Thursday 7th May
Actually don’t sleep too badly, though did get woken occasionally by the trains. Tina took ages to get off to sleep as she felt quite unwell. We shower and are off to the station about 09:30 and catch the 10:00 train in to Paris – Chatelet. Try to purchase all day travel card tickets but my French and the ticket master’s English don’t quite match up and we end up with tickets that get us into Paris and one metro journey.
It’s a longish walk to the right Metro station (line 11) to get to Republique and then manage to find the Patisserie – Des Idees – and it lives up to expectations – really tiny boulangerie selling various ‘escargots’, which are similar to pain au raisins but mine has chocolat and pistache and Tina has a red one – we cannot remember what was in it but they were both scrummy – Tina also has a banana and chocolat pave – mini roll.
We sit outside in this tiny little backstreet having these delicious pastries and wonder how the Times ever stumbled upon this place.
Then walk back to Republique and catch the metro back to Hotel de Ville – first ticket still working and alight here for the short walk over to Notre Dame.
The Cathedral is free to enter but we have the audio guide - €5 and my driving licence as security and wander around – it is really busy and very noisy – no respect at all!!!
Not overly impressed with the audio guide as it really doesn’t do the cathedral justice – not like the guide in Wells.
Back outside and it is a glorious spring day and we cross the to the Latin Quarter in search of a typical French restaurant, we dismiss the first two and end up having the fixe prix menu at a random back street restaurant – Tina Anchovies, tagine (lamb, prunes, apricots) and pear and almond tarte and I have eggs mayonnaise, porc and pineapple slices – all OK and only €12.50 a head.
Then we walk to St Michel Metro and pass a very nice looking restaurant – oh well. First tickets no longer work so try second tickets – these do and we take the metro to Barbes Rochouart and change for Anvers and take the Funicular up to the Sacre Coeur – it is really hot and we rest a while in the shade before going in, where we rest again and take in the atmosphere, discussing the architectural influences of the basilica – unbeknownst to either of us the Sacre Coeur was built in 1875!!! – modern architecture.
Pretty unimpressed with Paris – everywhere smells of pee and is pretty dirty – dogs allowed to mess on the streets – Tina is threatening to send a letter to Sarkozy.
It’s been a pretty tiring day so we head back to Anvers to catch the metro to Charles de Gaulle, but second set of tickets don’t work so we purchase a single metro ticket to CDG and then use our return RER tickets once we’re there. Take a double deck train back to Maisons-Lafitte and return to campsite for afternoon tea.
Early evening the Dutch gather across from us – must be 30+ with their portable Cadac’s for a BBQ and social gathering – we don’t get a invite so we open the wine and have olives, crackers and crisps – not envious at all. Very well behaved and disperse after only a few hours.
Actually don’t sleep too badly, though did get woken occasionally by the trains. Tina took ages to get off to sleep as she felt quite unwell. We shower and are off to the station about 09:30 and catch the 10:00 train in to Paris – Chatelet. Try to purchase all day travel card tickets but my French and the ticket master’s English don’t quite match up and we end up with tickets that get us into Paris and one metro journey.
It’s a longish walk to the right Metro station (line 11) to get to Republique and then manage to find the Patisserie – Des Idees – and it lives up to expectations – really tiny boulangerie selling various ‘escargots’, which are similar to pain au raisins but mine has chocolat and pistache and Tina has a red one – we cannot remember what was in it but they were both scrummy – Tina also has a banana and chocolat pave – mini roll.
We sit outside in this tiny little backstreet having these delicious pastries and wonder how the Times ever stumbled upon this place.
Then walk back to Republique and catch the metro back to Hotel de Ville – first ticket still working and alight here for the short walk over to Notre Dame.
The Cathedral is free to enter but we have the audio guide - €5 and my driving licence as security and wander around – it is really busy and very noisy – no respect at all!!!
Not overly impressed with the audio guide as it really doesn’t do the cathedral justice – not like the guide in Wells.
Back outside and it is a glorious spring day and we cross the to the Latin Quarter in search of a typical French restaurant, we dismiss the first two and end up having the fixe prix menu at a random back street restaurant – Tina Anchovies, tagine (lamb, prunes, apricots) and pear and almond tarte and I have eggs mayonnaise, porc and pineapple slices – all OK and only €12.50 a head.
Then we walk to St Michel Metro and pass a very nice looking restaurant – oh well. First tickets no longer work so try second tickets – these do and we take the metro to Barbes Rochouart and change for Anvers and take the Funicular up to the Sacre Coeur – it is really hot and we rest a while in the shade before going in, where we rest again and take in the atmosphere, discussing the architectural influences of the basilica – unbeknownst to either of us the Sacre Coeur was built in 1875!!! – modern architecture.
Pretty unimpressed with Paris – everywhere smells of pee and is pretty dirty – dogs allowed to mess on the streets – Tina is threatening to send a letter to Sarkozy.
It’s been a pretty tiring day so we head back to Anvers to catch the metro to Charles de Gaulle, but second set of tickets don’t work so we purchase a single metro ticket to CDG and then use our return RER tickets once we’re there. Take a double deck train back to Maisons-Lafitte and return to campsite for afternoon tea.
Early evening the Dutch gather across from us – must be 30+ with their portable Cadac’s for a BBQ and social gathering – we don’t get a invite so we open the wine and have olives, crackers and crisps – not envious at all. Very well behaved and disperse after only a few hours.
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