An Amazing Afternoon

After saying Bonjour to the Eiffel Tower, I headed to the Arc de Triomphe.  Along the way, I stumbled upon this street!

Writer, poet and politician.  He wrote the Hunchback of Notre Dame, among other great literature, like Les Miserables.


Ahh, the Arc!

 

I also discovered my luggage, which I can't afford in this lifetime.  The piece that has an envelope type design was the coolest!  If the buckle was unfastened, it expanded quite a bit.  I was in love!!!  However, it was SO expensive, the least expensive thing was a key chain.  It would set you back 70 euro.  That's over $80.00 - for a key chain!

Walking down the Champs Elysees, I met this blushing Frenchman.  Every time I said a word, he'd just blush.  I promise, I wasn't saying anything "blush worthy" but it was so cute, nonetheless.  I just wanted to take him home with me, he was so adorable. 

Once I said, au revoir to the handsome, blushing Frenchman, I met my friend from Switzerland and we headed to my favorite part of Paris...Montmartre!!!  We went on Sandeman's walking tour, which began outside the famous Moulin Rouge.  Moulin means windmill and Rouge, as you probably know, means red.  The red windmill.  I didn't go inside.  Firstly, I really have no desire and secondly, it's ridiculously expensive...something like 100 euro.  A picture works for me!

Walking up to the highest part of Paris, we passed so many lovely streets:

Cafe 2 Moulins - cafe of two windmills: this is a significant place.  It's where the film Amelie was written and filmed.

This was one of my favorite stories.  It looks like graffiti, but it's much more.  The painting on the right is a self portrait of a famous Parisian artist, Mystic.  She no longer looks like that, as she's aged about 50 years, but her story is awesome!  She was young and in love.  The story goes like this:  her boyfriend, seemingly out of nowhere, breaks up with her.  She's devastated.  Not only does he break her heart, but tops it off by ending with, "I never want to see your face again."  After she picks up her crushed heart and dusts it off, she thinks, "you never want to see my face again, huh."  She made a stencil of her face and painted it outside all of his favorite hangouts.  So, he'd see her face where ever he went.  Rock on, sister...rock...on! 

Standby...more of the walking tour to come!!

Wonderful Paris...Once Again

It's been three years since my last trip to Paris though it feels like decades.  This trip, I was determined to pack even lighter than my last trip.  Initially, I packed a weekender bag, but it allowed little in the way of souvenirs and it may not have been durable enough to withstand being checked luggage.  So, I settled on this duffel - the weekender was packed inside so that I could use it as a carry on for the return trip.  See, I use my noggin for something more than just looking pretty. :-)

 

The downside of carrying a duffel or tote bag is that if you're traveling with someone who's using rolling luggage, you will wait for them a great deal.  At curbs, at stairs, etc.  While you wait, it will feel like your shoulders will fall off.  All in all though, it wasn't too bad.  Lesson learned, however.

The first day I was in Paris, it was a sunny warm day.  So, I went to the Eiffel Tower.  I took so many photos of the tower; one of the most well known sights in Paris.  Here is my approach to the Tower on that first day:

 

 

 

 

 

Not bad for the first afternoon.  Fear not, my pretties, there's much more to come...the first day and beyond!