Europe Travel Blog: 14 (Evening)- 15 December 2019

14 (Evening)- 15 December 2019

This trip started back in September with an idea to visit Munich to experience the Christmas Markets and the ambiance of Christmas in Germany. The trip morphed many times over planning. First, just Germany then Innsbruck to ski the Austrian Alps. Then Prague was added. Not soon after, Innsbruck was taken away and replaces by Vienna. Eventually the trip would settle on Munich and Prague. Or so I thought.

When booking my air-travel, I decided on a whim to visit Paris. The timeline moved and fluctuated with planning, but it eventually laid itself out to around 36 hours in Pars.

I left Chengdu on Xiamen Airlines, bound for Paris. I was very hesitant when leaving due to the fact I had never used this airline and I knew the reputation for air-traffic within China. I had my connecting flight to Paris at Fuzhou.

Upon arrival in Fuzhou, I had to retrieve my bag from the luggage carousel and recheck my luggage, go through immigration, and security before getting to my gate. The airport at Fuzhou looked and felt as if it was still under construction. It was extremely easy to navigate.

My flights on Xiamen were both amazing flights. The flight crew were attentive to detail and spoke not just Chinese but English and French. Both planes were relatively new and offered ample legroom. The flight from Fuzhou to Paris was on a Boeing Dreamliner. I believe this was my first experience with this particular aircraft and it was an amazing experience. I must also speak about the food offered. The food, was perhaps, some of the best airline food I have gotten on a flight. Once again, the cabin crew was amazing.

Menu from plane.

On my first flight, I happened to run into Ivy, who is one of the 5-year-old teachers. She relayed her daughter and her were going to vacation on the South of France and visit Italy as her original vacation plans fell through. Ivy was a life saver in navigating specific parts of the Fuzhou Airport where the signage was not complete.

On the flight to Paris, I was in the same row as two guys who spoke French. Their English skills lacked much to be desired. At first, one of them thought I was Chinese, but after I said no, they next thought I was French. It was interesting to be thought of as Chinese, even though I’m not sure how the assumption was made! Conversation with them was a challenge, so I slept and kept to myself. One of our very few exchanges was when I was trying to connect to the WIFI and the guy with the Parisian accent attempted to tell me the WIFI was not working. Instead of saying the Americanized pronunciation, his sounded more like "WeFe."

Upon landing in Paris, immigration and customs was a breeze. I was able to grab my suitcase and be outside the arrival terminal without any stress. I was meeting Sara, a coworker of mine, at the airport. This was the only part is this airport adventure that caused me stress. We had not exchanged flight information before leaving for Paris and all I had to figure out her gate was the airline and where it came from. I approached the only person I could find to help, and she was able to help find the correct terminal of arrival and I transitioned to terminal 1 from terminal 2. The interesting thing to me about CDG is the layout of the terminals. Terminal 1 is at the far side of the airport with terminal 2 at the other side. Terminal 3 is in the middle.

After traversing the terminals by train, I was able to connect with Sara. We got to see the Airport security in action. Someone had left a bag on a row of chairs and the bomb dogs were in full force. We were eventually able to make our way to the uber pickup zone in terminal 2 and get an uber to the hotel.

At the hotel we were able to drop off the luggage while they prepared the room which we would stay in. We took an hour-long stroll through the neighborhood where we discovered a beautiful park. (Parc des Buttes-Chaumont) The park was filled with many runners and walkers on their Sunday morning exercises. Before heading back to the hotel, I checked out a local bakery/ coffee shop. I was able to get a croissant here for around 1euro.

Selection at the local bakery.

Sunday morning sights.

After going back to the hotel and freshen up, we began our journey for the day. This journey was based upon the Rick Steves’ Historic Paris Walk. This walk is most likely the best and cheapest way to see and experience some of the sights in Paris. Including 16 stops, you get your walking in and have the ability to work on your own.

Norte Dame, even under construction from the spring fire, was a sight to behold. The colossal bell towers were still the landmark they have always been. I was taken aback and highly impressed at the size of the structure. When walking around the side, I could see where the workers had braced the flying buttresses to prevent collapsing. The scaffolding on the sides showed the beginning of reconstruction. There was a fence set around the sight adorned with pictures of the reconstruction process. Even though you are unable to go inside, it still anchors the island upon which Paris was founded.

After Notre Dame the walk would take you to the Deportation Memorial. On this trip I decided to skip the memorial as I would be going to Dachau after arriving in Munich. I also opted to skip it due to having shortened time in Paris and a large list of things to see and do. I opted to move to Ile St. Louis. This island is right behind Ile de la Cité, the island upon which Notre Dame is built and the spot where it is believed Paris was founded. Although I did not visit the Ile St. Louis on this walk, I did visit it later in the evening by scooter.

After the Ile St. Louis you walk along the Left Bank promenade. Here you see booksellers as they have been since the middle ages, selling books along the banks of the Sine. The Left Bank is also the home of the more liberal city of Paris, being it boasts the Latin Quarter. After strolling by the booksellers on the banks of the Sine, I walked through a cross section of Medieval Paris. The architecture is rather ramshackle and features houses twisting and turning and leaning every which way.

At this point, I stopped by a miniature Christmas market where I was able to sample various sausages and cheese and have a glass of mulled wine.

This walking tour also passes by the reincarnation of Shakespeare and Company Book Store. This bookstore came about after the First World War and was a gathering place for American Expat writers: Ernest Hemmingway, Gertrude Stein, and Ezra Pound. This tiny bookstore is right on the edge of the Sine. There was a rather long line out of the door, therefore discouraging me from visiting to be able to stay on my schedule.

Upon leaving Shakespeare and Company the tour led me to St. Séverin and the Latin Quarter. St. Séverin took nearly a century longer to build than Notre Dame. It is more of a flamboyant Gothic style. The short, prickly spires are designed to make the building flicker in the eyes of the faithful. This church also offers great views of gargoyles. The Latin Quarter is remembered as the University Neighborhood of Paris. Names because the language of knowledge was once Latin. Early languages (French, German, English) were crude and could not express many philosophical thoughts. Just compare that with French later becoming the official language of the Russian Court and Nobility! The Latin Quarter fells mostly Greek now, cheap gyros abound, but it still retains its architecture and charm. I noticed how the streets slopped to the center and there was a channel in the center of each street. Remembering back to times before indoor plumbing these streets were designed to drain waste from houses to the river.

After a trip through the Latin Quarter, I strolled down Boulevard St. Michel, one of the main arteries for Paris’ care and art’s scene. Along this street there are many cafes and plenty of modern-day, designer shops. From Boulevard St. Michel, I traveled toward the Sine arriving at Place St. Michel. In 1830, 1848, and 1871 the citizens took the streets form government troops, set up barricades Lez Miz-style, and fought again royalist oppression. During WWII, the locals rose up against their Nazi oppressors. In the spring of 1968, young students battle riot batons and tear gas by digging up the cobblestones from the streets and launching them at the police. Demonstrations still take place in this square, but gone are the cobblestones in favor of a much less violent asphalt!

Place St. Michel

From here I crossed the bridge across the Sine back toward the Right Bank. I walked by Sainte-Chapelle and the Palais de Justice, where the French Supreme Court meet. To enter the Sainte-Chapelle, you must go through a very strict security checkpoint. One of the more interesting pieces here is the stained glass. Commissioned by Louis IX, its original purpose was to hold the crown of thorns. It was completed under one architect and in only six years! (It took 200 years for Notre Dame.)

The next stop for me was famous for being the last stop for 2,780 victims of the guillotine, the Concierge. Although no longer a death sentence, the Conciergerie is currently home to an exhibit on Marie Antionette and her impact on pop culture. As well as possible rotating exhibits, there is a permanent exhibit that chronicles the use of the building and some of the more famous people associated with the Revolution. On the tour of the building, you are likely to enter the Chapel dedicated to Marie Antionette. If you go behind the alter you will enter a room which is the location where Marie Antionette was held during her trial and before the execution.

After leaving and walking along the Left Bank of the Seine, I noticed the difference between the Left Bank and the Right. The Left Bank is old Paris while the Right Bank was redesigned during the reign of Napoléon III. The small winding streets were turned into big boulevards. This served two purposes: Armies could have parades down the street and armies could have straight shots to launch cannon fire in case of uprisings.

I slowly made my way to a small triangle park tucked away close to the French Supreme Court Building. Place Dauphine is a cozy getaway from the hustle and bustle of Paris life. After a short break in the park I preceded to Pont Neuf and the Seine.

Pont Neuf is now Paris’ oldest bridge. Built around 1600, this bridge was built with space for vendors and street entertainers. Below this bridge, you will find the port for river cruises along the Sine. I noticed a few Parisians enjoying the Sunday afternoon and having a bottle of wine along the banks of the Sine. The attitudes of these people were of carefree times full of laughter and the company of friends. The views of the river and down-stream were amazing. Form this point you can see parts of the Louvre.

Upon reaching and crossing the bridge, this is where Rick’s audio tour ends, and my own personal ideas took over.

From this point I began traveling to visit the Opera Garnier. I always remember wanting to go to Paris and not visit the Eiffel Tour or the Arc de Triumph, but Notre Dame and Opera Garnier. I guess that is because I have read books about both!

It was about a 30-minute walk to the Opera Garnier, and worth every second. The closer I got, the more I could feel the excitement within me. Upon walking down the grand boulevard in front of the Opera House I was greeted with many upper scale department stores and cafes. Just like tea house culture is big in Chengdu, café culture is big in Paris. Many of the great and influential Parisians have had their favorite haunts.

After circling the Opera House, I discovered the tours were closed on Sunday so I visited the gift shop where I found out tours would resume the next day! Back out in front of the Opera House, there was a small band playing on the steps. One of the more interesting things of notes, while I was in Paris the public employees were on strike, this also affected the opera to the point of having to cancel a performance.

After a quick walk around the Opera and into the gift shop it was decided to continue to Champs-Elysées and the Arc de Triomphe. The walk to here was maybe another 30-45-minute walk through the streets of Paris. Strolling Champs-Elysées was an extremely memorable experience. Parisians and tourists alike were doing their shopping for Christmas at the high-end stores along the boulevard. When walking up Champs-Elysées, the Arc de Triomphe slowly came into view. Placed in a roundabout, the Arc de Triomphe anchors the uphill end of Champs-Elysées. Finding the entrance was an experience. To get to the Arc you must find the tunnel that leads under the roundabout and under the Arc. The two entrances are marked by brown signs with the Arc in white outlines. I did not go to the top of the Arc because I had done a great deal of walking and felt it was a better idea to eat and recharge and tackle the rest of the evening.

Dinner this evening was at a cafe not far from the Arc. This was a rather laidback café on a laidback street. Missing the hustle and bustle of the shoppers on the Champs-Elysées, this café offered quite the atmosphere to enjoy a laidback Paris. Food here at this café was delicious. I had a dinner of snails and a club sandwich. Maybe the club sandwich is not the best example of French cooking, but it was a nice size light dinner.

After dinner I took to the streets, so to speak. Here I rented a scooter and began a night exploration of Paris. I was headed to a specific destination originally, but with a wrong turn and sense of adventure I decided to just wing it. On my scooter I rode through the middle of the Louvre complex then down the Left Bank to the Alexander III Bridge, the Eiffel Tower, then back to the Latin Quarter, Notre Dame, Ile St. Louis, and a few other sights. After I had gotten lost more than I can count, I stopped at a café for a late-night snack before heading back to the hotel.

Alexander III Bridge at night.

Notre Dame at night.

Out of the day’s adventures, I thoroughly believe the scooter offered the best views of the city. The night-time feel of Paris will show you why it received the nickname the “City of Lights!”