Day 6 - Musee Rodin & Wandering Around Paris

Today I allowed myself to sleep in a bit and take it easy. Paris is chock-full of museums and I didn't have many on my "To Do" list, which I'm sure some people will see as a travesty! I did want to check out the Musee Rodin and once again, there was no rain in the forecast so this sounded like the perfect thing to do. While a museum may seem like a good thing to do on a rainy day, many of the sculptures at the Musee Rodin are actually outdoors in a garden, the most famous of which is The Thinker.

The Thinker - Musee Rodin

The garden was quite lovely and once again, I can only imagine how much more beautiful it would be in the spring and summer. Although there was a special exhibit going indoors, the main building of the museum was entirely closed for renovation. And this was okay as the garden provided a good taste of Rodin.

Balzac Sculpture - Musee Rodin

Musee Rodin

Musee Rodin

Musee Rodin

I didn't really have a plan for the rest of the day so I just decided to wander around the city. As Les Invalides was right across from the Musee Rodin, I walked around those buildings a bit. I don't have a huge interest in military museums or seeing Napoleon's tomb, so I didn't go in. But the gilded dome was pretty in the sunlight.

Les Invalides

Walking towards the Seine, I encountered what is considered the most elegant bridge in Paris, Pont Alexandre III, opened at the 1900 Universal Exhibition. It was built to celebrate the treaty between France and Russia. It's a little over-the-top for my tastes but it's certainly something to see as it is so different than all of the other bridges in Paris.

Pont Alexandre III

Pont Alexandre III

Pont Alexandre III

Since I wasn't too far away, I next decided to take the Metro to the Arc du Triomphe. I had only seen it once before, at night, from across the very busy Champs-Elysees, and thought it might be worth returning, to at least stand underneath the arc if not climb the stairs to the top. When I walked up from the Charles de Gaulle Etoile Metro station, I was met with the largest crowd of tourists I would encounter in Paris. I don't know how many tour busses and tour groups were there at this particular moment, but you literally needed to elbow your way through the crowds to walk anywhere. I walked around trying to find where I could cross the street to be under the arc itself. Uh . . . not possible. Finally, I found a sign that said there was an underground passage to the arc. After finding that and walking below, I discovered that you have to pay to go to the top of the arc to even be allowed to stand underneath it, which was a bit disappointing. As I was already frustrated with the crowds, I decided to pass and move on.

Arc du Triomphe

At this point, I was craving some calm and decided to visit the pedestrian-friendly market street of Rue Cler. I'd been to Rue Cler previously on my first visit to Paris and I realize it's essentially Rue du Rick Steves but it is a charming little street with cute shops, colorful buildings and great outdoor flower and produce vendors. It was particularly quiet in the afternoon and I enjoyed the stroll.

Outdoor cafe table & chairs - Rue Cler

Rue Cler

Rue Cler

Rue Cler

After retiring to my apartment to rest for awhile, I had a very early dinner (very early by Paris standards) around 7:00 p.m. I wanted to try and get to bed early as the following day I would need to be up early to catch the train to Bruges.

I have to admit, dining out was not my favorite experience in Paris and it had absolutely nothing to do with the food. I had read that many people dine alone in Paris and I really didn't think I'd mind it that much but . . . rarely did I encounter other solo diners, especially at night, so I felt a bit out of place. I missed having company and wasn't sure what to do with myself when I wasn't actually eating. I definitely didn't want to be playing around with my phone, even though I saw plenty of Parisians doing just that. I brought along a small notebook and wrote almost every night but even then, I couldn't help but feel a little anxious. I will say, I never encountered rude service and the wait staff, for the most part, seemed to tolerate my French, even though their response was almost always in English!

Day 5 - St. Chapelle, Notre Dame & Chartres

Today was church day. I started off at St. Chapelle, a destination that was high on my "To Do" list. St. Chapelle is on Ile de la Cite, a short walk from my apartment. The entrance is a little bit hidden and security is strict but, following Rick Steves' advice, I just got in line with everyone else waiting to enter. As I stood there, something didn't seem right. The people in line seemed intent with business rather than eagerly waiting to see a gothic church built in the 13th century. So, I reluctantly gave up my place in line to make certain I was in the right place and sure enough, the line I had been in was the security line for France's Supreme Court (next door) and there was virtually no line for St. Chapelle.

Exterior of St. Chapelle

I was really excited to see the upper portion of the church with its wall-to-wall stained glass, especially on such a sunny morning. Unfortunately, about a third of the stained glass is currently being restored and under a large cover. This was disappointing but not altogether unexpected. (Note: I just recently found out the church has been being restored for four decades and is due to be completed in 2014.) I found many sites in Paris were under some sort of renovation which has to occur from time-to-time for preservation purposes.  I was still able to get a couple of photos and truly, the place is magnificent nonetheless.

Inside St. Chapelle

Inside St. Chapelle

Notre Dame is just a short walk from St. Chapelle. Since I'd already toured the inside, my goal this morning was just a quick jaunt up the tower to get some photos of Paris from above. Waiting to gain entrance to climb the tower was the longest I had to wait in line for anything in Paris, and it was only about 20 minutes. It's a 400 step climb to the top up a spiraling staircase. Phew! They only let a certain number of people up at a time which makes the wait down below a bit long but it is really quite nice once you're at the top as you don't have to fight with hundreds of other tourists for a view. While it was a fabulously sunny morning, the view of the city was a bit hazy.

Token gargoyle shot atop Notre Dame

Hazy view of Paris atop Notre Dame

Having quickly ticked off St. Chapelle and Notre Dame from my list in the morning, I headed to Gare Montparnasse to catch the one hour train ride out to Chartres. When I told some photographer friends I was heading to Paris, one of their biggest recommendations was to visit the cathedral at Chartres. I did some research, agreed that it looked amazing, and added it to my list.

Other than traveling within a city's metropolitan area, the only train travel I've done in Europe was Vienna to Budapest and back. So, it was a bit of a learning curve to leave the comfort of the Paris Metro, figure out how to buy a ticket to Chartres and then find the right platform for departure. Sometimes your platform isn't announced until just minutes before departure so you have to stand and intently watch the departure board with everyone else. Being in an unfamiliar train station, this can be a bit stressful. And then you need to remember to validate your ticket in a machine before getting on board, otherwise you could face a steep fine if caught traveling with an unvalidated ticket. I didn't have too much difficulty. I stood in the wrong ticket line initially but the person working the desk was very helpful and pointed me in the right direction. I couldn't readily figure out the validation machine so I just waited until someone else did it first and followed their lead. The supposed one hour journey to Chartres actually took about an hour and a half. The train stopped for a period of time which seemed to frustrate many passengers but the announcements were in French so I had no idea what was going on! And there was not much to do except sit and wait.

My guidebook said that it was a 10 minute walk up to the cathedral from the train station and since the cathedral could be easily seen from the train station, it would be a cinch to find. That was mostly true. The roads are a bit winding and intersecting up to the cathedral so it's not like it's a straight shot. And given that this was a Monday in early February, there weren't throngs of tourists to follow. It took me about 15 minutes or so to reach the cathedral.

This was simply mind-blowing. Photos just can't do it justice. It's on par with seeing the Grand Canyon for the first time and it is easily, hands-down, the most spectacular church I've ever seen. After burning to the ground in the late 1100's, Chartres was rebuilt and dedicated in 1260. According to Rick Steves, it is considered one of Europe's best examples of pure Gothic architecture.

Chartres Exterior

Chartres - Front Entrance

Chartres - Stunning Interior

Chartres

One of the many stained glass windows

I wasn't able to take the highly-rated tour with Malcolm Miller as he is not in residence during January and February, perhaps a downfall to traveling off-season but having the church nearly to myself was a bonus.

Getting back to the train station in Chartres wasn't as easy as it should have been. I thought I was retracing the path that I took up to the cathedral but somewhere along the way, I took a wrong turn and couldn't figure out where I was. I had a map with me but couldn't determine what direction I was heading. I found a nearby bus station and, in my limited French, asked an older gentleman if he knew where the train station was. He wasn't understanding me, even when I pulled out my map and pointed to "la gare." He kept telling me I was at a bus station. At some point, he (seemingly) understood and pointed me in a certain direction and indicated "cinq minutes" or five minutes. I walked and walked and walked and after 10 minutes had passed, I stopped a couple of girls to ask again about "la gare" and it was, quite literally, right around the corner and 15 minutes later I was on the train back to Paris.

That evening I was feeling pretty wiped out, not only from the day's adventures but the cold I had caught was in full swing. Having a kitchen in the apartment and a place to lay low for the night was very welcome!

Day 4 - Montmartre, Tuileries & Sunday on the Seine

This was Sunday. The day prior I had awoken with a scratchy throat and sure enough today, I realized I had caught a cold. This wasn't surprising as my husband was sick before I left and traveling 9+ hours in recycled air simply lends itself to getting sick. The good news is, even though this cold would last throughout the remainder of my trip, it was more of an annoyance vs. anything severe. Yes, it slowed me down a bit but all things considered, if I had to be sick, this was tolerable.

Today I decided to take a Paris Walks tour (http://www.paris-walks.com) which is one of the walking tours recommended by Rick Steves. I chose The Village of Montmartre walk as this was a neighborhood I was fairly unfamiliar with, having only been up to the Sacre Coeur church previously. This was an English speaking walk and there were a total of 7 of us on the tour (6 Americans and 1 Canadian). We met at the Abbesses Metro station which, in my opinion, is one of the most beautiful Metro stations in Paris. The tour brochure said to take the elevator to the top vs. walking as the station was "quite deep." Well, I ignored that and walked up the spiraling staircase anyway. Phew! That was quite deep, a 118 foot walk to the top. However the walls along the spiraling staircase to the top are filled with art so it was worth it.

Abbesses Metro Station

This is also one of the few remaining Art Nouveau Metro entrances in Paris. Our guide on this walk provided a great history of Montmartre, which didn't become part of Paris until 1860. Our tour focused on the many artists that had studios in Montmartre and called the neighborhood home, such as van Gogh, Matisse, Renoir, Degas, Toulouse-Lautrec, Picasso, etc. We also walked by one of the last two remaining windmills on the hill.

Moulin a vent - Montmartre

Our tour also led us through a small vineyard that still produces wine (which apparently, isn't very good and is very overpriced) before climbing the hill towards Sacre Coeur. This was one of the most beautiful streets I encountered in Paris. The photo doesn't do it justice.

Uphill towards Sacre Coeur

What can be said about the Basilica of Sacre Coeur? It's brilliant and to say it was brilliant on this sunny Sunday is an understatement. This Roman Catholic church is the highest point in Paris, construction of which was completed 100 years ago. Our tour guide indicated that the exterior of the basilica has never been cleaned but the colder it is, the whiter it appears.

Sacre Coeur against a blue, blue sky

After the walking tour, lunch and a rest, I headed out for a late afternoon walk to the Tuileries Garden, as well as a walk along the Seine . . . and I had a lot of company! Being that this was the first Sunday of the month, all (or most) of the museums in Paris are free. The Tuileries Garden is right next to the Louvre, arguably one of the greatest art museums in the world so needless to say, the grounds were quite busy. I simply couldn't get over the great luck I was having with the weather. Walking along the Seine, below the traffic above, was lovely and one of my best memories of the trip.

Tuileries looking back towards the Louvre

Tuiliers Garden

Tuileries Garden

Golden Hour along the Seine

Day 3 - Basilica of St. Denis, La Defense & Tour Eiffel

Basilica of Saint Denis

Completed in 1144, the Basilica of Saint Denis houses the remains of French kings and their families from the 10th - 18th centuries, including Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. It is dedicated to Saint Denis, the first bishop of France who, legend has it, was beheaded in Montmartre and then, before dying, carried his head several miles to this site where he wished to be buried. The cathedral is considered to be the first medieval Gothic architecture ever built. It's my understanding that at some point during the French Revolution, bodies were exhumed and buried in mass graves away from the cathedral so it is questionable how many royal bones actually remain encrypted at Saint Denis.

The cathedral is on the outskirts of the Paris suburbs and was somewhat of a last-minute addition to my itinerary after reading about it on Trip Advisor. I heard it was a bit off the beaten path, largely overlooked by tourists but well-worth a visit. I had also read that the neighborhood wasn't the best so I was a little apprehensive about taking the journey up north alone. Well, the neighborhood was just fine. Perhaps a little more working class than central Paris but I didn't feel uncomfortable at all. The cathedral is simply stunning and rivals Notre Dame, in my opinion, with a fraction of the tourists.

Basilica of Saint Denis

Basilica of Saint Denis

Basilica of Saint Denis

After spending the morning ensconced in the 12th century, it was time for something completely different: La Defense. This is the modern, business hub or the "Manhattan" or "Wall Street" of Paris, if you will. It's definitely not on a lot of people's "To Do" list when visiting Paris. It's not romantic. It's not historic. When I stepped off the Metro and walked out upon the esplanade under the Grand Arch, I thought I would just turn around and go back to a "proper" Paris experience but I was hungry and decided to grab something quick to eat and then go back. I opted for the Daily Monop, which is sort-of like a fancy Whole Foods with lots of fresh sandwiches and salads. It was actually very good! It was such a beautiful afternoon so after eating, I thought, well, why not stroll around the area just to check it out. In the end, I was really glad I stayed and spent a couple hours admiring the modern architecture and public art.

Outdoor Sculpture at La Defense

Building Reflections at La Defense

Thumbs Up! at La Defense

I admit, this is not everyone's cup of tea and but it was worth a one-time visit.

Today was my third day in Paris and I hadn't yet seen the Eiffel Tower so it was time to remedy that. Previously, I had only seen the tower from the Champ de Mars and I really wanted to check out the view from the Trocadero. This being a sunny Saturday afternoon in February, the Trocadero was simply mobbed with tourists, musicians, vendors, etc. I soon discovered a large protest demonstration had begun at the base of the Eiffel Tower and was slowly making its way uphill towards the Trocadero. I snapped off a couple of quick photos and decided to head down the hill, passing the loud but orderly crowd in the process.

Tour Eiffel from Place du Trocadero

I had read later that some 10,000 people were in the parade of protesters that afternoon. Apparently the catalyst for the protest was President Francois Hollande's support for fertility treatment for gay couples. I certainly don't know much about French politics but I guess I was surprised at the conservative nature of this protest.

In any event, I headed down to the Champ de Mars and just relaxed and enjoyed the unexpected sunny weather. I really wanted to photograph the Eiffel Tower framed by some Parisian buildings so I just wandered a bit aimlessly into a nearby neighborhood looking for that shot and I found exactly what I was looking for!

Tour Eiffel

Tour Eiffel

I know I'm going to say it way too much on this blog but c'mon . . . can you believe this sun in Paris, in the winter? Spoiled, to say the least.

Day 2 - Luxembourg Gardens, Pere Lachaise & Opera Garnier

My main goal today was the famous Pere Lachaise cemetery but before heading to the Metro station to catch the train, I wanted to check out the nearby Jardin du Luxembourg which was an easy walk from the apartment. The morning was slightly foggy but pleasant and the garden was quiet and peaceful . . . a handful of tourists were there but it was mostly local joggers and a group of school children visiting. The Luxembourg Palace is onsite which houses the French Senate and it's a striking building. I really enjoyed the gardens, as I'm a big fan of gardens to begin with, and I can't imagine how beautiful (and busy!) it would be in the summer.

Luxembourg Palace in the Jardin du Luxembourg

I next found my way to "my" Metro station (Odeon, that being the closest one to the apartment) and purchased a carnet of Metro tickets. A carnet is simply 10 individual tickets purchased at a slight discount over the single-ticket price. Once again I was pleasantly surprised at the ease of which I could make this purchase. I knew that without a "chip and PIN" credit card (which is the norm in Europe and difficult to come by in America), I would either have to use coins in the ticket vending machine or find one of the slowly-being-phased-out manned ticket counters to use bills. However, the automatic vending machine at Odeon took Euro bills so it was a breeze. I followed Rick Steves' advice and began my visit to Pere Lachaise from the Gambetta Metro station. The weather was still foggy which made for a great atmosphere but the sun was out before my visit was over.

Pere Lachaise

I had downloaded a cemetery map prior to leaving Seattle, which is pretty much essential if you want to locate the famous graves. Even with a map, it's a challenge as the grounds are sprawling and the paths winding and intersecting. Although there weren't a lot of people there, most that I encountered appeared a little lost. Several people stopped asking me for help and I tried my best after receiving an affirmative response to "Parlez vous Anglais?"

Oscar Wilde's grave is one of the most popular at Pere Lachaise and it used to be covered in lipstick kisses. A year or so ago, they cleaned up his tomb and surrounded the lower half with plexiglass. It certainly takes the romance out of it but of course people have still found a way to leave smooch marks here and there. I found it simply astounding that once I arrived at his gravesite, I was the only one there!

I was able to locate all of the graves I wanted to see save for Moliere. As I was trying to locate Chopin, I encountered a very enthusiastic Frenchman who took me on a "shortcut" through the tombstones all the while shouting and pointing "Chopin! Chopin!" He expounded all sorts of facts about Chopin, such as while his body is buried at Pere Lachaise, his heart is buried in Warsaw, Poland. I was a little skeptical that he was going to ask for money for his help but he didn't.

Oscar Wilde's Grave

"Chopin! Chopin!"

For most Americans, the pilgrimage to Jim Morrison's grave is likely the #1 attraction of Pere Lachaise. The famous bust that used to sit atop his grave has been gone for years and now there's just an understated grave marker. But given that it is Jim Morrison, his grave is gated to protect it from graffiti and other such vandalism. Truth be told, in my opinion, it wasn't much to see.

Pere Lachaise was high on my list of places to see in Paris and it was one of my favorite memories of this trip.

As a final destination for the day, I headed to the Opera Garnier. While no longer used for operas, this was the setting for The Phantom of the Opera and the building is simply opulent. I had read that if one goes to Paris and cannot make it out to Versailles to experience the Hall of Mirrors, the Opera Garnier is a close second. Versailles is spectacular but this was nice as well and far less crowded.

Opera Garnier

Opera Garnier

As I left the Opera and was taking some photos of the exterior building, someone tried the "Gold Ring" scam on me. There are several well-known tourist scams in Paris and this is one where someone will drop a gold ring on the ground, pick it up and ask if it's yours. When you say "No" the person will insist that you take it because it "doesn't fit" them (or something similar) and it is valuable. Of course, they will then try to get you to pay them money for it, although in truth, it has no value. The guy who tried this on me really didn't try very hard. Just a firm "No" from me was all it took for him to walk away.

Day 1 - Seattle to Paris

Art for sale along the Seine

Delta flight 615, nonstop Seattle to Paris. I used miles to travel and being that this is low season, I was able to fly Business Elite for essentially 1/2 the miles that would otherwise be required during the high season. If it were spring or fall, I would definitely have been sitting in coach! The service in Business was nice and some of the food was pretty good but at the end of the day, it's still airplane food. The cold dishes were more successful than the hot. The Seattle-based flight crew was okay but I was expecting a bit more personalization such as calling me, "Mrs. Jensen". (How spoiled do I sound? Note, my return flight from Paris was much better in this regard.) The lie-flat seat was really nice but there was quite a bit of turbulence over the Atlantic which made sleep difficult. The 9+ hour flight seemed to go pretty quickly, however.

On to Paris! The flight arrived about 45 minutes early. Passport control was a breeze; they didn't even look at my photo or ask a single question. There are several transportation options for getting into the city from the airport: cab, shuttle, bus or RER train. I knew a cab would run me about 50 Euro ($65 USD) and I had read the shuttles were somewhat unreliable. Most of the destination experts on Trip Advisor tell you to "just take a taxi" due to convenience and jet lag one would sure to be experiencing. And many warn of pickpockets on the RER. However the RER train is only 9.75 Euro ($13 USD) and traveling alone, I just couldn't justify spending $50 more than needed on a taxi. Also, the RER is considered the quickest way into the city. I understood that if you don't have 9.75 in Euro coins (no bills accepted in the machines), the line to buy an RER ticket at the airport can be quite long; but I had also read it is possible to buy a ticket at the Tourist Information counter with bills. Well, the TI was right outside of my baggage claim and there was no line whatsoever so I had my ticket in hand within minutes. I followed the clearly-marked signs for "Paris par train" and about 5 minutes later was onboard the RER. Being that it was midday on a weekday, the train was fairly empty. No signs of pickpockets. Approximately 40 minutes later, I was at my stop, St. Michel-Notre Dame. I had also been warned to be prepared to haul my bag up many flights of stairs from the RER. Again, this was not the case. This particular station had escalators and I only had to physically walk up 15 stairs to the street. I had looked at a map beforehand to determine the correct Sortie (exit) to take out of the RER station and a 10 minute walk later, I was turning the key to the door of my rental apartment.

I rented an apartment through Paris Best Lodge, Studio Mazarine in the 6th Arrondissment or the St. Germain neighborhood. I could only find one specific review on this apartment itself before booking it, but I hadn't heard one bad word about Paris Best Lodge and the experience was just fine. I would consider this studio apartment large, especially for Paris and more than enough room for one person. It could accommodate a couple easily. The location was great, approximately 5 blocks from a Metro station, 2 minutes from the Seine and walking distance to many tourist sites. For the amenities, location and price, I was very happy with my choice. Was it perfect? No. But my particular issues were relatively minor (e.g., no view and thin walls).

The day was overcast but it wasn't raining and I definitely wanted to get out and walk around the neighborhood before crashing. As it was so close, I walked to Notre Dame and toured the inside of the church. I was surprised that they still had a huge Christmas tree on display outside (this was January 31st) but it would come down several days later. I then strolled along the Seine and found a grocery store for some supplies before retiring from this long travel day.

Notre Dame - Overcast Afternoon