A Parisian Love Story

I've lost count of the number of times I have been to Paris - somewhere in the neighbourhood of 15 or so - but it's a city that keeps drawing me back again and again.  I love having "my" restaurant and "my" hotel.  I love that I can come up from the Métro and know where I am and which direction I need to go without pulling out a map.  And I love that there is always something new to discover or explore.

It's rather ironic that I keep coming back because the first few times I visited (while I was living in France) I was rather unimpressed - it was just another big city.  Then one day, while waiting to pick a friend up from the airport, I was wandering through the Jardin des Tuileries.  The temperature was perfect, the gilded buildings were glistening in the sunshine, the flowers were in bloom, and I "got" it and I fell hopelessly in love with the City of Lights.

This time, I have the pleasure of introducing "my" city to a friend who has never travelled before.  It's exciting to explore the city with someone who has never been here before.  It's also neat to rediscover some of the typical tourist destinations and see how they have changed.

A few must-dos for the first time visitor to Paris:

• Visit the Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris on the Île de la Cité.  Perhaps the most famous church in the world, this cathedral is a marvel: the symmetric western façade, the rose windows, the carvings telling the story of Christ all inspire the visitor.  As you walk through the church, don't miss the model of the cathedral and the model of the building of the cathedral.  Be sure to stand on the "Point Zéro" in front of Notre-Dame - all distances in Paris are measured from this bronze marker.  If you have time, climb the towers to see the gargoyles and for an incomparable view of the city.  The treasury has an interesting collection of relics and reliquaries, including the Crown of Thorns.

• Wander along the banks of the Seine River, stopping to sit and watch the boats go by.  From mid-July to mid-August, you can take part in Paris Plages, when the banks of the Seine are turned into beaches, complete with beach chairs, umbrellas, sand castle competitions, & snack bars.

• Walk down the Champs-Élysées to the Arc de Triomphe.  It will be crowded but it's worth it.  Stop and have a drink at a side-walk café - the publicis drugstore has a great view of the Arc de Triomphe.  If you can time it right, be at the Arc de Triomphe for the 6:30 "ravivage" (rekindling) of the eternal flame in remembrance of the French soldiers lost in World War One.

A glass of wine and a view at publicis drugstore

• Get a Berthillon ice cream on Île St-Louis from La Flore en L'Île.  Berthillon ice cream is considered by many to be the best in Paris. If the line-up at La Flore is too long, about two blocks down on the rue Saint-Louis en l'Île another store sells the same ice cream and the lineup is rarely as long.  Walk down the stairs to the right of the bridge to Île de la Cité and eat your ice cream at the tip of Île St-Louis.  Cost: 3.50 € for a single / 5 € for a double.

The 60e anniversaire flavour is delicious!
(Passion Fruit, Vanilla, and Pepper)

•  Do a Seine River cruise - at sunset, if you can time it right, or at night.  This is a great way to see the main sights of Paris, learn a bit of the history, and the buildings are at their best when lit up (especially the Eiffel Tower).  There are many companies to choose from.  Two of my favourites are Les Vedettes de Pont-Neuf, located on Île de la Cité at the Pont Neuf (New Bridge) and the iconic Bateaux Mouches, located at the Pont de l'Alma on the Right Bank.  Tickets booked online may be cheaper than at the ticket office (I booked mine online while standing outside the ticket office!).  Cost:  approx. 15 € / 7 €.

• Go up the Eiffel Tower - the view of the city is worth it.  Recent renovations to the first level have added in a glass floor (step out into the void!), a new restaurant (prices seemed reasonable), and a new, sustainably developed, summer terrace with an alfresco bar.  If you are planning your trip far in advance, try to prebook your tickets on the Eiffel Tower website (when I tried in early July, it was possible to pre-book tickets through October - but no tickets were left).  Otherwise, plan to get up early to be at the Eiffel Tower at least an hour before it opens to be among the first in line.  If not, expect to be in line for 2-3 hours.  (Another option might be to book a tour with a company.)  Cost:  9 € / 7 € (to the second level by elevator); 15.50 € / 13.50 € (to the top by elevator).  Prices are going up as of Sept. 2015.

View from the 2nd level of the Eiffel Tower

The new, sustainably developed, summer terrace on the 1st level of the Eiffel Tower.
Furniture is made from reused wood pallets and recycled plastic.

This is, of course, a very limited list of the things to do in Paris but a good starting point for someone new to the City of Lights.

Have you been to Paris?  What "must-dos" do you recommend to your friends so that they too fall in love with Paris?

Adventures in Wales

I’ve survived the last crazy days of the school year, summer has arrived once again, and it’s time to travel!  My grandmother was celebrating her 90^th birthday (in Wales) on June 27 so after working the very last school day of the year, I caught a flight to London-Gatwick. 

After a flight of crying babies and little sleep, I picked up my rental car and started my cross-country dash to Pontardawe, Wales.  Driving on the left is always an adventure, made even more challenging this time because my little Fiat 500 had a stick shift.

I hadn’t purchased a data plan before I left ($70 for 300 MB of data is ridiculous!), so I loaded my route into Google Maps at Gatwick, thanks to their free Wi-Fi.  After a few unintended detours (Google’s not powerful enough yet to recalculate a route when you make a wrong turn and your data is turned off…), I made it safely to my grandmother’s party.  It was so great to see her face light up when I arrived and then even more when I told her I was staying for a week!

The party was a huge family reunion – and I do mean huge!  My Dad has five brothers and five sisters and all 11 of them were able to attend the party.  I think this is the first time all 11 of the siblings have been together since the late 70s!  Most of their children and grandchildren were also there.

Kitty and her 11 children.

Time with family was the priority for the rest of the week:  visits with Grandma, celebrating my uncle John’s birthday, looking through old family photos and learning more of the family history, family dinners.  We also did a bit of tourism, visiting the National Botanic Garden of Wales and doing some shopping in Carmarthen.  It was such a great way to start off the summer holidays.

My grandmother was in the Auxiliary Territorial Service during WWII.

My great-grandfather, John Patrick Grimes, & his regiment.

Driving around southwestern Wales has been an adventure.  Before leaving one location, I would load my route into Google Maps and head off, again without data.  I ended up down some very narrow country roads, wondering where the heck Google was taking me.  One time I was trying to get to my Grandma’s and Google got me close – I could see her place! – but on the wrong no-exit road.  Thankfully my cousin had suggested I load the app “navmii” and it was able to get me where Google couldn’t.  All part of the adventure – and part of me would have been disappointed if I had never ended up down one of those narrow roads bordered by hedgerows so typical of Wales.

Not all who follow Google Maps are lost
... But they might find themselves on an adventure!

Right now, I’m experiencing one of those other travel “adventures”.  After returning my rental car (to a closed rental agency, whose key drop box wouldn’t open, so here’s hoping they get the message that I put the key in the other agency’s box!), I checked in and went through security with time to spare.  My flight to Paris was supposed to leave at 13:00.  It’s now 13:56 and the information board states “Next info at 14:00.”  Seeing as how the other delayed flights have an estimated departure time listed, I’m thinking this does not bode well!  (Update:  We left Cardiff at about 14:45!)