Bon Jour from Paris!

Thanks for joining me, Ken, Kim and Aimee on our trip to France. Kim and Aimee are Ken's sisters-in-law and have never been outside of the North America, so this will be a true adventure for them. We are celebrating Kim’s retirement from 30+ years of teaching elementary school, and thought what better way to do so than to head to the City of Lights, Paris.

As many of you know, I have been to Paris around 20+ times and love showing others one of the most scenic and beautiful cities in the world. I worked in France off/on for 3 years, so had a lot of opportunities to explore and learn about the city.   One misconception is the "rudeness" of the French. However, I have never felt they were any better or worse than any place else in the world. I have had far worse experiences in the US and have, for the most part, had great experiences.

So, the challenge of getting three parties to Washington Dulles airport for the flight to Paris was the most challenging aspect of the trip. Ken and I were coming from Houston, Kim from Lancaster, PA and Aimee from Greenville, SC.   However, the travel gods were smiling and we all arrived in time for our 530p flight.

The flight was uneventful and seemed quicker than normal, taking just over 7 hours. We arrived just before 7am, Paris time, which meant it wasn’t even midnight at home. What does that mean? It means we are bleary eyed and ready to sleep! However, our AirBnB flat wasn’t ready until after 11am, so caffeine was definitely in order.

We made it through passport control, and then tried to find our driver, who was no-where to be found. So, after calling the car service, it was determined that there was no driver sent. So! It was on to the taxi stand and dealing with Paris morning rush hour for the next hour. It was definitely a long commute in, but finally made it to the AirBnB we rented in the 7th Arrondossement.

When I called our contact to let him know we had arrived, he said he could get us the key in about an hour, so could we find someplace for a coffee. So, we hauled our bags down the street to a small Tea Salon and ordered some cappuccino’s (yeah, yeah, I know…we were in a TEA place) and some pastries. Right as we were ordering, the flat guy called again and said if I could go back, someone would give me the key. So, Kim and I power walked the 2 blocks back and met a young lady, who showed us to the 9th floor flat. She was still cleaning, but gave us a quick tour.   There was a balcony on each side of the living room, and as Kim and I stepped out on one, we turned to find the Eiffel Tower immediately in front of us. Awesome View!

Kim and I went back to the Tea Salon, where Aimee and Ken were sipping coffee and taste testing our pastries (which were quite good). We walked back to the flat and got ourselves settled in for a small rest.   After an hour, no one but Ken had slept, so we decided it was time to get moving.   We walked over to rue Cler, one of my favorite streets and had a light lunch of the requisite crepes.

Now, it was time for the highlight of the day, Versailles. We had planned on doing it on Thursday, but found out that there was a strike planned for that day and that it was going to be closed or at the minimum a major disruption. So, everyone was flexible and we took the 30 minute train ride to the opulent palace of Luis XIV, also known as the Sun King.

There are two things that strike you as you walk up to the palace.   The first is the size, it is a massive structure and an even more massive overall property. The second is the amount of gold on the gates, the building and as you tour, on the inside. And, there isn’t just a little gold, there is a LOT of gold. Since this was built and occupied from 1623…it is hard to imagine the amount of wealth that was needed to build and support this community.

We had our audiophones, which were a mixed success for usability, but did give enough information to enlighten us to the highlights of the palace. We were amazed at the art, the decorations in the rooms, the opulence and the Hall of Mirrors, which was spectacular.   At the end, we walked around the beautiful gardens, which were immaculately manicured. The only disappointment was that the fountains weren’t on in the gardens, which would have made it even more amazing.

As we headed back to our flat via the train, the energy level was starting to drop significantly. So, it was time for some quiet time before we figured out dinner. Before getting to the flat, we found a little supermarket and got a few supplies for the week…cheese, crackers and wine. Do we really need anything else?

After resting and getting some energy, we walked a few blocks to the Café Champs du Mars, where we enjoyed some classic French food of roasted chicken, French fries, veal and even some pasta. Service, food and company were excellent. The last activity for the day was to get back to the flat to enjoy a glass of wine and watch the Eiffel Tower sparkle…all from our balcony. Not a bad way to end the first day!