Days 1 and 2 - Paris

The train arrived in Paris around 4 in the afternoon so we quickly head out to look for the Hotel that ***** booked. Turns out that for the low low price of around $113, you get a fairly decent room with a private bath but no shower. So here's this big bathtub, and me without my rubber ducky. Decent view of the street.



I think its implied that you nudge your way out of a parking spot in paris...



There definitely is something romantic about Paris, or gay Pareee. We didn't come across the masses of smooching couples, but romantic nonetheless. I could definitely see myself escorting that special someone around the streets of Paris one day.

I read in some travel book that the Louvre is open in the evening for one day out of the week and it said that day of the week was Monday. Well that book is stupid. I found out that The Louvre is open Wednesday evenings and NOT MONDAY EVENINGS. GRRRR.

Anyway, the Louvre-less evening becomes a walk around town starting with the:

Notre Dame Cathedral


The Louvre (Damn travel book!)


The Arche de Triomphe


The Eiffel Tower





It was a really friggen long walk but we managed to see all of these.. from the outside anyway.

The food situation was satisfied with a visit to some snappy little Bistro just 50m away from the Eiffel Tower. Whoever said that French waiters were assholes has obviously never met Gaston, our waiter at said little Bistro. He was actually a nice guy and seemed helpful in suggesting ***** try the steak tartar. Once I told ***** what it was, he changed his mind. I think we missed the big strobe light show on the Eiffel Tower because in mid bite, I saw the flashes of light reflecting off the adjacent buildings but we didn't have a direct view of the tower... so poo!

Day 2 was a little lighter with a trip out to Montmartre to see the Basilique du Sacré-Cœur. No, I didn't run into Amelie while I was there but I neglected to take a photo of one of the last original "metropolitain" metro entrances still in existence in Paris. Oh well, here's some shots of the morning's highlights.







Along with a pleasant walk up the cramped stairs to the dome with the Eiffel Tower in the distance.



A short metro ride later, we went to see the Grande Arche de la Defence (an eyesore in my humble opinion)



Unfortunately, we did not see the insides of many of these places, but for 22 hours in Paris, it`s good enough.

I would have added more pictures and better descriptions, but this stupid french keyboard has the letters rearranged and the uploading takes too long.

Day 3 will take us to Venice with a trip on the fabled TGV.