A week in Paris

I've been in Paris for a week now, and I have to say that I love this city!

I know there have been one or two people in history before me who have expressed similar sentiments, but it's all very new for me!

I've been staying in the Latin Quarter, which is an old student area. My hostel is on a cobblestone street with a market at the bottom of the hill. As I've discovered, pretty much any part of Paris that looks 'quintessentially Parisian' is usually full of tourists, but it is still very pretty!

My first full day in Paris I did the classic thing - went to the top of the Eiffel Tower. It was bloody cold and windy, but the view was pretty amazing! I think it also helped me to get a bit of orientation for the city.


After that I decided to head to Notre Dame. It's kind of amazing to be at places you've only ever seen photos of. I haven't climbed the towers yet - I was a bit surprised at just how long the lines for everything in Paris (and I'm assuming most of Europe) are. So I will save that for another day.

My second day here I went to the Louvre for a bloody long time! It was pretty amazing, but I probably would have enjoyed it if I did it over two shorter days rather than one big one. But hey, who wants to pay €9.50 twice?

Did I mention there were lots of people? I think there's a painting there somewhere...



The next day (I think - it's already a bit of a blur) I went to le Arc de Triomphe. This might be controversial, but I think I liked the view better from there than I did from the Eiffel Tower. Maybe because you could see the tower itself?

On my brother's advice (nay, insistence) I've also been to Sainte Chappelle. It was built as a private chapel for the King, and to house what's supposed to be Jesus's crown of thorns (it's now in Notre Dame). But it has these elaborate stain glass windows that tell different biblical stories. They are so elaborate and complex it is amazing to think that some poor sod made them all.

Next to Sainte Chappelle, in fact actually part of the same complex, is the Concierge, which was a royal castle back in the day, but was used as a tribunal and prison during the Revolution. Marie Antoinette was imprisoned there, but a lot of the building has been changed around since then. 

Possibly my favourite day so far was yesterday. I went to Montmarte, which is the district where the Moulin Rouge is. I went to Sacré-Cœur, which is a beautiful church on top of a hill. From the top of the steps you can see an amazing view out over Paris. And to me, it's a prettier church than Notre Dame.

I sat on the steps out the front of the church listening to this dude play a harp (he played Ave Maria, followed by Let It Be!) for a long time, and just taking in the view.

Montmarte was an area which attracted lots of artists in the middle of last century, and there's a museum there of Salvador Dali's work. Now, I don't claim to understand a lot about surrealism. There were lots of melting clocks. Yes I know, I know, it's about the unrelenting nature of time etcetera. I say suck it up Salvador, it's how the world works. But seriously, it was pretty amazing. I like some of his stuff better than others of course, but it is very interesting to see these sorts of things in person rather than in a textbook.

I've also just spent a fair bit of time wandering around and trying to get to know the city a bit, and dropping into a café for a glass of wine or a coffee. It is just amazing that this city could have been built.

So far I am having an amazing time! I think I'm getting used to the cold (I bought a nice coat at a flea market, which helps a lot!), and I'm starting to be able to navigate some parts of Paris without having to look at my map every two seconds!

I'm largely enjoying travelling alone so far. It was a bit overwhelming on one morning in particular, but I have to remind myself to be sociable when I'm at the hostel and make friends, otherwise it doesn't really happen. That can be hard when I'm cold and tired, but it's worth it.

On the morning of my birthday I stood up at breakfast and announced to the room that my name is Steven, I'm Australia and it was my birthday. I ended up going out with Germans and Mexicans to sing karaoke! I did my best to educate them in Australian musical culture, vis-à-vis vis Midnight Oil.

My French is appalling, but getting better. I met up with a friend of my sister and brother-in-law who lives here, and she helped me with a few pronunciations!

As for my plans from here, I have a friend from England who I met in Ngukurr in the Northern Territory of all places coming over next weekend! So I'll stay here until then, then think about heading somewhere. Not sure where yet, I'm looking at either Normandy or Dijon.

I feel like I've done a lot more than what I've written here, but that's enough for now!