spectacular, particularly Notre Dame, it is so huge. They started building it in 1170 and didn’t complete it until 1330. The stained glass windows are very beautful.
Last night the weather finally cleared and the sun came out so after dinner we headed off to the Eiffel Tower. There were crowds of people and a half hour queue for tickets but d*** and the kids went up to the top and enjoyed spectacular views, watched the sun set and the lights of the city come on. Later the tower looked brilliant from ground level all lit up then at 10pm it put on sparkly lights for 10 minutes.
Near our apartment was the unusual attraction of the Catacombes. These are ancient underground tunnels and quarries from excavations for stone to build Paris. In 1786 it was decided to remove millions of skeletons and rotting bodies from the city cemetery as disease was rampant there. They were shifted over a period of years, approx 6 million remains were stacked neatly in the tunnels. During World War 2 the resistance set up it’s headquarters here. We walked through 1.7 km of tunnels 20 metres under the ground , it was a rather creepy experience amongst all those bones and skulls.!!!!! Above the door outside are the words “Stop! This is the empire of death.”
We are leaving Paris today and heading east for Luxembourg and Germany. I shall miss Paris it has a vibrancy and life about it that appeals, if only we had the money to hang out in the cafes and the theatres but we have been able to be a part of Paris life for a short time which has been unforgettable.
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