Paris Encore

There is so much to do in this city you would have to live here to experience it all. That's Jolene's plan anyhow. Every morning we set out from the apartment with great expectations and our feet give out before we finish our to-do list. We decided to task Allie with being the navigator for the day so we handed her the metro map and it was up to her to get us around the city. We chose a day when our metro stop on the main north/south line was closed for repair. She managed to direct us to another metro stop and negotiate three train transfers with success. One of those transfers involved hiking a mile of confusing tunnels in the world's busiest subway station. Great job!




Yesterday we attempted to go to the Catacombs but the line went completely around a traffic circle and it would have been at least two hours before we entered. As great as Paris is, the crowds here make Disneyland look deserted. We chose to wander the Luxembourg gardens instead.






We walked all the way home and got caught in a light rainstorm.



We finished the evening in a brasserie right next door. In spite of ordering simply by luck, we have yet to be disappointed by a meal here.

Today we went up to the Montmartre area, a hill with a great view and neat neighborhoods. I hate to sound like a broken, cynical record here but the crowds were insane. Jolene and I have wandered the streets there in August, the height of tourist season, and seen fewer people. We headed back down the hill and the girls found a place that had the world's best hot chocolate. We again wandered the streets back home. The great thing about Paris is that the city is so full of great sites that you continuously run across hidden gems that would be 5-star in other places but don't warrant a guidebook mention here. It took us hours to get home because we kept coming across interesting plazas, gardens, and artwork.




Tomorrow is our last day in Paris then we take a late night train down to Spain. We have some big sights planned for the day but who knows, maybe we will just wander.