Yesterday Chris had stopped by the train station and bought tickets and passes and found out how we were supposed to get to Paris.
Mark and Dana told us which stop to get of and said that it was the Archs station and when we came out of the tunnel it would be right there.
WOW!
We stood directly across the street from it and and it just doesnt look that big in photos but its HUGE and really awesome! Good photos here too.
SWe went across the street and carved right into the Arch were benches. We sat while he found our friends.
Chris found them and it was off to the Louve.
Mark has been to Paris several times and knows how to navigate those trains like its nothing.
We soon found ourselves at the Louve, which Im going to say again, its HUGE! It must be a city block long and has 3 main buildings witha courtyard in the center.
Eric takes one look on the inside and gives me a look that Dana picked up on right away and she asked me what was wrong and I told her that he was just "done" and sha told me, let me take care of Eric. Ok.
She absolutely made the day for him! Right now, they have no children but I bet she would make a great mom or maybe a teenage boy youth counselor.
She made a competition for her and Eric and I wont mention her what they counted but they had a very interesting time!
It was wonderful to see the Mona Lisa, Venus di Milo and the Diana the Huntress sculture.
We went down to the basement and walked around the excavated ruins and moat and had lunch there and Eric had apple pie!
So the best apple pie Eric had was in Paris and the best croissant Lauren had was in Finland!
After that the went over to the Eiffle Tower.
First, I think everyone admits that is really is much prettier at night with the lights on it and all.
Second, the military walking around with their rifles is not really reassuring and what are they going to do on the ground anyway?
Third, the humidity reminds me of Florida in June.
and fourth, the trash.
I just dont understand why. Ok if they cant afford custodians, people dont want to pick up after themselves either?
It was about a 45 minute wait in line to buy tickets which were not as expensive as we thought they would be.
Then you had to wait for the elevator to take you to the second level. Then you had to wait in another line to be able to go to the top, which we did.
I had always wanted to go to the top of EF but I think I was up there for about all of 15 minutes when I just wanted to get down.
We found our friends and told them that I wanted to go down to the 2nd story to go to the gift shop, which was half truth.
I just couldnt be up ther. So Eric stayed with our friends and the Chris, Lauren and I went down.
They met up with us and they wanted to go to dinner but at this point we really just wanted to go back to the hotel.
We had something from the snack bar and thenwent down to the ground level.
There had been so many people that you really couldnt see that much of a view from the top but we tried to get some photos but then my claustrophobia started acting up and it almost became a "get me out of here now" moment.
As we were walking back to the tube, Dana had to stop and rest and as we sat she asked me
"What do you really think of Paris" and I told her that I was a guest in another country and she says Im an American and I know how we think ",NOW what do you really think?"
and I told her! She told me that the smell was because men over there do not care where they urinate and are not paying for the urinals ,
they have a careless attitude about the trash and she was just as shocked at first as I was.
Paris has some very beautiful places and I am very glad to have been there but I can honestly say that unless its on some tour on some trip that we go on someday I wouldnt pay to go back.
But we saw the Eiffle Tower at night and that was special.
Arch, Eiffle, Venus, Mona us and for you geeks out there, yes, there really was an Apple store located in the Louve!
when the plane touched down there was a double row of military personnel (all with holstered pistols) to see us onto a bus. Then we realy laughed - the bus did a big slow semicircle to the arrivals hall, while the military people walked in a straight line so they would be there to see us OFF the bus
And at that time the boohtes were made of wood, so you walked into this narrow gap and stood looking through a window and the glum customs official - and for some weird reason there was an angled mirror so they could also see the back of your head
They would look fixedly at the passport, then up at you, then back again at least 6 times
At that time (early-mid 90s) such booths were still in all the FSU countries, but by 1999 most were slowly opening up a bit.
If the did have the lights on all you'd see would be cables - no more exciting than the subway! The first time I was using the Eurostar elder DS (then 5) said "you must be so excited to see all the fishes!" Even if it was a clear tube I think it would be pretty weedy - think of the pipeline in "Finding Nemo". I think I'm happiest NOT seeing the water
Anyone heading for DLRP, try Walts on main street - its called "an Americain Diner" but actually its really nice food - more like the Brown Derby - and if you go upstairs you can watch the parade from your table.
Generally Europe does not have the same service culture as the US - no water the instant you sit down, no bread til you've ordered etc. The other main problem is they rarely have enough servers for the number of customers - though I had a terrible server at the Maya Grill for breakfast in WDW (we waited ages just for juice) and at Chef Mickeys for Sunday Brunch on Easter Sunday. I know its a buffet but if they don't plan on bringing you drinks they should have them available for self service!I think at any restaurant you have to be lucky and catch a slack bit asnwell as a good server.
No wonder you only come to Europe once every 28 years
