Getting into the country is easy. We flew EasyJet into de Gaulle. Immigration was simple, no long lines or questions, just present your passport and get it stamped. After that we walked through the very very long terminal to get to the RER which took us into Gare du Nord and from there we transferred to the Metro and took that until we were close to our hotel, which was in the 11th.
We stayed in a very quiet residential neighborhood and we got to pass the beautiful St. Ambroise Church every time we entered and exited the Metro. We stayed at Garden Hotel. The room was very small but somehow fit three beds in it. The bathroom was amazing though. The shower was one of the best I've had in Europe, except for my stays at the Amalia Hotels throughout Greece, but those were 4 star hotels. However, the room smelled. A very very heavy mildew smell hit us the first day/night we were there. It looked like there had been a problem with a pipe and it had leaked onto the carpet. The smell eventually went away though, and besides that the stay at the hotel was quite enjoyable. The night manager was this adorable small old French woman who didn't speak any English (and we could only speak very basic French). She was incredibly patient and nice.
We used the Metro and the RER to get around Paris, and the whole system is incredibly easy. You might have to change lines a couple times to zig zag across the city, but that's much more convenient than going all the way into a central point and then all the way out to your destination *cough*BOSTON*cough*. Tickets can be used on the Metro, the bus and the RER (within the city limits). Easily the best public transportation system I've been on.
The first night we were supposed to meet some other people for dinner, though that never happened. Anyway, we went into the city center to go to the Latin Quarter, and one of the first views we get is this:
A stunning view of the Seine, the Eiffel Tower and La Conciergerie. We stood there for about 10-15 minutes, taking in the view before walking across the river and through Ile de la Cite and across the river again. We walked around the streets for awhile before stopping for drinks at a bar that advertised happy hour (which lasted for 12 hours). It was so packed, there was a large group of people that had just started drinking on the street. And no one seemed to mind. After we found out we would not be meeting with our other friends for dinner, we just found a place that was open and ate. I had the Andouillette AAAAA. Which is basically a sausage casing stuffed with pig stomach. It was very interesting, a texture I had never had before. At first bite I wasn't sure I could eat all of it, but I kept going and I started to really enjoy it, especially with the mustard provided.
The next day we made a trip out to Versailles. The palace was amazing. The Hall of Mirrors is the highlight, though every room is so intricately decorated that you can't go wrong. Marie Antoinette's estate is also worth going to, though it is a bit of trek out there. It was set far away from the palace so she could escape court life. It was very quaint, with a pond, a farm and simpler housing. The real reason to go to Versailles is the gardens. The gardens are so perfect and so well designed. A whole day could easily be spent touring the gardens. The view down the grand canal from the steps in front of the palace is one of the best views I've ever had. It looks like a picture. Yet as you walk forward and go deeper into the gardens, you realize just how real it is. It was incredibly enjoyable. We had lunch at a restaurant in the middle of the gardens (the gardens are open to the public). I had braised beef which was very good. A very relaxing afternoon. Many times we just stopped and just took in the view.
Again, we were supposed to meet the girls for dinner. We were meeting at the Louvre and we got there much earlier than the girls did, so we sat on the steps and watched bikers and rollerbladers do tricks and harass pedestrians. Eventually the girls showed up and we went to the Louvre for literally 15 minutes. We walked straight to the Mona Lisa and left to go get dinner. Dinner was about four or five blocks from the Louvre. It was a small place with a jazz band playing. For an appetizer I had foie gras and roasted duck pate baked into a crust, my main course was salmon and black pasta and dessert was chocolate cake and almond ice cream. A great meal. Also outstanding was the broth of the ravioli appetizer, and the lentil and bacon that made up the bed of another salmon dish. Definite food coma after this.
Saturday was an intense sight seeing day. We got going late and missed meeting up with the girls again, who were in line for the Eiffel Tower. We were debating standing in line, but decided not too, since it we thought it would be better at night and the elevators to the top was closed anyway. So we walked down to the Arc de Triomphe were one of my companions got scammed twice within 10 minutes. The second one ended with no money being exchanged, but the con guy got very animated and made a scene. After we had our fill there, we took a stroll down the Champs Elysee until we found a restaurant to get lunch at. I had a sort of pie with shrimp, scallops and mushroom in a white sauce baked under cheese. Again, very good. My friend had frog legs, which weren't great, but good.
After lunch we hopped onto the Metro and went to Notre Dame. It is a beautiful cathedral, both inside and out. A definite must see. After we spent a good hour or two wandering around the inside we took the Metro over to Invalides. It was closed, so all we could do is wander around outside of it. Then we went back to the Eiffel Tower and got in line to go up top. A very aggravating line, people need to learn to queue up like the British do, or at least Americans. A person can only take so much breathing directly onto the back of their neck. And the people behind were part of a large tour group, which shouldn't have been in our line anyway. Once we got up, we spent another hour or so on the second level and then the top. Taking in the view and talking to a couple other college age students from America we met.
After we got back down, we went on a journey to find this restaurant that was featured on No Reservations called Chez Denise. We found it... but it was closed and our dreams of massive amounts of dead animal seemed dashed. However, we were in the Les Halles area and there were quite a few choices around us. So we went to this once place that looked out onto Les Halles that doubled as a butcher shop. From our table we could see the table where the prepared all the meat. It was awesome. And this set the stage for my best meal ever. Started off with bone marrow, which while kind of pain to get out of the bone, was worth it. Then, the main course, a pig's trotter. A huge pig's foot on my plate. You literally have to rip the thing apart with your bare hands. It comes with a bowl of water to wash your fingers off. So I went through ripping a pig's foot apart, sometimes sucking the skin of the bone because the skin was just that good. The meat itself was great. The underside of the foot was very lean and tender, but the toes were very fatty. The most work I've ever put into eating, plus I half my plate was full of bones, but it was worth it. Top of the evening with a triple chocolate cake.... Major major food coma. I'm surprised we all made it home awake.
Getting to the airport was a trip. We get to Gare du Nord to board the RER out to de Gaulle, but none of the ticket machines are taking our credit cards (even though they did before). So we had to scramble to find an open ticket window, since it was early. We finally get our tickets and go down to the platform. Apparently there's a huge conference going on and the conference center is on the way to the airport, so the train is jam packed full of businessmen from all over the world. My two companions get on one car and I have to sprint down the platform to finally find a car with any room. Once I get on I realize that I didn't tell them where to get off, so I text them. It comes back that my text didn't go through and I couldn't make any calls for some reason either. So I get off at the stop we're supposed and walk back to the car they were on, but I didn't see them. I stand around for a little before going upstairs to see if they were there. They weren't, so I think maybe they just headed for the terminal and I go there. Nope, not there either. Phone isn't working, texts aren't working... It's getting closer and closer to the departure time. Finally they show up and it turns out they DID get my texts and we somehow walked past each on the platform. Very stressful. Then we get in line to check in. PACKED AGAIN. de Gaulle is a very poorly designed airport. Maybe it was great when there wasn't a need for security, but now it sucks. Instead of there being a large security checkpoint, then gates, there are gates first, then security, which slows down everything. Plus, for some reason there were two flights taking off within 10 minutes of each other going out of the gates that shared a security checkpoint - ours and a flight to Zurich. So we had two flights full of people trying to get through a security checkpoint with two x-rays and zero employees that showed any sense of urgency. Eventually the Zurich flight got a new gate (about an hour too late) and both of our flights were delayed, but hey, we made it. Good job de Gaulle airport. Next time I go to Paris, I'm taking a train or flying into Orly.
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