We started the day by returning to the Opera Garnier, and were disappointed to discover that there were no tours scheduled for today (darn you, Jackie, for dragging me away yesterday!), and no access to the auditorium due to rehearsals. Double-doh! Nevertheless, we paid the 6€ to get inside - the Grand Staircase is spectacular enough that it alone is almost worth the price of admission. On the second level, the Grand Foyer is as palatial as anything we have seen.
In the basement, there was a display of all the costume accessories from the ballets and operas. After that, Jackie and I wandered forlornly, peering through the windows of the locked doors to the box seats, trying to get a glimpse of the stage and main chandelier. I mean, why do they have to practice? Don't they sing all the time?
Anyway, when we discovered we could get tickets to the Opera for as little as 7€, we stood in line for 45 minutes, waiting for tickets. We chatted with two women from Australia who were standing behind us - they were buying tickets for 160€. Ouch! They were very friendly, and gave us a brochure from one of Paris' tourist centres, as they were heading off to Giverny. So, anyway, at the end of a long wait, we now have tickets to an opera by Rossini for Monday evening. I must buy a new outfit! I already told Jackie, I'm not walking up that staircase in running shoes.
The gift shop at the Opera had a "Beware of Pickpockets" sign, and I immediately thought of all the tales of Parisien thieves that Greg had told. I glared at everyone, and held my purse extra tight. "I know you all want my euros, dammit! You'll never take me alive!!!" Couldn't buy anything there, because I was too paranoid to pry my fingers open. (Way to go, Greg!)
After that, we crossed the street and went to Galleries LaFayette (proud sponsors of our map of Paris), which is a huge department store which is hugely out of our price range. Le grande prices, all de time! It does, however, have a beautiful stained glass dome for a ceiling.
We were looking for a food court, and instead found a gourmet food market. Little jelly treats shaped like the Louvre pyramids, dome-shaped chocolate confections, and probably even a pickle that looked like Napoleon (although I did not actually see this, I am sure it exists). Very pretty, very expensive. Food as art!
So, not wanting to chow down on artistic food that would take such a big bite out of our wallet, we wandered out into the street and found a Chinese restaurant that had reasonable prices. Most of the oriental restaurants we found previously have been high-end dining rooms, so this was a pleasant surprise. I had a little problems ordering, but did end up getting food that I liked.
Then we began the long trek upward into Montmartre, heading towards Sacre Coeur. We had not been in this area at all, so it was quite interesting to us. You can occasionally catch glimpses of the church's white domes above the buildings, but as a rule, you just have to keep heading uphill - Sacre Coeur is at the top of the area.
We went up Pigalle street (in WWII, American soldiers coming into the city referred to it as Pig Alley). This area is definitely a bit rundown. When we reached Boulevard de Clichy, we realized just what a tawdry corner of town this was. There was the Sexodrome, and the Peep Show, and a little further down the block, Jacky Jac's Sexy Lingere. Needless to say, we had to get a picture of Jackie in front of this.
Up walks a frenchman, who decides that two young ladies in a tacky area of town are obviously his kind of girls. He actually kissed my hand! And, believe it or not, wanted my phone number. Non, merci. Because he liked me so much. Non, merci. Would I like his phone number? Non, merci.
A little further, and we saw the Moulin Rouge. It doesn't look quite like it does in the movie. There is the windmill, of course, but where is the Elephant, I ask? I am so disillusioned.
Anyway, the day was getting very hot, and as the slopes got steeper, there were staircases on the side of the hills. Oof-da. (Shelda, how DO you spell that?)
Montmartre is a very artsy area - lots of painters displaying their works, and artists strolling around and sketching tourists.
Sacre Coeur is a large chuch with onion-domes, and made of white stone. The guides in the church are quite strict, in comparison to the other churches we have visited. No pictures, and cover your shoulders, you floozy! (Not me. I was wearing a demure tee shirt.)
We paid 5€ to climb the dome. This involved, of course, many spiral stairs! Quelle surprise! What did alarm me, however, was that the lights had burned out in a few places. Ascending a spiral staircase in uber-darkness is not fun. Apparently, the dome of Sacre Coeur is the second highest-vantage point in old Paris. It was windy and cool - which was a relief after all that climbing. You can walk all the way around the dome.
After that, we walked down through a different area of Montmartre. There were lots of street vendors, people trying to sell souvenirs or shirts. It is obviously still a tourist area, but there are some very strange people in that area. It appears to be a much poorer area of town.
To get back to our area (Republique), we had to take a long walk down Boulevard de Magenta, where oddly enough nothing was purple (but maybe it was Napoleon's favourite colour). We had a brief pit stop at our hotel, then decided to go out to the Eiffel Tower.
But first, Jackie wanted a book. Not just any book, but a book about walking tours in Spain, and she was piqued because she hadn't been able to find it. We'd looked at a bookstore in the Opera district in the morning, but it wasn't there, so this time we headed for a bookstore by the Louvre. Ten million people were on the sidewalk, so it was probably the most annoying walk so far. Jackie's book wasn't in the bookstore - she was filled with rage. (Jackie objects to my journal-keeping and says that this is untrue - it was not rage. She was merely peeved.)
We begin another trek across town to a WH Smith bookstore. On the way, we found a park that wasn't on our maps. There were children's playgrounds and a lot of flowerbeds - very nice (the Forum des Halles?). At the WH Smith bookstore, Jackie finally discovers her precious and ever-so-rare book - yay! She will be in a better mood now! Book in her backpack, we continue toward the Eiffel Tower. On the way, we saw a statue of La Fayette - I'd wondered where he was, as I hadn't seen much of him so far in Paris.
We walked and we walked and we walked some more, and finally approached the Eiffel Tower. Whoa - way bigger than it looks. Jackie bought a bottle of water for 2€ from a disinterested street vendor in preparation for the climb. We then walked towards the pillar and discovered that the stairs close at 6 p.m. (and it was now 6:45). Catherine proclaims herself enraged. It is perfectly light out. Why can't I climb the damn tower? We walked 400 miles to get here, and I wanna go up the tower!!! Jackie, on the other hand, is just quietly resigned to our fate.
We could have taken the elevator (if there hadn't been 1400 people already in line), but we wanted to climb.
In the Parc du Champ de Mars, I was slightly mollified by a chocolate ice cream cone, and we started the long long long journey home. On the positive side, it was getting dark and everything was being lit up for the evening. When we were some distance from the Eiffel Tower, they put the lights on - it twinkles! Some of the time, anyway. Most of the time, they just have it glowing, but occasionally, they put the sparkly lights on.
We walked back along the Seine, and it is very beautiful by night. All the monuments are lit up for the evening, and the boats going by in the river have floodlights that they also use to highlight buildings on their tours.
Almost home now, Jackie decided that we deserved Pizza Hut a la Francais, and claimed to have seen one on Boulevard Saint Martin. We walk. No Pizza Hut. I begin to suspect she just wants to return to Rue Saint Denis (aka Ho-Town), which is drawing perilously near. Declaring defeat (she must have imagined the Pizza Hut, the way thirsty people always see an oasis in the desert), we have fancy pizza at fancy french pizza place with fancy dress waiter.
After that, we trudge back to our hotel. Oh, the feet were very sore. Way way too late for the Internet cafe, which is why you're getting this report a day late!
In the basement, there was a display of all the costume accessories from the ballets and operas. After that, Jackie and I wandered forlornly, peering through the windows of the locked doors to the box seats, trying to get a glimpse of the stage and main chandelier. I mean, why do they have to practice? Don't they sing all the time?
Anyway, when we discovered we could get tickets to the Opera for as little as 7€, we stood in line for 45 minutes, waiting for tickets. We chatted with two women from Australia who were standing behind us - they were buying tickets for 160€. Ouch! They were very friendly, and gave us a brochure from one of Paris' tourist centres, as they were heading off to Giverny. So, anyway, at the end of a long wait, we now have tickets to an opera by Rossini for Monday evening. I must buy a new outfit! I already told Jackie, I'm not walking up that staircase in running shoes.
The gift shop at the Opera had a "Beware of Pickpockets" sign, and I immediately thought of all the tales of Parisien thieves that Greg had told. I glared at everyone, and held my purse extra tight. "I know you all want my euros, dammit! You'll never take me alive!!!" Couldn't buy anything there, because I was too paranoid to pry my fingers open. (Way to go, Greg!)
After that, we crossed the street and went to Galleries LaFayette (proud sponsors of our map of Paris), which is a huge department store which is hugely out of our price range. Le grande prices, all de time! It does, however, have a beautiful stained glass dome for a ceiling.
We were looking for a food court, and instead found a gourmet food market. Little jelly treats shaped like the Louvre pyramids, dome-shaped chocolate confections, and probably even a pickle that looked like Napoleon (although I did not actually see this, I am sure it exists). Very pretty, very expensive. Food as art!
So, not wanting to chow down on artistic food that would take such a big bite out of our wallet, we wandered out into the street and found a Chinese restaurant that had reasonable prices. Most of the oriental restaurants we found previously have been high-end dining rooms, so this was a pleasant surprise. I had a little problems ordering, but did end up getting food that I liked.
Then we began the long trek upward into Montmartre, heading towards Sacre Coeur. We had not been in this area at all, so it was quite interesting to us. You can occasionally catch glimpses of the church's white domes above the buildings, but as a rule, you just have to keep heading uphill - Sacre Coeur is at the top of the area.
We went up Pigalle street (in WWII, American soldiers coming into the city referred to it as Pig Alley). This area is definitely a bit rundown. When we reached Boulevard de Clichy, we realized just what a tawdry corner of town this was. There was the Sexodrome, and the Peep Show, and a little further down the block, Jacky Jac's Sexy Lingere. Needless to say, we had to get a picture of Jackie in front of this.
Up walks a frenchman, who decides that two young ladies in a tacky area of town are obviously his kind of girls. He actually kissed my hand! And, believe it or not, wanted my phone number. Non, merci. Because he liked me so much. Non, merci. Would I like his phone number? Non, merci.
A little further, and we saw the Moulin Rouge. It doesn't look quite like it does in the movie. There is the windmill, of course, but where is the Elephant, I ask? I am so disillusioned.
Anyway, the day was getting very hot, and as the slopes got steeper, there were staircases on the side of the hills. Oof-da. (Shelda, how DO you spell that?)
Montmartre is a very artsy area - lots of painters displaying their works, and artists strolling around and sketching tourists.
Sacre Coeur is a large chuch with onion-domes, and made of white stone. The guides in the church are quite strict, in comparison to the other churches we have visited. No pictures, and cover your shoulders, you floozy! (Not me. I was wearing a demure tee shirt.)
We paid 5€ to climb the dome. This involved, of course, many spiral stairs! Quelle surprise! What did alarm me, however, was that the lights had burned out in a few places. Ascending a spiral staircase in uber-darkness is not fun. Apparently, the dome of Sacre Coeur is the second highest-vantage point in old Paris. It was windy and cool - which was a relief after all that climbing. You can walk all the way around the dome.
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After that, we walked down through a different area of Montmartre. There were lots of street vendors, people trying to sell souvenirs or shirts. It is obviously still a tourist area, but there are some very strange people in that area. It appears to be a much poorer area of town.
To get back to our area (Republique), we had to take a long walk down Boulevard de Magenta, where oddly enough nothing was purple (but maybe it was Napoleon's favourite colour). We had a brief pit stop at our hotel, then decided to go out to the Eiffel Tower.
But first, Jackie wanted a book. Not just any book, but a book about walking tours in Spain, and she was piqued because she hadn't been able to find it. We'd looked at a bookstore in the Opera district in the morning, but it wasn't there, so this time we headed for a bookstore by the Louvre. Ten million people were on the sidewalk, so it was probably the most annoying walk so far. Jackie's book wasn't in the bookstore - she was filled with rage. (Jackie objects to my journal-keeping and says that this is untrue - it was not rage. She was merely peeved.)
We begin another trek across town to a WH Smith bookstore. On the way, we found a park that wasn't on our maps. There were children's playgrounds and a lot of flowerbeds - very nice (the Forum des Halles?). At the WH Smith bookstore, Jackie finally discovers her precious and ever-so-rare book - yay! She will be in a better mood now! Book in her backpack, we continue toward the Eiffel Tower. On the way, we saw a statue of La Fayette - I'd wondered where he was, as I hadn't seen much of him so far in Paris.
We walked and we walked and we walked some more, and finally approached the Eiffel Tower. Whoa - way bigger than it looks. Jackie bought a bottle of water for 2€ from a disinterested street vendor in preparation for the climb. We then walked towards the pillar and discovered that the stairs close at 6 p.m. (and it was now 6:45). Catherine proclaims herself enraged. It is perfectly light out. Why can't I climb the damn tower? We walked 400 miles to get here, and I wanna go up the tower!!! Jackie, on the other hand, is just quietly resigned to our fate.
We could have taken the elevator (if there hadn't been 1400 people already in line), but we wanted to climb.
In the Parc du Champ de Mars, I was slightly mollified by a chocolate ice cream cone, and we started the long long long journey home. On the positive side, it was getting dark and everything was being lit up for the evening. When we were some distance from the Eiffel Tower, they put the lights on - it twinkles! Some of the time, anyway. Most of the time, they just have it glowing, but occasionally, they put the sparkly lights on.
We walked back along the Seine, and it is very beautiful by night. All the monuments are lit up for the evening, and the boats going by in the river have floodlights that they also use to highlight buildings on their tours.
Almost home now, Jackie decided that we deserved Pizza Hut a la Francais, and claimed to have seen one on Boulevard Saint Martin. We walk. No Pizza Hut. I begin to suspect she just wants to return to Rue Saint Denis (aka Ho-Town), which is drawing perilously near. Declaring defeat (she must have imagined the Pizza Hut, the way thirsty people always see an oasis in the desert), we have fancy pizza at fancy french pizza place with fancy dress waiter.
After that, we trudge back to our hotel. Oh, the feet were very sore. Way way too late for the Internet cafe, which is why you're getting this report a day late!
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