We arrived the same day the Gossip Girl crew finished filming, 13th July in other words. We managed to find our way from Charles de Gaulle airport to Gare du Nord. From here to the apartment was a bit of an issue, we waited for a taxi then a nice Frenchman came and said no taxis actually come here then a taxi came a bit later and he told the taxi driver where we wanted to go. This guy was such a huge help since we really had no idea and Natalie (the girl with the key) had been waiting for ages by now. Eventually we got there and she said everything was okay, she was really nice but I think she thought we were a bit weird. That night there was a grand search for an ATM, supermarket and a place to eat. We found all 3 in our corner of Paris. We were staying in Montmartre which is in the 18th arrondisement. A very ethnic side of town it was, yet home to the Moulin Rouge and the Basilica of Sacré-Cœur. This is Monti from the Eiffel Tower, not that far away.
The next day was Bastille Day. I was looking forward to this day so much especially to see the jets fly over with the colours of the French flag coming out. I didn't get to see it. In fact, we missed all the morning celebrations. We weren't able to leave the apartment till a bit after 10 due to some things then we had to buy our Paris Viste 3 day passes then find our way to the city. You can enlarge this map by clicking on it if you're really interested but this was our route.
Anvers (nation direction), Barbès-Rochechouart (Orleans direction), Châtelet (Defence direction), then Franklin-D. Roosevelt. This will have you walking straight out onto Champs Elysees. Except for the last stop which changed depending on what we had to do, we had taken this route everyday. We knew it off by heart. And the way you pronounced the places was most probably wrong too, we learnt alot on these train trips. Anyway once we were out of the Metro we walked around a bit, I immediately regretted wearing thongs, we then found the river, then it poured. French Rain is no friend.
Trying to get Mum and Soph to Champs Elysees was just Mission Impossible. I knew exactly where we were but roads became blocked due to the mornings parade and the rain was just never ending. I was so desperate to get them onto this freakin street and at the same time so upset that this was how they first saw Paris. But they seemed okay, check out their happy happy smiles in this video taken from under The Cameroon Embassy.We got the umbrella's for 5€ off a random person selling them in the street that I'd usually avoid. As soon as I stopped filming water began to rush out from under the door so we had to move. However the whole time we were there a man was standing behind the door peaking out at us and never even invited us in but then again the political leaders were just arriving so I don't blame him, but it would have been nice. Every time the rained stopped we would gain a bit of ground. We made it onto Champs Elysees after walking in huge puddles and waiting under more window awnings. They even had French flags up to celebrate the day. Don't they look nice?
The path was slippery and everything just looked horrible. Finally we reached our final destination. The underground McDonald's. We were out of the rain and had food. Straight after we wasted no time and headed straight back to the apartment. Mum had a nap, I searched the Internet for pictures of where they filmed Gossip Girl so we could go check them out and Sophie did, something. Slowly the sun came out and things looked like this:
Hmm... Well we were not going to go back into the city so we went inside the Basilica for a look around then after awhile back at the apartment we went back to sit on the steps and watch the fireworks. There was so many people up on the hill so it really seemed like the place to be. At 11pm the fireworks started and you couldn't really see them. Fail. Everyone rushed to another section where you could kind of see the tower. All I got was this...Sophie and I just stood back a bit and let mum get the best viewing place as we wanted her to at least see them. The next day would surely be better than today's continuous bad luck.
And it was. We woke early and made our way to Tuileries, just near the Louvre, for our morning tour. It was a bit windy and slightly cold but not raining. As we waited inside for our Louvre tour we witnessed these two American ladies miss their tour to Versailles. Well, I had never heard EIGHT-FORTY-FIVE! been pronounced so many times. They were stupid enough to arrive at the time the tour was leaving and not a good 15 minutes early. We had really had enough of the 8:45 women but it wasn't the end. To make up for the mistake the company put them on our tour. Joy. The tour started and our guide was Okay, his name was Remy, like the mouse out of Ratatouille. Once in the Louvre you seriously cannot help putting all the DaVinci Code ideas into place, Remy was quick to cross them out but I still had my personal opinions.
Of course the main attraction was the Mona Lisa.
The expected crowd was huge, you couldn't even get close but all in all it was pretty cool to see in real life and for the most part it was just better to admire the painting from a distance.
We saw some other amazing paintings that I knew but didn't realise were in the Louvre such as the one which is on the front of the Coldplay Viva la Vida album. We also were able to see The Winged Victory on the tour which was very cool as we had studied that in art.
After the Louvre we rushed backed to the hotel to put on some warmer clothes then came back into Champs Elysees for a nutella crepe and a short walk before our next tour. Of course, we went to Laduree! My most favourite shop in Paris. This time round I could not help but get the same box as you will see Blair from Gossip Girl carrying around in the 4th season.
Sophie and Mum shared a box which was also a music box with an Alice in Wonderland theme. Soon it was time to head back down to the tour centre and start our afternoon city tour. This one also included going to the second storey of the Eiffel Tower and a river cruise. While in the bus I just couldn't stop thinking of how much we wouldn't get to see. Even though we were seeing then it just isn't the same as getting out and walking around. Luckily by the end of the tour we had actually managed to cover everything.
The tour reached the Eiffel Tower and it was time to go up. We skipped the giant line up and got straight in after a 15 minute wait for the lift. It was a bit scary. The lift is on a slight diagonal and you can see straight up. It stopped at what we thought would be the second floor then it started up again and we began to think that it would be going to the very very top. It was such a relif when it stopped again and we could get out on the middle platform of the tower. I had no interest in going to the top, this thing is incredibly high, and in my mind the view actually is that great. The simple reason being there is no Eiffel Tower. What's a view of Paris without the Eiffel Tower in it?
We rode the lift back down and decided to have a bit of a picnic with our macaroons on the lawn in front of the tower.
After this we decided to take the river cruise which we could do at any time. It was so relaxing, I didn't listen to the commentary but just enjoyed the sites and bridges. Though it was very cool when they played Edith Paifs La Vie En Rose over the speaker, that, I was very pleased with.
That night we discovered an intersection near our apartment which was filled with Cafe's and music which was brilliant for dinners for that night and the last. The day after we made it back to the same tour place very early for our tour out to Versailles which was leaving at EIGHT-FORTY-FIVE. The drive out was very relaxing once out of the centre of Paris which was just crazy with traffic. Somehow the police managed to make way for some important people from Romania around the Arc di Triumph which was in itself a triumph. The town of Versailles (pronounced Ver-sigh.) was gorgeous and the palace was amazing.
This was also where Marie Antoinette lived which made more interesting.
For example this was her bed..
In the side of the picture you can see a door, this is where the King got in and out and back to his room. THey slept in different rooms and the Queen was never allowed in his room. The hall of mirrors was the most spectacular part of the palace. It was so beautiful and like nothing else.
On the right side are windows that look straight out to the gardens which are also pretty impressive.
We had the chance to walk around them and it was oh so tempting to rent a golf cart to have a really good look around. The gardens are huge these pictures are only a tiny tiny part. Another great thing about Versailles is that there is a Laduree there! So I got another box, a black one.
We travelled back into Paris at about 1pm and then began walking around in the direction of the Latin District which is where Notre Dame is. Along the river are loads of green boxes and inside these boxes are shops where you can buy old books and posters so Soph and I bought a couple of posters and prints from them as we walked along. It's so much nicer to buy things this way than in a tourist shop.
To get to the district we walked across this bridge with more love locks all over it like the chain in Florence. This bridge will be in Gossip Girl too. See why Mum called this whole trip the Harry Potter and Gossip Girl Tour?
We had lunch then reached Notre Dame and didn't wait long in line to get in. The Rose Windows inside were so huge and beautiful but the best part of Notre Dame is the part we waited a very long time for, the roof walk.
We waited in line watching cars coming in and out of some funny designed driveway with a flashing red light, it was odd. There was also an American family in line and their accents were deep southern so it was fun to listen to the mum play with the kids. "Ya'll have to guess what colour I'm thinking of!" We walked the stairs half way up, then waited some more in a gift shop, then reached the top.
Up top we met an Australian couple that had been travelling around all of Europe. The guy was a bit crazy but it was good to talk to some Australians. Here I also found out that there were Mummies in the Louvre which I would have loved to have seen but didn't even know they were there. Next time. We climbed up on more set of stairs once at the top. They were old wooden and creaky. This is where Quasimodo, the Hunchback of Notre Dame, lived with the giant bell which today is rarely rung.
This night was to be the best one had in Paris. We had three tickets to the 9pm show at the Moulin Rouge!
Sophie was dissapointed that it didn't look like it did in the movie but it was still pretty fun to see. And if anything was like the movie it was how the men in tuxedos and white gloves opened the doors for you as you walked in. We were approched by two totally different ladies during the entrance. Once took our cameras off us because they are forbidden inside. The next lady was the absolute image of the moulin rouge. In her black skirt and jacket with red lipstick so sassy and all, sold us a programme. We were seated and given wine. The show began with the dancers wearing the same material I once did in a tap dance. The silver glittery once that made us lok like seagulls. Shame. It didn't take long, however, for the costume to become close to nothing. To just put it staight, I had never seen so many breasts in my life, and I'm sure I never will again. This show was a 14 year old boys dream, I swear. The dancing was great but the best part was the intermission shows. They had body acrobats and a talking dog, scarlet. Oh my god this dog! There was a ventriloquist and the Maltese Terrier knew exactly when to open her mouth and move with the words so it looked like she was talking. She was suppose to sing but then the idea of her having the shits like women do came over and she just "wanted to go home" she didnt care. Was so so funny. We left very happy with the performance over all an awesome experience. Do it if you go to Paris.
The next day was our last and we would be leaving late that evening. We packed our bags and left them in a dodgy little closet which Natalie assured us was safe. We bought locks for our bags just incase. Like usual we made our way down to Champs Elysees for the last time. Today we went under the roundabout and up to the top of the arc. Now this was a good view.
Champs Elysees, the street we spent so much time on.
La Defence, the modern part of Paris and also the Grande Arche which is in perfect line with the Arc di Triumph and the arc infront of the Louvre.
That afternoon we went our seperate ways. Mum and Sophie to Gare du Nord to catch the train to the airport then back to London for the night before flying home. And I to Gare de L'Est to catch my train home to Germany. Just before midnight I came in and met Steffen at the station and he had my Miss Dior Cherie perfum for me as my birthday present. A great trip had come to an end, yet it was only the beginning of some more major travels.*Also just as a note, I apologise for any horrific grammer/ spelling in this post. It's incredibly long and has taken me a few days to write and I could not be bothered in the slightest bit to go back and reread. Thanks.
