Wexford, Ireland to Paris, France
We said a wistful farewell to the beautiful Emerald Isle and were off across St. George’s Channel to Fishguard in southern Wales.
On the open deck with the wind in our faces. The sun was shining but the biting wind drove us inside after a while.
We took the train to Cardiff from Fishguard then and spent the night. Our only adventures there were venturing out to find a grocery store for some fresh food of supper. I attempted to post a blog but the internet was of utmost slowness and highly exasperating.
On Wednesday morning we headed out bright and early to catch our train to London Paddington station and then on to Paris! We were quite delighted to be able to rent a tiny apartment for our three nights stay in the city. Yes, it was up three long flights of stairs but t’was the cutest little place we just wanted to take it with us where ever we went! After bouncing around from tiny hotel rooms and less than wonderful hostels it was so much fun to have our own little place to come back to for several days in a row.
Our darling kitchen at 49 Rue des Dames in Paris. Notice that the shower is tucked right in the corner of the kitchen. It felt like one could almost reach everything in the apartment from the kitchen table. 🙂
We bought fresh foods for delicious breakfasts and Mary served it up in style. After a sufficient amount of protein intake and at least three cups of tea we were ready to hit the city!
Ben & Jerry’s somewhere along the way. 🙂
And because it was early and we felt like getting some exercise we walked along the Seine for a few miles.
There were myriads of photo opportunities and the walk was so nice and quiet and void of most tourists. Only a few runners and native bikers who, like us, were avoiding the masses.
And then, over the buildings and bridges, there it appeared! Just a glimpse of the Eiffel’s spire.
We crossed one bridge then and I couldn’t help but take a photo of these locks. From below, the chain link looked almost like a solid wall it was so covered with locks. I guess some years ago a fad started when lovers began locking a padlock on the bridge and then throwing the key into the river as a gesture of their ‘never-ending’ love for each other.
And then many steps and photos later we arrived! I have wanted to see the Eiffel Tower in person for years but never quite expected to have that dream come to pass. It was pretty grand to actually stand there and see it with my own eyes!
And because its almost a necessity we bought fresh, hot, overpriced crépes and enjoyed them in front of the tower.
We decided we should probably tackle the line for the tower then. And a line it was! Over an hour of standing and waiting and then waiting some more just to get to the elevator that would take us to the second floor of the tower.
Mary bought some frites to pass the time.
We checked out Sir Eiffel the engineer himself. According to Wikipedia the tower was built in 1889 as the entrance arch to the 1889 World’s Fair and I believe at one point Gustave Eiffel & his daughter lived near the top in a small apartment.
The view from above is pretty breathtaking. Sadly, the day was overcast and almost misty but we decided to make the most of the money paid and the time waited and spent a bit of time on the second story before then going all the way to the top. The elevator to the top just kept going and going and I looked down and wondered if it was never going to stop. Whew. Its a long way up there!
And the beautiful Greene stretching off to the southwest of the tower.
Then we were back with our feet securely on the ground once more. There are lovely gardens full of flowers scattered along the Greene.
We visited the Orsay Museum that evening and discovered some really lovely French art. I didn’t think I was much of an art-loving person but many of these were really lovely!
After finding some supper and resting our weary feet, we ended our day at the Eiffel, watching it sparkle for five minutes at the top of the hour and making sure to take lots of photos from every angle desired.
Friday morning we were at the Louvre bright and early to beat (at least some) of the crowds. This place is absolutely immense! It would take several days to see everything inside. We weren’t sure what exactly we wanted to see but couldn’t possibly skip visiting it since we were here.
But we did see the Mona Lisa! In a special room, roped off to keep people from coming too close, there she hung. I don’t profess to understand art and I’m not sure why this painting came to be so especially famous but hey, it was cool that we got to see the real thing!
Our next stop was the Notre Dame. Another place that we weren’t especially partial to but if in Paris there are some things you just must see. Let me just clarify that this is only one of the two sets of doors to the huge cathedral. It was difficult to get a photo of the whole thing with all the people milling around.
It truly is quite grand inside with high arches and stained glass. Huge chandeliers hang along the bottom rows of arches and everything has a very reverent aura to it. You are hardly supposed to speak or make any noise inside.
And when in a city anywhere, its good to just notice the small things like raindrops on greenery and the beauty of growth.
We took the metro line to see the Pantheon yet after this but by the time we got there we were all kind of sick of people and seeing more old buildings. We did go down to the crypt though and discovered some names of famous people that were buried there such as Victor Hugo and Louis Braille. After that we decided to go enjoy our cozy little home and spend some time relaxing.
And after aforementioned relaxation we had a sumptuous supper prepared by my lovely travel companions. Its such fun to be able to create our own meals a lot of the time and to realize how many euro we can save by doing it. Plus, it was so much more relaxing to have dinner in the privacy of our own place than tramping around town to find a place to eat at.
Along with our food, there was tea of course. If we don’t have our daily portion of at least three cups we do feel at a loss!
We bought honey here especially for our tea and toast and were aghast at the level left in the jar after only two days!
The crowning delight of dinner was a collection of fresh macaroons. Ah, what bits of joy and yumminess!
We went out later to bid our last farewell to Paris and especially the Eiffel Tower. I had to make sure and get that cliché touristy shot in front of the tower or my trip would have been incomplete.
And so, now that we’ve seen the famous La Ville De L’amour [City of Love], all three of us concluded that it is far overrated and though we’re glad to have seen it we were more glad to leave. I suppose being raised in the country keeps us all longing for wide open spaces. 🙂
On the morning of September 14 we headed out for the Palace of Versailles. But that is a story I will leave for another day and another post.
Rosetta Fern 