Dec 30th – 31st
by allisonf ~ December 31st, 2010. Filed under: Uncategorized.Well we had an amazing first french le petit dejeuner at 7 am if you can believe that early hour. Complete avec croissants, cafe cremes, et jus d’oranges. Coffee is expensive in France. Cafe creme (espresso avec lait chaud) is usually 4 euros, unless you get it at the bar where it is only 2 euros. A plain espresso is only about 2 euros no matter where you get it.
We are so lucky with the weather here so far. On this day it was gorgeous, blue skies, mais il fait tres froid! We then walked all over the town! Pictures are up on facebook for your viewing pleasure.
We visited the Pantheon, Saint Etienne du Mont, Notre Dame, Musee de l’Armee, L’hotel des Invalides, le Tour Eiffel among many more! There are about 3 boulangeries et patisseries on every block! It is amazing. There is dog poop everywhere though! Not much greenery. We get lost so easily (J’ai perdu is a common phrase). The roads are so confusing, and street signs are place on the sides of buldings where they are often obscured by awnings etc. Crossing the street is extremely risky…cars do not stop for anyone. You often only get to cross half of the street.
Eiffel Tower
Nikolai Perfume shop
Notre Dame
We came back to our hotel exhausted and napped from 4-7. Then promptly decided to go out on the town to rue mouffetard. There we went to 3 different bars and met some locals who invited us to a dinner party the following night. We got home at 2:30 am that night. We have decided that french drinks are much stronger…maybe an effect of jet lag? regardless, we are in much need of sleep 🙁
Woke up at 10 am this morning and booked our tickets to le WAGG – club St. Germain in the Latin Quarter (5th arrondissment dans le centre ville) for the NYE party. 50 euros for coat check, entry, and trois boires. http://maps.google.fr/maps?hl=fr&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=wagg+st+germain,+paris&fb=1&gl=fr&hq=wagg+st+germain,&hnear=Paris&cid=0,0,10694002934058877775&ei=CB0eTf7IPMGy8gPrk5ynBQ&sa=X&oi=local_result&ct=image&resnum=2&ved=0CCAQnwIwAQ
We then went to rue l’odeon in the latin quarter for Crepes. So tasty. Of course avec espresso and cafe cremes. Then we walked all around, shopping on our way to the Eiffel Tower. I bought some perfume, at an amazing little shop (Nikolai), also picked up some postcards. The weather today was cloudy and cold, but no rain or snow!! 🙂 Got to the Eiffel Tower and saw the Police (riding horseback) chase around a bunch of gypsies. Typical. Then we walked and took the metro back to Corvisart station (by our hotel). Picked up some rose, baguette, charcuterie, et brie. Just relaxing at the hotel until we go out to le WAGG.
Happy New Year!
January 2nd, 2011 at 11:02 pm
Funny, I never witnessed the police chase the gypsies, although I did see many gypsies begging on the streets. The city is very confusing, it’s so old, much older than the discipline of city-planning! The Parisians might give you the wrong directions just to screw you around (usually thinking you are American). But despite the sense of chaos, I did love that city. Also, you will find that almost every cathedrale in France is named Notre Dame, there is just one famous one. There seems to be a lack of french creativity in naming their religious buildings!