We finally met up with Sarah, and headed to Paris on New Years Eve. Due to all the strikes that have been going on this fall, they made the subways free that day, saving us 10 euro to get from the airport into the city- off to a good start. We headed out that night and were unable to find any champagne under 60 euro a bottle (less good), so we decided to just get over to the Champs Elysses to see the lights and the fireworks. We arrived shortly before midnight and then a few minutes later heard some cheers and saw a few people kissing. We checked our watches..."Is it midnight?" A few moments later, some more of the same shouts etc "Or is it midnight now? How do they know?" We waited for more of a sign but that was truly it. Paris was highly disappointing in its delivery- no fireworks, no stage, no countdown clock. The youtube images we had googled were very misleading!
Anyways, we tried to head back via the subway after we had walked around for a bit. But, due to New Years Eve and the free subway, it was packed, and there was definitely no room for four of us. There were literally people standing on chairs and with faces squished against windows. We finally decided to switch directions and then transfer trains at a less crowded stop. As soon as we got to the other side of the tracks, a pleasant voice came over the speakers "You have missed the last train, there will be no more trains running tonight". Think we could get a taxi? Oh no. So we enjoyed a 1 1/2 hour walk home along the Seine River. I found it rather entertaining and enjoyed the walk, even pointing out some monuments along the way, but I'm not sure I can say the rest of my crew felt as happy about the 3 am walk as I did.
We decided we had earned something after all that walking, so we decided not to set our alarms...and woke up at about 1pm, missing the free walking tour we had planned to go on. "No problem guys, we can have our own walking tour." I tried to tell them. Amy was quick to respond "Didn't we just have our own free, forced walking tour last night at 3 am?"
One of our first stops was in front of Notre Dame and I did my best to recall the tour I'd had nearly 2 years before. "I will not remember the important information, but I will remember the interesting facts" I promised. True to my word: "Notre Dame was built a long time ago but the reason the city decided to put so much money into preserving it was because of the story written about the Hunchback of Notre Dame because it raised a lot of attention for the church."
At the top of Notre Dame- also free this day because the bell tower was closed. At least we didn't pay for all of our Paris misfortunes...The Eiffel Tower is the mini thing in the background.
I navigated us around a bit of the city hitting some monuments and remembering some very random facts. "This bridge was built by some king and he invited all his friends over for a party. He then got them very drunk and had his sculptor draw sketches of them to use for the heads carved all over the bridge. Don't ask me when or who."
At a statue of a man riding a horse: "The way the horse is standing means something about how the man died. Standing still, walking, or trotting. One means he died peacefully, one means he died nobly in battle, and one means something else. Maybe he killed himself? Don't quote me on the last one...or any of it for that matter."
That night we headed to the Eiffel Tower which was open after being shut down for weeks due to strikes, weather, and bomb threats. But here we are! We got to see it all lit up and sparkling and it was beautiful.
Here is one place I didn't get to on my first visit- the Basilica Sacre Coeur. It was tucked away in a very adorable part of the city that felt quite homey. We walked around the area a bit, and climbed the two hundred y pico stairs to the basilica. It honestly looks cooler from the top of Notre Dame because from there it looks like an Aladdin castle. Also, the best part was some Frenchman singing American karaoke songs. We might have listened in on a minimum of 3 of them. He had the entire crowd singing along, including us. "Imagine all the people living for today..." John Lennon. Winner.
Here we were at one of the King's parks. I couldn't remember any information on this one, but there was a stellar view with the ferris wheel in the background and it merited a picture. France was good to us, I ate at least a crepe a day...the man at the shop started to recognize me. I also ate some of these magic-chocolate- caramel-rice krispie-marshmallow balls that somehow seemed to keep reproducing on cue...gosh I could use one now...Either Amy had a stash in her bag that lasted me through Barcelona as well or they really were magic. I'm going with the second one.
My friends had to put up with a few bumps in our Paris trip, but it was beautiful. Mike said more than once "I can't believe in Paris". After all the traveling I've done, I don't really feel that way anymore, especially since I'd been in Paris, but this time I felt similarly. I couldn't believe how lucky I was to be with some of my very favorite people so far from home. Seeing people out of place is a strange feeling, like even just a year ago who would have though the four of us would be there under the Eiffel Tower, or climbing Notre Dame...all together?
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