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Patient readers,
We all have the same amount of time each day, so I’ve never completely understood the phrase “ I didn’t have time”; of course I had time. Twentyfour hours, just like everyone else. Or “I didn’t make the time” as if there is some coin operated mechanism that spews minutes and hours. Or even slightly more honest/accurate “ I didn’t carve out enough time”, which makes me think of some clock whittled out of fallen trees of time.
Some of our friends asked, “You’re home already? It’s like you just left.” For them, time is flying by like it always seems to; a slight acceleration every year. Whether due to exploring strange lands, mindful travel (including meditation), or simply watching no television for 93 days, on the trip, we actually experienced a slowness in the passage of time.
Since returning, it’s been like stepping onto a moving train, now my moments are speeding by again. Or at least that’s the story explaining why it’s taken so long to write the last entries telling you all about Paris and our return.
Thank you for your patience. Paris Part 2 will be issued within a few days.
We seemingly fly into Paris via high speed train on Tom’s birthday, reaching a rate of 314 kmh (190 mph). Surprisingly smooth, considering the high velocity, until we passed another high speed train going the opposite direction. That’s when it felt like what I imagine being in the middle of a sonic boom feels like: it’s loud and my ears felt the air whoosh of the pressure wave, a niche scientific topic of study. If you’re a wave-geek like me, you can read more about it HERE.
Once we arrive at the Paris train station, we stand in an orderly line to catch a cab, managed by no less than three “taxi station arrangers”. Is there a name for these helpful people? Traffic is at a standstill around Hotel des Arts Montmartre, but our driver finds some side streets to get us there. As the name implies, our hotel is in the Montmartre area, which is charming – still draped in Christmas decor and sparkling. I am smitten.
However, stepping into our hotel room provides a slap in the face of some sort of sharp, chemical-like odor, something you might detect after a new carpet or paint job. We open the window to air it out, but the odor returns after the window is closed again. When I ask the receptionist about this, she immediately finds us a new room. Luckily, the room is larger and nicer than the first one. Since we’re spending 6 nights here, having extra room is nice. In the future, when our stay is more than 2 or 3 nights, securing a bigger room is a must. I am impressed by the hotel staff and their dedication to ensuring we are comfortable. A+++ for Hotel des Arts Montmartre!
We enjoy Tom’s birthday dinner – pizza of course- at Piccolo Caratello. We then stroll back to the hotel, which is offering a happy hour reception. So we find a table and strike up a conversation with a young couple from Tacoma. Hilary and Ricky are the perfect combination of energetic, easygoing, and hilarious. We have an instant connection and end up spending a few hours sharing stories of travel, work, and family. We marvel at their resilience when they share their earlier experience at Eiffel Tower. After an all night flight, they purchased a skip-the-line tour through Expedia to drink champagne at the top of the tower. After waiting a couple hours for the “tour guide”, he showed up but had no tickets. He wanted more time so that it reeked of “scam”. Even though they didn’t get into the Eiffel, Hilary & Ricky were still in high spirits just because they’re in Paris.
The next day is Friday and Musee D’Orsey is on our radar. We purchase 5 day metro passes and venture into the very clean labyrinth of underground tunnels that comprise the Paris Metro. Be careful, there are LOTS of stairs. For €45 each, this is an excellent way to experience Paris. Even if money is no object, cars can only get you so far here as many streets are geared for pedestrians, not cars, and traffic can turn a 10 minute walk into a 30 minute taxi ride
Thirty minutes later, around 11AM, we approach the Musee D’Orsey along with several hundred others waiting to buy tickets. Nope! Now is the time for google! I check the museum’s website, but they are sold out until mid-January. However, I find “skip-the-line” tickets through Viator for $39 each (double the normal price) available on Tuesday January 2nd, our last full day in Paris. We buy them, then stroll along the Seine, enjoying the City of Love along the way. We decide against a river cruise since the boats are crammed full. Besides strolling the riverside provides a better view of the city and her sites. Among other landmarks, we spot a Thomas Jefferson statue. Jefferson lived in Paris for 5 years in the 1780’s. Apparently he was supportive of the French Revolutionaries and is still held in high esteem here in Paris.
We head to the Musee Rodin, where we are eager to see the works of Auguste Rodin, one of Tom’s favorite sculptors. We’re not disappointed. Along with the incredible sculpture garden, a more modern exhibit starts inside and spills out to the gardens to join with several Rodin masterpieces.
The Thinker is impressive. The Gates of Hell inspires both awe and trepidation; try not to shudder as you study it up close. All of the sculptures are powerful; Rodin was brilliant at capturing anguish.
We return to Montmartre for dinner at Al Caratello, across the street from where we ate the night before. It turns out these two restaurants are run by the same owners, two friends from Sri Lanka. Both had delicious food and we recommend either (or both, like us). Just FYI, all the restaurants in Paris are crowded and very cramped. The tables are small and with all the plates and glasses there is rarely room for your elbows. Tables are arranged so close together you can’t help but meet your neighbors. Strangers a few minutes before, will soon be dinner companions. We return to Hotel des Arts Montmartre and meet up with Hilary & Ricky, comparing our adventures of the day. Conversation flows, laughter and connection until WAY too late.
During this trip, I’ve been reading “All the Light We Cannot See”, which is where I learned about Foucault’s pendulum. In 1851, physicist Leon Foucault demonstrated the rotation of the earth with this exhibit, using a 62lb brass coated pendulum at the end of a 220 ft cable, hanging from the dome in the Paris Pantheon. We had to see this! As we walk through the Latin Quarter approaching the Pantheon we notice two entrances: one has about 100 people waiting, the other is sending visitors right in, but exclusive to those with tickets. A quick website search and I find the Pantheon website, buy our tickets for €13 each, and we’re inside within a couple minutes. How did we ever get by without our phones?
Note: if you can’t buy your tickets early, try buying them when waiting in line.
The Pantheon halls are exquisite and I’m transfixed by the pendulum exhibit. It’s both science and art, a most beautiful physics experiment. My physicist dad would have loved this! Underneath the spacious halls lies a necropolis. The lighting in this mausoleum highlights the architecture, casting dramatic shadows through the arches and hallways. We visit the crypts of distinguished French citizens such as Victor Hugo, Voltaire, Louis Braille, and Marie Curie.
After the Pantheon we walk north to see the progress of the Notre Dame restoration. On Rue des Anglais, we duck into Bistro Des Artistes for a light lunch, escaping a downpour. Once our bellies are full and the rain lifts, we make our way across the Seine River to Isle de Cite. A devastating fire in 2019 destroyed most of the roof and collapsed the iconic spire, yet the majesty of the building is still obvious and restoration work is expected to be complete by the end of 2024. The cranes and equipment surrounding are as incredible as the building. The spire alone is enshrouded in 600 tons of scaffolding. So much scaffolding!
Tonight we choose the restaurant recommended by the hotel reception: Le Peroquet Vert, an authentic French restaurant in Pigalle, which is only a 10 minute walk from our hotel. They have one menu for the entire restaurant: hand-written on a chalkboard, placed on a chair next to our table while we decide what to eat. Later, another chalkboard is balanced on the same chair with the wine list. This is probably our best meal in Paris, we highly recommend it.
Now it’s New Years Eve and the Louvre is our destination. I bought our tickets for 9:30 AM entrance a few weeks earlier. In preparing for the museum, we plan to queue up early and go immediately to the Denon wing to see the Mona Lisa before the crowds. Next we’ll explore the rest of the Denon wing and break for lunch, then we’ll meander until we’ve had our fill. This turned out to be a good plan and I recommend having a strategy, especially if you are viewing like us: on your own, without a tour guide. You can just “go with the flow” and figure it out when you get inside the museum, but you will likely be shoulder to shoulder with a throng.
We arrive about 8:30 and see several queues, well-managed ala Disneyland. We find the 9:30 queue and wait our turn to enter. We see Mona right away, probably by 9:45, and there is already a crowd of about 50 waiting to gain access to the front of the line for an unobstructed view. By the time we break for lunch the room is completely full and a line has formed to enter the room just to see Mona! Honestly, I really don’t understand the fervor.
Hey, don’t forget to look up once in a while. The ceilings are incredible.
Our break for lunch is about 11:15AM and we don’t have to wait to order. By 11:30, there is a line. Keep this in mind when planning your Louvre visit, assuming you prefer smaller crowds and shorter lines. Fortified, we return to browsing antiquities and note the crowd continues to grow. Unlike a Disneyland ride, more visitors gain access while no one is yet getting off this ride. Thus the crowd continues to grow. The museum is huge and we get lost a couple times, mostly while trying to escape the masses.
For some reason, today I am intrigued by artists’ renditions of fabric so I take a few photos of laces and velvet drapes for later examination. After 4 or 5 hours, we’ve had our fill.
Later in the afternoon we walk from our hotel to the top of Montmartre, to visit the Sacre Coeur, which is also swamped with visitors. Maybe because it’s Sunday? Maybe because it’s New Years Eve? Regardless, we are crowd weary, so head back toward our hotel. On the way we stumble into Place du Tertre, a quintessential cafe-lined cobbled square filled with dozens of artists painting and sketching portraits. We have dinner and turn in early.
Why so early? Since the city is up late celebrating the new year, we expect a more sparse crowd at the Eiffel Tower early in the morning.
Coming up: Paris Part 2
Feels like I was there! Beautiful job.
I love this story! You are so right… time did seem slower when we were over in Europe. Fascinating take on that. We absolutely loved visiting with you both and can’t wait to meet in another random city or place soon.
Being a dedicated Francophile you know I’m
truly enjoying your impressions. You’ve captured its essence. Merci bien!