Day 2 in Paris, I woke up at 8 and got ready and had a yummy breakfast at the hotel complete with a croissant (or two). I sat with some girls from UW- Stevens Point and they were really nice. Then, I got on the bus and we went to Sacre Coure. On the way, our guide warned us about the people who try and scam you as you walk up to the church. There are probably 20 men with string and they try to tie a piece of string around your wrist, but then they want you to pay some absurd amount of money for it and if you do not they make a huge scene. They essentially block the path but since I was in a group it was not too bad. Then, there are people selling Eiffel Tower souvenirs and then at the top of the stairs there are girls trying to get you to sign a petition and then pickpocket you. Finally, as you enter the church, there are people begging for money. Thankfully, after Italy I felt very prepared and our guide was great and prepared us for all of the cons.
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| Inside the church next to Sacre Couer |
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| I took a picture of the menu because it was translated to English. We used it multiple times at other places. |
I loved the area around Sacre Coure. There was a small artist square and lots of cute cafes. I walked through lots of the shops and enjoyed watching all of the artists work. Sacre Couer was absolutely beautiful. Thank goodness for art history because all of the information was in French! Afterwards, we walked down the road, past a windmill, a cafe that was in some movie, and to Moulin Rougue (can you tell how overwhelmed my brain is?). It was nice to just walk around and to not have to think where you we were going.
Then, we hopped onto the bus and drove to Notre Dame. There was a line to get in but it moved quickly and then we got inside. It was a beautiful church with beautiful stained glass. We were really hungry so we found a cheap place to eat where we got a panini, crepe, and drink for 5 euros. It was delicious and we were able to warm up!
After lunch, we made a plan and decided to go to the Catacombs. On the way, we stopped at a park that was gorgeous and walked around for a bit before continuing on to the Catacombs. Even though we got there 30 minutes before last entry, we would not be able to get in so we went to Rolland Garros. We were able to successfully navigate the metro (we only went the wrong way once!), but unfortunately, when we got there, an hour before closing, we could not get in so we took some pictures from the outside and then continued on.
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| Pantheon |
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| Park we stumbled upon. |
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| Cast of Statue of Liberty |
We got back to central Paris and wandered around to the Christmas Market. I was quite chilly so I got a cup of hot wine while the guys got crepes. The Christmas was super busy but really fun to browse. It was almost 7 so we decided to find a good spot to see the Eiffel Tower because the tower glistens at the top of the hour for five minutes. We found a great view of the tower and took some pictures while it was shimmering.
We were cold and hungry so we went and found a place to eat. There was a line out the door and we decided this was a good sign and we waited, even though it was chilly and we were hungry. The man behind us spoke English and explained that they bring the food twice to keep the food fresh. After about 40 minutes of waiting, the first set of diners left and then the next group gets to come in. They only ask what you want to drink and how well you want your steak done. Then, within a minute or so, our salads arrived with bread. They also brought out a mustard dressing that Leor and Aaron decided they should put onto their salads. It turned out to be super spicy...whoops! After we ate our salads, we got our steak and french fries (weird to get fries) and it was amazing! The steak was in this delicious sauce and the fries were perfectly cooked. Then, just as Leor was finishing his food, our waiter came around and brought us more steak and fries. It was so strange but really entertaining, and did I mention delicious?
Afterwards, we decided to go to the Eiffel Tower. There was a long line to take the elevator to the top but there was not line for the much cheaper stairs so we went through security and then went up the stairs. We warmed up quickly, climbing up 520 steps. We enjoyed the view for a bit and then at 10 the lights started to shimmer which was fun since we were actually in the tower. It was a great view from the top and with the help of our map we could identify what we saw.
Finally, we made our way to a metro station and went back to the hotel where we caught up with the people who had been to Versailles. It sounded very cool but I was glad I spent my time in Paris. We had a relaxing day and it was nice to have a stress free day.
Lastly, here is a funny article about cat people.
http://distractify.com/people/personal/agonizing-struggles-that-prove-cat-owners-are-the-best-people-ever/
