Paris

What can be said about Paris that hasn’t been said by a thousand different people before? Only that it’s bloody freezing!

Upon arrival in France’s glittering capital we were greeted by an icy chill, one that we thought we had long left behind in cold Zurich.

Despite the freezing cold Paris doesn’t disappoint. Ironically and contrary to popular belief we didn’t actually encounter many rude Parisians.

The journey to Paris certainly wasn’t our smoothest. At the other end in Zurich I was told that our train had maximised its capacity of Interrail pass holders or as the woman at the desk put it, trains that run to Paris strictly number the amount of Interrail pass holders on board to maximise the availability to full fare paying passengers. She also mentioned that the train was unlikely to be full but we couldn’t reserve a seat on it. Our only option was to wait a further two hours in a freezing cold train station. As we were already just under two hours early we had a substantial wait on our hands.

When we finally did arrive in Paris we found the train station patrolled by mean looking riot police complete with enough firearms to start a small war. Hastily we rushed around the corner to the taxi rank ready to be confronted by our next problem.

What we saw next astonished me, a taxi waiting line consisting of approximately 50 people. Normally if there are potentials fares around taxis swarm the rank like bees around a honey pot so I couldn’t understand how, with so much potential revenue, we were stuck in a freezing cold line watching taxis arrive occasionally.

Eventually we did manage to work our way to the front of the line and flag down a taxi. Upon entering the taxi I handed my scruffy looking piece of paper with the name and district of our hotel on. Not appearing to sure the driver set off with no real conviction. A short time later we arrived in the relevant district and then spent a considerable while patrolling the area before we finally did arrive at our hotel to conclude a difficult days travelling.

And now back to our time in Paris. Our rough plan was to visit pretty much the obvious destinations, The Eiffel Tower, Arc De Triomphe, Champ Elysses and La Louvre. Judging by the weather forecast the best day was the Friday so we decided to visit La Louvre on the Thursday as the attractions were in the warm and dry.

As probably the least artistic person around La Louvre was a bit hit and miss for me. At times you cannot help but be dumbfounded by the sheer talent that goes into creating some of the paintings in particular the bigger ones, but at other times I must confess to being a bit lost and like a fish out of water. Although I will probably get lynched for saying this I also think that the Mona Lisa is overrated and there are far better pieces of art in there but then again, what do I know?

That night I decided to take a stroll around the lively bohemian district in which we were staying, Abbesses. Wandering down the road I happened to stumble across a neon lit street advertising various sex shows, sex shops, sex... you get the picture! Right in the middle of it was the world famous Moulin Rouge, however with entrance at 90 Euros there wasn’t much chance of me going in for a look.
Although slightly seedy, the street is more fun than filth, distinguishing it slightly from the red light districts of Amsterdam.

Due to quick travel times on the admirable Paris metro system, we were able to chop and change between lines and partake in a whirlwind tour of the cities sights.

The Champ Elysses and Arc De Triomphe although both remarkable sights, are so overcrowded with observers that it is near on impossible to secure a great photograph. Also the crippling cold meant that we weren’t likely to hang around for long. Next was a trip to the Eiffel Tower, the remarkable structure appears to almost scrape the sky and unfortunately for us the lifts were broken and visitors unable to go up past the second floors.

We saved our money, dodged the hawkers and increasingly fake and annoying beggars and made our way back to Abbesses.

Abbesses itself is a lively district lined with stalls, restaurants and excellent bakeries serving some of the finest sweet pastries that I ever remember having the pleasure to sample.

As we prepare to leave Paris I will conclude by saying that the city does not disappoint. Had we not been unfortunate enough to arrive during a big freeze we would have been able to experience so much more during out stay. As it is we visited some amazing sights and samples life in a diverse, culturally unique city that does not disappoint.

At some point during the next week I will write to ponder all that we have seen and add some pictures, hope you have enjoyed reading, time to go pack!