Jour deux

Gare du Nord, see its big!
Seeing as I passed out at 5:00 yesterday, I conveniently woke up at 2 am. So I goofed around on the computer for an hour and took a sleeping pill which amazingly knocked me out again. (Thanks mum) I thought I would wake up early like 6 or 7 but I didn't wake up again until 9:30! So I think I am all caught up on sleep for now. I was starving when I woke up so I left quickly and went to one of the stops for my tour buses. I searched for a place to eat but my nerves at not really knowing how to order or what to do (do I just sit down or ask for a menu or wait or be seated?) got the better of me and I ended up wandering for a while before just getting a croissant at a little stand.

The tour then made its way back to the Madeline where the shops all are and I got out and looked around for a long time. I went into the Galleries Lafayette which blew my mind. I went there when I first came to Paris with Victoria but I couldnt believe how big and amazing this store is.

I cant think people actually come here to shop, it is way too much and intimidating. I couldnt even look for more than 10 minutes before being overwhelmed, let alone decide on buying anything. And its mostly designer, Chanel, Dior, Tiffanys, Burberry. And tres chere!! The building itself is exquisite.

I also went into Printemps which is the other huge department store but much more mellow. By this time I was starving so I explored the area for a bit. I was not about to pay 16 Euros for a salad so I ventured out of the touristy area and found a pizza restaurant that was slammed. Good enough for me, I sat down, had a massive petite salade, 2 glasses of wine :), and a huge pizza that I devoured completely. I was very satisfied.

While walking around, it was interesting to note that you cannot make eye contact with a man walking for more than a fraction of a second before he takes it as an invitation to talk to you. Dont even think about smiling at him or he will offer to buy you coffee and lunch. For some reason they all say one sentence in french and if you dont reply quickly they immediately start in english as if they have done it before... after the 2nd guy asked to buy me a coffee I replied that I didn't speak english because I was Swedish. It worked and he walked away. That is my new strategy.

After lunch I very gladly got back on the bus that took us to the Louvre through the gates to the palace. These buses literally have maybe 2 inches on either side, how they manage in a city like paris with narrow streets and tons of cars is beyond me.

 I will never drive in Paris. I think you would have to be a Parisien to be able to navigate the streets and other cars. People go every direction as fast as they can. I kept my eyes out all day and saw one car repair garage and am yet to see a gas station, unless I am just not looking hard enough. The vespas and motorbikes have the right idea but they are just asking to get run over or crashed into. No thank you, I will stick to the metro or the sidewalk.

After the Louvre we stopped at the Notre Dame where I got out and went inside. There were a million people there who all think the place will disappear if they dont get a picture of it from every angle as fast as they can. In my opinion the inside is pretty and the windows are beautiful, but its just a church and not that amazing. It is the outside of the church that is the true beauty. There is so much to look at and so much history that surrounds the Notre Dame that it blew me away.

 I got an ice cream and sat in the back gardens listening to a band of street performers and admiring the incredible architecture of the cathedral. I walked around the Ile-de-la-Cite for a while, it is the oldest part of Paris and where the Parisii tribe first lived back in the 4th century that gave their name to the city. Apparently, archaeologists recently dug up bones or fire or weapons or something that indicate people living here 440 BC. Opposite the Notre Dame is the Hotel Dieu which is the oldest hospital in the city and is still in use.

From the Notre Dame the bus took us the Place de la Bastille. In place of the Bastille is a huge column that does not represent the storming of the Bastille in 1789, but rather the Parisians who died in the July revolution of 1830. The giant square, like the Place de Concorde has tons of traffic and is really only important if you know about it. Daniel you should look it up...its pretty important.

We then drove through the Latin Quarter past the Sorbonne which I want to go visit with Victoria this weekend.

the back of "the thinker" 

We went past the Pantheon but didn't get to really see it and then into Montparnasse. It was cool seeing the parts of Paris that are not as popular as the main part, but kind of boring as well. Montparnasse is mostly known for the famous people who once visited that cafe, or died while sitting in that building, etc. It was popular for artists and musicians back in its hayday and now has the best cafes, I am told.

I have studied Baron Haussman before in history and humanities classes but I didn't know the extent of his influence and creations. Paris should be known as Haussmanville because he actually designed the entire city. Almost every street in every district and arrondissement owes itself to Haussman, not to mention the plumbing and sanitation of the city. He reformed the whole thing in the late 19th century and created boulevards instead of tiny streets. What a guy.

The tour finished back at the Notre Dame where even though I was tired, I was drawn by the energy of Boulevard St. Germain at its peak hour. Every single restaurant was packed with people and the streets were full. I could have stayed and had dinner but I was still full and it was getting dark. As great as Paris is by day, I am not ready to ride the metro and walk back to my hotel alone at night. So I figured out how to get back all on my own, with only a slight hiccup of getting on the wrong side of landing, before getting back to my hotel and now I think I will just go to bed. Victoria gets here at 10am and I am so excited for another great day demain :)