We finally made it to Paris! The ride in from the airport was a little anticlimatic, as I expected to see the Eiffel Tower or *something* Parisian while driving in. Instead, we saw crazy drivers and closed our eyes, as our cab driver was nearly hitting people, cars, and other inanimated objects.
The hotel is gorgeous- then again, anything is better than the Nayland in London! The room was a decent size and we are close to a Metro stop- big plus, seeing that we're a little outside of the city. And I am really liking having a pasteria on every corner...
We ventured to the Eiffel Tower after dropping our bags off, to see what the ticket situation was. Holy tourist hell- people were everywhere! Apparently it was a holiday in Paris and most places were closed- except for the tower, which was open. Maureen was right about the people trying to sell you stuff everywhere- we kept saying no, and they kept coming back. And back again. And again. The line was ridiculously long, so we decided to just order tickets online through the hotel and have lunch.
We ate near the Tower, which wasn't bad, but probably a little pricier than it should have been. I ordered what I *thought* was a grilled cheese sandwich with lettuce and tomato. Uh, no. It was shredded cheese in a baguette with lettuce and tomato. While I mocked it, I bit into it- and it was amazing. I am surprised how having fresh bread and cheese on a sandwich can transform even the simplest of things into a delight for the tongue.
After lunch, we took the boat tour that Maureen recommended. We probably should have done that after taking a nap- 3 out of 4 of us slept through most of it. Oops. We then went to the hotel, checked in, and took a 2 hour nap. I'm not really a napper, or at least I wasn't until this trip. But everything seems to slow down or shut down for a chunk of time, so why not nap a little?
After our nap, we went to Socer Coeur and Montmarte. What an amazing view! I was a little surprised about how there seemed to be litter everywhere (Maureen later explained that it was because it was a holiday- normally there would be people continuously cleaning up). There, in Montmarte, we found the greatest little restaurant EVER and ate like kings and queens for a meal. We shared a bottle of wine (that I picked out), I had a goat cheese tartar, followed by Indian chicken, with Creme Brulee to finish it off. The food was the best on the trip so far- and the servers were great. Tip is included in the prices for this place, but we tipped extra- the experience was *that* good.
I found a pasteria right by our hotel and stopped in- and that became my downfall. I bought 2 pan du chocolat (a croissant with chocolate in the middle) and ate both before going to bed for the night. I wanted to go back for more, but was reminded that I could have them for breakfast- freshly made- if I was patient and waited a few hours. I swear, they must think that all I do is eat...
Versailles is tomorrow- its a little outside of Paris, but it will be a great half-day trip!
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