Day one…The trip started on a very auspicious note.
We were upgraded to first class for the
flight to Dallas.
It was a ride to savor
because there was no way that this would happen on the flight from Dallas to
Paris.
Sure enough, we were in the
cattle car section DFW to ChdeG.
But, any way to get to Paris is OK for me. We landed at about 9:30 AM and headed off to
figure out how to catch the train to central Paris. We were greeted at the ticket booth by the
most wonderful ticket agent. She sold us
on the idea of the NaviGo pass which allows us to use RER trains, the Metro
(subway) and city buses. I highly
recommend the purchase of a NaviGo pass.
The agent was such an angel, she mapped our route and train changes and
got us to a Metro stop that was on a corner two pie shaped wedges away from our
hotel. One could not have been closer to
a destination. She was a great help in beginning
our first day in Paris.
Our hotel is in the southern part of the arondissement known
as the Latin Quarter. We are far enough
south of St. Germaine des Pres that we are out of the normal tourist flow. Not many Americans here. We are surrounded by people who live in this
neighborhood and we’ve found a fine boulangerie, fruit market and our new local
hangout – they have “Happy Time” until 10 PM. There is a Laundromat around the
corner, so I could happily live here.
Once at the hotel, too early for a room, we left our bags at
the desk and faced a very hot day in the city.
We used the day to find the Seine, for me this is the best way to get oriented
– again using the wonderful Metro. Why
don’t we have good mass transit????
We have seen so many pictures and films set in the central
part of Paris that it feels very familiar and comfortable.
But, there is nothing like the smell, sounds,
and light of being here in person.
So, it’s like 98 degrees, we are sitting on a
shaded bench along the Seine, looking up at the southern side of Notre Dame and
the sound of the language is greeted by the sound of an itinerant accordion
player combined with the smell of bread and garlic and onions.
Dazzling…
We ended our first day hanging out on the Parc du Champ de
Mars with most of Paris. Everyone
was outside trying to stay cool. The
extra bonus of this location is that it is the extended park at the base of the
Eiffel Tower. So, we sat for two hours
watching the gendarme lightheartedly chase the ‘illegals’ selling le tour
Eiffel tchatke away from the citizens and visitors, clusters of young people
passing bottles of wine and demi kegs of beer, young lovers engaged in polite
gymnastics, and youngsters chasing ice cream.
Then at dusk the tower was lit.
C’est magnifique.