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Sitting on the train to Paris which I caught with one minute to spare (don't ask..!) was looking forward to having a few days to do whatever I liked at whatever time I liked! I was heading to Paris on my own (long story).
So had booked a hotel in Montmartre which was not a bad size for a city hotel. Have put some pics of this and other things on the blog too.
First night I tried to get tickets for West Side Story as I knew it was on at the Chatelet Theatre. The lady said that all they had was a seat with a restricted view for €42 (!) so I decided to head to the cinema instead. Of course living in Guernsey the cinema experience can be somewhat disappointing so watching the final instalment of Twilight on a big screen in a proper cinema was a real treat... so much so that I went back the next night and watched SKYFALL... AmaZing! Both of them really really good and I am sure there were many cultural things that I could have been doing but eating a massive bag of maltesers and watching movies in version originale (english :)) was good enough for me!
My plan was to walk everywhere to make up for all the food I would eat (yes I are a big bag of maltesers each night lol) and so the Saturday morning I headed round the corner from my hotel up to the Sacre Coeur to get to which you have 225 steps (or you can get a lift). So walked up there and took a look round and it was jam packed with tourists! I then headed through the city on foot to the other side of the river to the latin quarter.
I was actually (surprise surprise) on my way to find food. A creperie that I went to when I lived here and they so huge crepes (see photos!) got my "jambon fromage" and headed to the Jardins de Luxembourg for a walk around.
I walked through the Jardins and back to the river Seine where I walked along to the Musee d'Orsay. I had never visited this museum before and it had been recommended to me so I headed in. I would describe my visit as a bit peewee herman-esque as I sought out all the Van Gogh's and Monets that I had seen on'telly or in't'papers as I am afraid art is not really my thing... I would loved to have stood like so many other visitors gazing in appreciation at a dark and moody painting of a landscape but it really isnt me! I did enjoy however seeing the classics and also the building itself inside is really breathtaking, even a view all the way back to the Sacre Coeur through a giant clock which you can make out in my photos if you look reeaaaally closely!
As night had now fallen I walked further along the Seine to the Grand Palais and managed to catch my first sight of the Eiffel Tower! Unfortunately that walk was a bit far even for me so I crossed the river back to the northern side and headed through Avenue Montaigne where all the posh shops are, including the Dior where Carrie famously goes flying in SATC! But don't worry Stuart I didn't buy anything! Then heading down the Champs Elysee, through the Jardin des Tuilleries and ended up outside the Louvre...phew!
Sunday I visited the March Aux Puces, the largest flea market in the world. I remember going when I lived there and buying a coat amongst other things. The coat was white (so impractical, so me!) and I loved it so so much. But... it seems my tastes have changed quite a lot since I was last here 7 years ago as the clothes stalls all seemed tacky and the vintage clothes and antiques were soooo expensive! Needless to say I didnt buy anything but it was nice to spend the day wandering around and not much else is open in France on a Sunday!
So I lasted the whole weekend without taking any public transport, battering my new sensible boots and not once looking at my revision notes for my exams which are next week but for all the things I managed to pack in to the weekend I won't regret it!
À la prochaine
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