Paris, hmmm

Thus far, I can't say that I'm overwhelmingly impressed by Paris.  Right now it feels like the land of rude, frumpy people and a couple cools things.  My night of arrival, I skipped trying to figure out the subway as the information lady looked like she was having the worst day of her life.  Come to find out, every information person, at every subway station, in all of Paris is having ground hog day and every day they look like it's the worst of their lives.  The walk to the hostel was pretty uneventful.  Fortunately I took Kelly's advice and screen printed directions to the hostel on my iPhone.  Great idea and great results.  

WEDNESDAY AUGUST 15, 2012 

SIGHTSEEING RUNNING-STYLE 

I need to get in my Wednesday run, so I went out into the city to do my run, and was able to make my way through a good portion of Paris.  I started a little over two miles east of the louvre, and ultimately passed by the louvre, Eiffel tower, arc de triomphe and did a run down the champs de élysées.  The biggest immediate contrast that I saw between London and Paris is that London keeps itself super clean; you're hard pressed to find litter anywhere.  However in Paris, you blatantly see people littering and you don't see a lot of things getting cleaned up.  And in London, I didn't see anyone sleeping on mattresses on the side of the street or pitching tents in what looks like well established retail districts.  Just sayin'

ROLAND GARROS

I'm a huge tennis fan, and while in London, one of the things I thought I would get to do is visit Wimbledon.  Not so much of an option as they closed it down for the Olympics and It won't fully reopen to the 20th.  Very sad!!  So while in Paris, I figured I'd go to the second best grand slam on the continent, Roland Garros.  There was a museum and tour, so I figured while there I would do both.  Turns out with 120+ years of history it only takes about 45 minutes to see the museum and that's with reading nearly everything.  Must not be that glorious of history.  Oh, and a good portion of that was taken up its non permanent art area where people made objects out of tennis racquets and did a few paintings.  The tour around the stadium at least went a bit longer, an hour.  It was cool as we were able to go back stage to where the press sits during tournaments, go into the players lounge and even take the walk that the players take from the lounge onto center court.  All and all the tour of the facilities makes up for the lack of museum quality.  

The entrance to the stadium 

Recognition of 4 French players who were the first team to win davis cup

Racquet art

Gustavo kuerten

The musketeers 

2012 hand written men's singles draw, with Rafael the winner

one of two interview rooms.  This one is used by the top 10 players, or the match winner

Locker used by Novak Djokovic at this years open

Signature wall, signed by lots of famous players, just before they enter the main court 

Court Phillippe Chatrier 

EIFFEL TOWER

I decided when in Paris, one must go up, up the tower that is.  When I ran by in the morning the lines looked horrific, and I was afraid of what I would find come early evening.  I arrived between 5-6:00 and the lines for the lifts were still a bit long however I found that the south and east parts were stairs only and the lines were vey manageable, and up 42 flights of step, I would eventually walk.  21 flights to the 1st floor and another 21flights to the second floor.  

I rewarded myself with a Heineken and then topped that off with a Ben & Jerry's, part cookie dough, part chocolate brownie.  As the beer and ice cream went down, so did the sun, and the lights on the tower and the city began to come up.  it was cool to see the city light up, but I admit, I was expecting a bit more from the city of lights.  

The tower

View of first floor

View of third floor. 

Heineken having fun



tower lit from the inside

In lights

THURSDAY AUGUST 16, 2012

I took another opportunity to sleep in a bit.  I knew this wasn't a great idea with all of Paris' major attraction having crazy lines, but it's vacation, right? I was out and off to my first by a bit after 11:30 and arrived at 12:30.  The catacombs, the place where a significant number of graves were relocated to, starting in the 1700's.  I had read to be prepared for a 2 hour wait in the best of times, as only a couple hundred people are allowed in a once.  A guy from the hostel came with and we ultimately spent 3.5 hours in a line that quite literally stretched from the entrance all the way around the block, right back to the entrance.  We made some "waiting in line" friends with a mixed Australian/American group in front of us.  Though the wait left a lot to be desired the insides were incredibly cool.  Meticulously laid bones were awesome for photo taking.  I only wish I was better with the camera in lower light situations.  After the 135 steps down 2k of walking and 80+ steps up, we we through in roughy 45 minutes.  3.5 hour wait for 45 minutes.  Not sure if I'd do it again but for a first timer it's worth the wait.

NOTRE DAME

I haven't yet been able to go up the towers and I might do that Friday, however, the rest of the church was underwhelming.  Yeah, it has a cool facade.  Yes it's big.  But something told me I wanted more.  Maybe I've been to too many really cool buildings in the last 2.5 weeks and now this just seemed to fade in, without one thing that really stood out as different or cooler than the others.  Laura, a lady from Kentucky, I met on the tour to giants causeway, mentioned how after she was in Italy, churches outside just don't impress her anymore.  I haven't been to Italy but I get the message.

FAIR IN TOWN

Churros con chocolate....  Those who know my poor eating habits know that I can't pass up chocolate very easy and when that chocolate is paired with some deep fried watch out.  As I traversed from notre dame (passing the louvre, as it was already closed and headed towards the arc de triomphe by way of the champs de élysées, I noticed a mini fair, rides and all.  Of course, I also noticed the sign of Churros and I was a man on a mission.  I was hungry and the Churros stood no chance.  They were gone before I leisurely meandered out of the little fair.  There were 8-10 of regular sized Churros served with melted nutella.  Super yum!!!!

ARC DE TRIOMPHE

By this point I've been by the arc a couple of times.  I ran by it yesterday morning and walked by it last night after my trip to the Eiffel tower.  Tonight was my chance to go to the top.  And by go up, yes I mean there are more stairs to climb.  My guess is about another 250 to 300own top of the who knows how many in the Eiffel tower.  Hopefully some part of me is getting fitter out of all the stairs.  The best view from the arc is the view of champs de élysées. It is just a straight shot down, and it is cool to imagine that you'd be allowed up there when the tour de France is going on.  I'm sure that is well out of my pay grade if it we to be an option.   Other than that, the views from the arc, offer about the same views as those from the 1st floor of the eiffel tower, accept now you see the tower, rather than the arc.  I was hopeful to catch the sunset by a few clouds rolled in and kept in from really happening.  A few pictures, not much more to say.  

Tower from the arc


Champs de élysées 

Tomb of unknown soldier

Arc with tower in the background