Paris, France!

Jan 23 … Tuesday - Paris, Fr. - Very cold day.
We decided to hire a van to take us to the Charles de Gaulle airport instead of attempting the subway and train. The van driver picked us up at 0700 and after picking up some more people at various hotels in the city, we got to the airport around 0800. Everything went smoothly and we boarded in BusinessFirst class for the 1000am departure for Newark, USA. Very good flight that arrived one hour early into Newark. Since we were this early and were carrying our luggage, we were able to board an earlier flight to our destination of Tampa, FL where our motorhome was parked.

Jan 22 … Monday - Paris, Fr. - WX very cold but still dry.
We spent much of this day riding our tour bus to the different parts of the city. We saw the Latin Quarter, the Opera district, St. Germain and Montparnasse sections. We also climbed the steps of the Basilique Cu Sacre Coeur. While in the Montarie section of the city we saw the Moulin Rouge where the Can Can was invented as well as the first “strip-tease” dance. Needless to say, it was a rather “seedy” part of Paris. Later, we waited in the cold for about a half hour for our bus. When it finally arrived, the driver declared that he was through for the day but that another bus would be along in about 30 minutes. We decided to walk the approximately 2 miles back to the hotel. We stopped along the way to pick up some dinner items so we could eat in the hotel room. We had to make four stops. A grocery store for wine; another shop for some ham and cheese; another shop for the bread and yet another for fruit. Paris is a city of specialty shops for sure. By the time we got back to the hotel, the pedometer registered almost 7 miles of walking for the day. Actually, we walked about this much each of the days we were there.

Jan 21 … Paris, Fr - Dixie’s 50th birthday - Wx cold but dry.
The day started with breakfast at the hotel around 7:00 a.m. It consisted of a choice of ham, salami, boiled egg, very strong coffee, juice and delicious croissant rolls. We later boarded the L’Open Tour bus for a tour of the city. The busses were double-decked with the upper deck being open. We were issued ear phones which plugged into the jacks located at each seat. You could get off and on the bus at over 50 stops around the city. Today we boarded near the Eiffel Tower and got off at the world famous Louvre Museum. This museum is immense in size and has one of the largest collection of Art going back several centuries. And of course, it is the caretaker of the famous Mona Lisa by Leonardo D’Venci. It is an enormous building. We spent about 3 hours seeing as much as possible. Later, our bus tour took us to the Notre Dame church. It is difficult to describe this masterpiece. Although we didn’t spend a lot of time inside, we did walk through it and admired its’ awesome architecture. Construction began in 1163, during the reign of Louis VII, and opinion differs as to whether Bishop Maurice de Sully or Pope Alexander III laid the foundation stone of the cathedral. However, both were at the ceremony in question. Bishop de Sully went on to devote most of his life and wealth to the cathedral's construction. Construction of the west front, with its distinctive two towers, began circa 1200, before the nave had been completed. Over the construction period, numerous architects worked on the site, as is evidenced by the differing styles at different heights of the west front and towers. Between 1210 and 1220, the fourth architect oversaw the construction of the level with the rose window and the great halls beneath the towers. The towers were completed around 1245, and the cathedral was completed around 1345. We continued our bus tour, seeing more of the city and it's wonderful stuctures.
It was Dixie’s birthday so that evening we had dinner at one of the many sidewalk restaurants in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower. This one was called Le Becupre’. The food and service was excellent. We started with Escargot - Dixie had Salmon, prepared French style, and Mike had Lasagna, again prepared like the French prepare it. The cost was 50 Euros which is about $65.00. After dinner we decided to see Paris at night from the top of the Eiffel Tower. The view was indescribable. Paris is an enormous city and to see it “lit up” at night from 905 feet, was an unforgettable sight. Unfortunately, our digital camera photos did not turn out.

Jan 20 … Saturday - Paris, Fr. Upon arriving in Paris Charles de Gaulle airport we made our way to the train station which was located in the airport. Dixie had researched it well and got our ticket and boarded the train with no problem. After we rode the train into the city, we then had to transfer to the subway in order to get closer to our hotel. Again, it went without a problem. Our hotel was less than a 1/2 mile from the Eiffel Tower. Once we got checked in, we showered, changed and started walking the city. The weather was cold and rainy. We walked past the Eiffel Tower, crossed the Seine River on one of the many bridges, walked along the Champs-Elysees and photographed the Arc de Triomphe. We had dinner at the Bistro Dupleix near the hotel. Tomorrow we plan to take a bus tour of the entire city.

Jan 19 … The day started early,departing the Hide-A-Way RV park in Ruskin bound for Lakeland and the National RV Service Center. Needed a few things done to the mh. The flight from Tampa was on time into the Newark airport. Once in Newark, we boarded the flight to Paris on time at about 6:15 p.m. However … the flight didn’t depart until just after 11:00 p.m. After we boarded, a snow shower moved in and with the temp being 32 degrees, our airplane, along with all others departing that evening, had to be deiced. This, along with having to take on more fuel, caused the lengthy delay.