Ohhhh...Friday...the 13th! I am not supersticious or anything though- but it is a good thing I am not flying today! Nope..today I am headed for the Arc du Triomphe! I awake to heavy clouds and fog! It is also quite chilly. It has rained heavily overnight. I do miss the bright sunshine from the last 2 days, but I figure..well it is not raining right now.
After my delicious breakfast I head out for the Metro and get to the Charles De Gaulle Etolie stop. My feet are hurting just from standing on my blisters at this point. I have applied band-aids, but would rather have cotton balls attached. I come up from under the metro and can%26#39;t beleive how HUGE the Arc is. I notice the ridiculous traffic in the circle and can%26#39;t believe that many people actually try to cross the road here! I take the underground route and make my way to the Arc. I see people trudging up the steps and think- there is no way I can do that with these feet. I remember hearing about an elevator for the handicapped- and at the moment- I considered myself just that. I was lucky enough to get a nice guard to take me to the top in the lift...BONUS...I didn%26#39;t think I%26#39;d be able to!
The view was nice- though dissappointing due to the haze. I could see the faint outline of the Eiffel Tower and some of the Champ-Elysees. What I could see- clear as day- was the maze of cars in the traffic circle below me. I used to think that driving in Italy was bad until I saw this. How does anyone get to where they are going???? I watch the hilarity ensue for about 10 minutes and get the BONUS ride to the bottom on the elevator.
I stroll down the Champs-Eylsees from here...only for a short while as it reminds me of Madison Ave in NYC- and I really can see most of those stores anywhere. I stop at George V cafe for a croissant and cafe au lait and a rest for my tootsies!
From here I take the metro(love the metro)to the Concorde. Take a few photos and walk to the Madeline. On my way I spot it....the most lovely and talked about place...famous for it%26#39;s packaging and sumptuous treats. LADUREE! Oh my..this place is BE-UTIFUL! I stop just to look at the window displays for a few minutes. I just love the light green boxes with the lacey-looking logo. To me it is soooo french. Then I enter and get the total WOW factor. The little tiny tea tables for 2, and all of the guilded gold decor and the cherubs and frescoes on the ceiling...DOUBLE WOW!!! It takes me about 10 minutes to look over all the treats and decide what I want. I must have let about 10 people get in front of me cause I couldn%26#39;t stop gaulking. I decide on a box of macaroons. And these were not my GRANDMA%26#39;S coconut macaroons. I choose a sampler of 9 and get 1 of each kind. Really odd combinations- they were delicious just the same. I love the pistachio, rose and violet. The cafe flavor was worth a mention too. 9Euro total- which I did not think was that bad. I read someone on this forum ask what the big deal was- they were just like oreo cookies. I did not find this at all- I never had an oreo so soft that it melted in my mouth- but these sure did!! Checked those off my %26quot;to try%26quot; list.
Potty break! I heard about these wonderful art deco bathrooms by the Madeline church- so I decide that nature is calling anyway...so.... I go. The attendant must have thought I was nuts to pull out my camera and take photo%26#39;s of the place. She must have known what I was thinking because she just smiled and said oh..no problem..people take pictures all the time. It was shiney dark wood and stained glass. A far cry from the literal hole in the floor at a few cafes I went to. I gave the attendant a tip-you feel compelled...and off I go...well after I..well you know.
Did some shopping on the Place at the Madeline. At Nicholos I bought some more CHEAP wine....checked out the food offerings at Fauchon and Hediard. I don%26#39;t think I could ever buy anything here as it looks too good to ruin by eating it! I swear to you that the fruits and veggies on display at Hediard looked WAX to me. I couldn%26#39;t believe anything real could look so good. It made me want to sample veggies I don%26#39;t even like. I pass the Maison du Chocolat....whoa...almost pass..of course I have to stop in. I just love the way the French spend so much time and money on their packaging! Love the cute little logo at this place. It looks like a little cocoa bean resting on a curved board that they roll/crush the beans on. Had to buy some chocolate for the boyfriend back home. This was one of his requests. And as it turns out I crossed something else off of my %26quot;list%26quot;....the chocolat chaud! Oh..my...thick, rich, almost too rich...yes I did say ALMOST....very very chocooooolatey! It was delicious. What I love most was the presentation. It came with a small dish next to the cup- with fresh whipped cream so that you could add whatever amount you wanted...loved that!
Next I head out to the Pharmacie on rue Caumatin- someone has recommended this on trip advisor for Nuxe Face Cream and Caudalie elixir. I was able to pick them up, but not the Fragonard Face Cream that everyone has been raving about. Oh well....I%26#39;m sure I%26#39;ll find it somewhere else. On to the Opera Garnier. I am a HUGE fan of Phantom of the Opera. I have seen the play on Broadway in NYC, and the new movie. I have the original cast soundtrack etc etc, so this is a big deal for me. Well, I get to the Opera and realize that the Cafe de la Paix is right across the street...hmmmm..I am a bit hungry...until I check out the prices and suddenly I can wait quite a while to eat! To my chagrin, the auditorium is closed due to rehersals, and that is of course where the famous frescoed ceiling is- so rather than waste my 7E to see the rest of it- I mull about the lobby and take some pic%26#39;s and move on. Oh well- it is on my list for next time.
Now I head off to find %26quot;Willi%26#39;s Wine Bar%26quot; in the 2nd. It has been recommended by several people, but mainly someone in my better half%26#39;s family. After walking what seems like miles- I find it. Lucky me- my book says they are open and serve food all day/night- but I am informed that I just missed lunch :( Oh well- I have a cheese plate that was fabulous and a 3 Euro beajoulais that.... I am not kiddin here....poured like syrup. I enjoyed the food- but the service was a bit %26quot;chilly%26quot;. Just as I think I%26#39;m in bad shape, I overhear these 3 American ladies that were in Paris and after speaking with them realize that one of them was wearing a cast on her FOOT! She broke it a week or so before the trip- but went anyway. Geez...I can%26#39;t imagine hobbling around Paris- well- yes I can, but not quite as bad as her. LOL
Was going to hit the Louve tonight- but I am just not feeling it- so maybe another nite. Instead I head back to the hotel for a well deserved break!
Tonight I am dining by Notre Dame at La Vieux Bistro, my first actual restaurant experience. Went at 7pm to avoid the smoke and I had no reservation. Inside the back room, it was lovely. Candle%26#39;s were lit on the tables and the place was empty- which was ok with me. My waiter was so adorable. He read me everything on the menu in English when he found out I was from NY. Then when I ordered he made me say everything in French. If I did not say it right he would help me and make me say it again. It was fun, I must admit! I had a wonderful warm goat cheese salad, beouf borgingon...and a glass of bordeaux....I intended on dessert, but had no room. The beef was brought in a le creuset dutch oven and it was enough for about 8 people...when I looked at it- he saw my eyes get the size of saucer%26#39;s as if I said %26quot;I%26#39;ll NEVER be able to eat all that%26quot; and he grinned and said out loud to me %26quot;Take your time, you have all night%26quot;. What I neglected to tell him was that if he intended me to FINISH this pot of meat- that he would need to provide a stomach pump..and only then I may have a shot at it! After finishing about only 1/3 of it..I just had NO desire for dessert. My total was 36Euro...and worth every penny! And I cross 2 more dishes off my list!
Got another 2nd wind(or it%26#39;s the wine dulling the pain again) and strolled thru the Latin Qtr, passed lots of art galleries. I was surprised to see so much happening here- much more lively than my area. Walked passed the Le Deux Magots and Cafe Flore and stopped at La Bonaparte for my evening cafe- thought it was a hefty drink at 5.50Euro! I walked around some more and discovered the Amorino Gelato place and boy was that place jumpin! It is Friday night after all. I succomb and get a small cup and take it along on my walk. It was sooo good- must admit it gets my vote vs. Berthillon. Make my way to La Palette cafe and see a fight break out between some young drunk men. Guess you%26#39;ll find this in just about every city you travel. It was funny, until one of them got too close to me and smacked right into me and I don%26#39;t know swear words in French, but I think he called me a %26quot;wh*re%26quot;, so I got moving out of there. At this point, I make my way back to the I%26#39;le, call home and fall dead away into bed!
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Brilliant!
First you figure out how to do Paris the right way from day one; then you write about your trip with such enthusiasm and humor, and such a good eye. I%26#39;m waiting for day 4 already!
One word about blisters - moleskin. Pack a decent size piece in your kit. Everybody gets blisters once in a while. This stuff is champion!
(Your blister problem does seem a bit worse than most though. Kudos to you for keeping going and keeping your enthusiasm in spite of it. You certainly are walking far enough in a day!)
I really like the Bonaparte. If you think it is a tad bit expensive it%26#39;s probably a good thing you walked right by the Deux Magots...
Did you ever make it to La Palette?
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Wow...what a great read. I love the way your describe everything to the finest detial. I feel like I am there with you. It%26#39;s so funny, because your 3rd day sounds exactly what I have planned in my itinerary for my 3rd day...with the Louvre added in there. Though, you never know...I might miss it too, depending on how I feel.
I am glad to hear your enthusiastic thumbs up on Laduree. I can%26#39;t wait to taste their macaroons.
Umm...I am glad you have a much better temper than me. I would have probably smacked the guy...well, okay maybe not considering that he%26#39;d probably be double my size...but I would have yelled and screamed in German, English and Persian (I should learn some French swear words :)
Can%26#39;t wait for day 4. I am so glad you%26#39;ve kept your promise Robin and ARE writing us an amzing report. Thanks.
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Sounds like a reat day with some wonderful food
how easy was it to get the bonus ride on the lift for the arc??
can%26#39;t wait to hear more
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Hello RPL67,
Just love reading your report. So unique. You sure make going to Paris alone an experience worth trying. Thank you.
Bea
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Robin,
This is the best trip report ever! Really, thanks for sharing your expereinces in such a personal and entertaining way. Your %26quot;style%26quot; of travel is so similiar to mine - I always had some idea of where I was headed, but always ended up going with the flow - as I%26#39;ve said here before, those unplanned and %26quot;happened upon%26quot; experiences are definitely my favorite memories. Thanks for helping me to re-live them - I can%26#39;t wait til day 4!!
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YAY Day 3!!!! Makes me less %26quot;homesick%26quot; hearing all your adventures. Thanks for taking the time to post them.
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In anticipation of my own blisters, where can I buy moleskin? At my regular CVS pharmacy, grocery store, Target, where?? Does it have another name?
Thanks.
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Yeeeeah!!! Another vote for Amorino over Berthillon. My favorite is at last getting the respect it%26#39;s due!!
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What a great trip report...I can%26#39;t wait to hear about the rest of your trip. Thanks for sharing!!
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I love this trip report. I know I probably missed it ,but did you say what brand of shoes you were wearing when you got those blisters? I had some Easy Spirit loafers do that to me in Paris. I was literally sobbing on my my way back to the hotel. I applaud your spunk.
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