Arrived at Charles de Gaulle in 10 degrees celcius which was a massive shock after Vietnam! Found my way through the RER and metros to a hostel in Montmartre and as you´re locked out of the rooms before 5pm I just wandered around the streets, freezing, ate a Nutella crepe and listened to a harp busker at Sacre Coeur. I loved Montmartre, it looked like a movie set with quaint chocolatiers, fromageries, boulangeries... red flowers in window boxes etc. Everything was so pretty, but it stunk! Paris is officially smellier than Saigon- people must be very liberal about where they can relieve themselves.
That evening as I dazedly wondered what to do before Mel arrived, she appeared in the doorway (about 15 hours earlier than I expected her... wow stuffed that up!) Anyway it was a perfect surprise and we headed out for French food and wine at a brasserie where all the chairs face the street for people watching. It was so cold we were rugged up in jeans, jumpers, and scarves! Secretly I was a bit happy because I had been lugging this cold weather gear around the whole of Asia without even having to look at it!
For the rest of the 5 days we had in Paris we found fun bars in Montmartre, walked around streets and touristy things, became experts at the metro (it´s so efficient, loved waiting max 2 mins for a train) and made some friends at hostels. There are way too many Aussies and Americans travelling right now! We loved Pere Lachaise cemetery which is so old and grand and gothic, some families had crypts which look like grandfather clocks but are like mini churches with ornate iron doors and stained glass windows in the back, others had crumbling graves covered in ivy.. and everything in between. Oscar Wilde´s grave covered in kisses is there, and lots of other famous people.
Stumbled across the summer solstice music festival in Montmartre which was a massive street party; different genres of bands and djs playing on every corner, food and drink sold on the curbs, dancing all over the roads.
We also explored the Latin Quarter and had fun buying picnic supplies for the Jardin des plantes, although there were so many ´no sitting on the grass´nazis we had to content ourselves with a picnic on a bench.
Made some Australian and American friends and hung out with them for a couple of nights, watched the Aus-Serbia game with them and then headed up the Eiffel Tower. It was good doing that towards the end because we could recognise all the major monuments from above and really get Paris in perspective!
The transition to Euros is killing me though, coming from Vietnam where we could have a nice double room with private bathroom, air con, wifi, tv, and fridge for $5 each- to Paris where it´s 28 Euros for a dorm (on weekend) with nothing but a bed!!
Our last night in Paris Mel and I couch surfed with a French girl called Laurie who was sweet, she was really into the World Cup and helped us organise getting to Barcelona! We needed some time away from the hostel crowds and it was great to talk to a native when it´s not in a transaction. In fact it was so fun I think I might head back to France after the UK... I´m really enjoying speaking the language.
PS The weather turned great after the first 2 days.
That evening as I dazedly wondered what to do before Mel arrived, she appeared in the doorway (about 15 hours earlier than I expected her... wow stuffed that up!) Anyway it was a perfect surprise and we headed out for French food and wine at a brasserie where all the chairs face the street for people watching. It was so cold we were rugged up in jeans, jumpers, and scarves! Secretly I was a bit happy because I had been lugging this cold weather gear around the whole of Asia without even having to look at it!
For the rest of the 5 days we had in Paris we found fun bars in Montmartre, walked around streets and touristy things, became experts at the metro (it´s so efficient, loved waiting max 2 mins for a train) and made some friends at hostels. There are way too many Aussies and Americans travelling right now! We loved Pere Lachaise cemetery which is so old and grand and gothic, some families had crypts which look like grandfather clocks but are like mini churches with ornate iron doors and stained glass windows in the back, others had crumbling graves covered in ivy.. and everything in between. Oscar Wilde´s grave covered in kisses is there, and lots of other famous people.
Stumbled across the summer solstice music festival in Montmartre which was a massive street party; different genres of bands and djs playing on every corner, food and drink sold on the curbs, dancing all over the roads.
We also explored the Latin Quarter and had fun buying picnic supplies for the Jardin des plantes, although there were so many ´no sitting on the grass´nazis we had to content ourselves with a picnic on a bench.
Made some Australian and American friends and hung out with them for a couple of nights, watched the Aus-Serbia game with them and then headed up the Eiffel Tower. It was good doing that towards the end because we could recognise all the major monuments from above and really get Paris in perspective!
The transition to Euros is killing me though, coming from Vietnam where we could have a nice double room with private bathroom, air con, wifi, tv, and fridge for $5 each- to Paris where it´s 28 Euros for a dorm (on weekend) with nothing but a bed!!
Our last night in Paris Mel and I couch surfed with a French girl called Laurie who was sweet, she was really into the World Cup and helped us organise getting to Barcelona! We needed some time away from the hostel crowds and it was great to talk to a native when it´s not in a transaction. In fact it was so fun I think I might head back to France after the UK... I´m really enjoying speaking the language.
PS The weather turned great after the first 2 days.
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