Finally it's 6am and we get ready to go out. It's mad. The room is SO SMALL it's hard to get ready without repeatedly bumping into each other. It's really hot. I am stressed, Ant is stressed and Charlie starts crying non-stop about everything (responding to our mood). This room is so small it's IMPOSSIBLE!! We try to shower and the shower is so small that everytime I bend to wash myself my butt turns the water off!!! INSANE!! We heard someone else shower and thought it was rather short but now we realise the tactic. Wet yourself... turn it off... wash and then turn on to rinse. Craaaazy. We argue, I yell at Charlie to stop crying NOW! and eventually we are all good and ready to get the day underway.
We venture out loaded up with laundry. The plan is to throw it on and then grab a bite to have while we wait. Working out the French instructions to work the machines is really hard! But we eventually work it out.
We don't find food (it's still too early) but we find a cafe that is open and order coffee. The owner is a dwarf! He speaks no English but we manage to get what we want including warm milk for Charlie. He's a really nice guy. She's really excited about getting the milk. "Man gonna bring milk for Charlie. Milk in cup." ... "Yes Charlie, man bringing milk for you ... in a cup". Excellent coffee - I feel much better.
Laundry sorted. Good. We buy some croissants at the local patisserie and head back for the dry cycle. We discuss what to do about the hotel. We consider just moving and who cares about the money. I think I will chat to the concierge.
On the way back my friend Dee sends a text and proposes we get together for lunch. We plan to head to Notre Dame today so we let her know and tee up to meet after that.
It take 45 mins for us to figure out how to buy a Metro Card because the machines won't take our cards and we have to find an atm. 'Retrait' is the word we memorise later! Ou est le Retrait? We find a bank but its ATM's are out of order (with signs to that effect in French) then ... we finally find a cash machine about 10 mins up the road and get cash but now we need change (!!) ... the achine at the nearest station to where we are now doesn't take notes and we can't get change from the shops because they don't have enough... we head back to the original station we were at to ask the info lady there and then we see the obvious, which you will notice in the photo...
Yes.... that's a change machine right next to the ticket machine :P
EDIT: Note about where we are right now - between Place de Nation and Charonne - this is apparently "le provence" to Parisian's and not Paris at all. It's not at all touristy... in any sense ... but it was pretty easy bto get around from here once we figured out the train tickets.
NOTRE DAME CATHEDRAL
Wow. Thank God we finally get out of Nation! We get the Metro to Hotel de Ville (an amazing building in itself) and head to Notre Dame, stopping to take photos on the bridge over the Seine.
When I see it I get tears in my eyes. It's hard to describe how overwhelming this city can be. To think that all of this, so beautiful and built so many years ago has been retained and is still relevant and still used to service modern society. Notre Dame is really spectacular. The facade is carved with every saint known to (Catholic) man. We jump in line to enter and within minutes we're even more overwhelmed gazing in awe at the most amazing architectureI have ever seen. I will let the photos speak for themselves.
Charlie is fixated with the candles and makes prayers like the other faith-filled people there. I consider becoming a catholic :)
We meet up with Dee at the statue of Charlemaine ...
... and walk up the road a little thinking the food will be cheaper away from the Cathedral. We look left at the corner we are on and whoah... there's the Pantheon! And on the right the University de Paris another notable building! You audibly gasp looking in every direction. There isn't just a few gorgeous sights... the entire city is like this.
We take a seat at Crepe A Go Go and order crepes and Beaujolais (red wine) in perfect French.
We stop by the Pantheon on the way back (as you do...)
Charlie (what's new...) charms the couple next to us and I think they go home ready to make babies. They are from Conneticut, America. Everywhere we look couples are holding hands and gazing across the table. We spend a long time chatting and drinking with Dee and the Americans and then head to Chatelet des Halles so I can buy some shoes to wear to the Firemans Ball (these balls happen all over the city at the Pompier stations and are apparently a Bastille Day tradition).
No one in Paris gets dressed up we've found. In fact most look quite scruffy! Not how you imagine Paris! But Dee is dressing up so I will too :) Dee comes back to our shoebox so I can get ready and then we jump on the Metro back to Bercy so she can get ready too. I meet Tina and David, Dee's travelling companions in Paris. I'm soooo tired. Not even sure I can stay awake whilst chattin to Tina waiting for Dee .... before we go I scull down a red bull and it picks me up a little. We head out to the first Ball via cab.
THE FIREMANS BALLS
Don't ask me where the first stop was... but I'm pretty sure it was Bastille (so the photos tell me). The streets are full of people celebrating and drinking. There are firemen and police everywhere... celebrating just like everyone else! There's a 'place' that they have cordoned off that has a golden statue up on a pole n the centre and the streets are filling with more and more people. We duck into a side street and find a bar that David frequents (10% tourists (that's us) and 90% Parisians) and watch a Johnny Hallyday concert on the big screen there.
No one in Paris gets dressed up we've found. In fact most look quite scruffy! Not how you imagine Paris! But Dee is dressing up so I will too :) Dee comes back to our shoebox so I can get ready and then we jump on the Metro back to Bercy so she can get ready too. I meet Tina and David, Dee's travelling companions in Paris. I'm soooo tired. Not even sure I can stay awake whilst chattin to Tina waiting for Dee .... before we go I scull down a red bull and it picks me up a little. We head out to the first Ball via cab.
THE FIREMANS BALLS
Don't ask me where the first stop was... but I'm pretty sure it was Bastille (so the photos tell me). The streets are full of people celebrating and drinking. There are firemen and police everywhere... celebrating just like everyone else! There's a 'place' that they have cordoned off that has a golden statue up on a pole n the centre and the streets are filling with more and more people. We duck into a side street and find a bar that David frequents (10% tourists (that's us) and 90% Parisians) and watch a Johnny Hallyday concert on the big screen there.
J'ADORE JOHNNY HALLIDAY
Actually we watch the French watching it. IT's crazy bizarre - the guy is like some sort of Gary Glitter come Tom Jones come Johnny Cash and the French just ADORE him. People stop outside the bar and crane their necks to get a peek inside at the screen and everyone is singing like it's live. He's a pop sensation that's for sure (and playing for free tomorrow at the Eiffel Tower for Bastille Day. The owner refuses to let us pay for our drinks and each of us girls kisses his cheeks in the French tradition. We hear a rumour he is the world's greatest lover : and David confirms he knows a gorgeous French girl who can confirm the rumour.
At the next ball the Firemen are really going off. We drink more Champagne (I am losing track but I think we are on the third botte).
Back in the centre of it all there are people jamming jazz in the streets, fully armed riot police (we pose for a photo and they tell us to drop by when they are off duty) stan around on guard for trouble, there's a booze bust van full of Gendarme and they are all drinking champagne (!?) David dares us to jump in for a photo but we are too chicken. Maybe that would be going a bit far :)
I buy a bottle of French champagne to take away (something to drink while waiting in line at the next ball) and we find Subway cups to drink it in!! lol - Yes.... French Champagne in Subway cups.... it was all we could find :) Classic. EDIT: i am so pissed about my phone being gone... the photos for this day were awesome. Luckily Dee will be back in Oz with hers soon.
We head to the next ball which is being organised in the Arènes de Lutèce, the vestiges of a Roman arena! With a gymnastic display by the firemen! Wohooo! These French Firemen are really crazy party animals and I think they are all selected for good looks. We pose for photo's with many, including six riot police who are waiting for trouble ... well they found us instead :P
At the next ball the Firemen are really going off. We drink more Champagne (I am losing track but I think we are on the third botte).
Back in the centre of it all there are people jamming jazz in the streets, fully armed riot police (we pose for a photo and they tell us to drop by when they are off duty) stan around on guard for trouble, there's a booze bust van full of Gendarme and they are all drinking champagne (!?) David dares us to jump in for a photo but we are too chicken. Maybe that would be going a bit far :)
I buy a bottle of French champagne to take away (something to drink while waiting in line at the next ball) and we find Subway cups to drink it in!! lol - Yes.... French Champagne in Subway cups.... it was all we could find :) Classic. EDIT: i am so pissed about my phone being gone... the photos for this day were awesome. Luckily Dee will be back in Oz with hers soon.
We head to the next ball which is being organised in the Arènes de Lutèce, the vestiges of a Roman arena! With a gymnastic display by the firemen! Wohooo! These French Firemen are really crazy party animals and I think they are all selected for good looks. We pose for photo's with many, including six riot police who are waiting for trouble ... well they found us instead :P
We meet an American girl who joins our party and we drink more champagne ... a Pompier pours some all over Tina's chest and licks it off (!!) we get photo's ... there is kissing ... and promises of "when I'm off duty" and we laugh at the idea (well I do anyway hehe ... I am married after all!).
At around 2.30am ... it's all a bit much for me and the Champagne catches up .... I forgot I only need three glasses for a good night out ... and I think it's been three bottles... I am a mess but apparently I don't look it. Dee is really surpised when Tina suggests I need a cab home. But things are a little blurry and I think it's time for me to go.... Dee puts me in a cab and threatens the cabbie "I have your cab number! I just texted her husband! etc etc .... you better make sure she gets home OK.
THE GENDARME AND THE NAUGHTY CABBIE
Everything goes well until I hear sirens and the cab is suddenly fenced in by two Police cars!! They swoop and the cabbie is forced to stop. OMFG what has this guy done?! Maybe he's a murderer! Have I been kidnapped and I don't know it??
I sit in the car until one of the Gendarme as me to please get out .. I do ... I wait .... and they just leave me standing there. I watch them question the cabbie ... I am starting to realise that I am now stranded. Boooo!! One of the Gendarme comes over ... "Parlais vous Anglais?" Nope he doesn't. Great. He tries to explain in broken English ... Ohhhhhhhh! I get it. FFS. The cabbie ran a red light. LOL!! In France this is a very serious offence.
The Gendarme said something about getting another Taxi for me but I've been waiting for ages and I'm not certain they really are... well .... I'm off to find another cab. I do and I get home safe... I text Ant to ask for my address ... meanwhile Ant and Dee are really worried about some strange badly spelled drunken texts I've sent about the cops and being stranded ... Dee was ready to hunt me down in another cab :) hehehhe.
An awesome night :P Photos are on my (now lost) iPhone and the rest on Dee's so I am waiting for those to arrive from St Petersberg soon.
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