Paris From the Underground and Beyond

Friday, July 23rd, 2010

Today was our first day out exploring the center of Paris. We decided to head first for the Catacombs. Upon our arrival at the Catacombs there was of course a cue around the block. It was about then that we decided that lines were something we would probably have to get accustomed to in Paris, as we have not had to wait in line for anything really up until our arrival in Paris. Luckily we were able to strike up conversations with some people adjacent to us in line which really helped to pass the time. Before we knew it we were making our way down into the Catacombs. The Catacombs are one of three of Paris's underground cemeteries, and consists of 1.6 kilometers of winding tunnels which are stacked floor to ceiling with the bones and skulls of millions of Parisians. While a bit bizarre, the site was definitely worth the weight.

After finishing our tour of the catacombs, we decided to walk to the Pantheon/Luxembourg Gardens. Unfortunately the weather was less than desirable and began to spit on us, but the skies cleared up just in time for us to arrive at the Pantheon, for a few photos. We decided not to go into the Pantheon, so we continued on from there to the Luxembourg Gardens/Palace which we strolled through on our way to the St-Germain Des Pres Church, Paris's oldest church, built in the 11th century. After touring the Church we made our way back to the hotel before heading out for dinner near our hotel. Tomorrow we head to the Loire Valley!

A Day in the Life of Royalty

Thursday, July 22nd, 2010

We woke up this morning and left our hotel with the plan to take the 9:21 a.m. train to Blois in the Loire Valley. We had allowed ourselves approximately one hour to find our way from the hotel to the Austerlitz train station where there are frequent trains to Blois. We had planned a route via metro to the train station and ran into some unexpected troubles when switching trains, the line we had planned to take to the station was closed for construction. We were instructed to take a bus to the train station, which obviously took longer than the time we had alotted. We arrived at the train station just a few minutes before the train left, but but the time we figured out where we needed to go at the train station it was too late. We decided not to take the next train to Blois as if we had we wouldn't have arrived in Blois until nearly 1:00 in the afternoon, so instead we pre-purchased tickets to/from Blois for this Saturday and decided we would head to Versailles today.

Oddly enough to get to Versailles we had to take the exact same bus back the the metro station we had come from and catch a train to Versailles from there. Luckily Tim thought to ask if there was any discount for Eurail pass holders, and sure enough, they told us that the train to Versailles was free for Eurail pass holders. The train to Versailles took just under an hour, so we arrived some time around 11:00 in the morning and made the short walk from the train station to the Chateau.

Once at the Chateau we had to cue up on line to purchase tickets, then we had to cue up again to get into the Palace, then to use the restroom, and finally to get our audio guides. Versailles was pretty amazing, a kind of luxury that cannot be compared to any modern day luxury, but it was ruined a bit by the crowds. One could hardly move through the rooms and had to push your way up to the front to get any photographs. We pushed our way through the elaborate rooms, the Hall of Mirrors by far being my favorite, before we made our way to the take away cafe to pick up some sandwiches to share for lunch.

After lunch we made our way through just a small footprint of the expansive gardens surrounding the Chateau of Versailles, before walking back to the train station.

Once back in Montmartre we went back to the hotel for a rest before we headed out in the direction of the Place du Tertre, a square lined with restaurants/cafes and artists to grab a bite to eat. We loved the Place du Tertre and Montmartre in general. It had a small quaint feel even though it is in one of the larger cities in Europe.

After dinner we headed back to our hotel, tomorrow we switch hotels, as we could not get a discounted rate at the Montmartre hotel for the entire duration of our stay in Paris and plan to spend the day exploring more of Paris.

A Lazy Day in Paris

Wednesday, July 21st, 2010

We had an early start this morning as our flight to Paris departed Madrid at about twenty past seven. Although we have really enjoyed Spain and are sad to be leaving it behind us, we are looking forward to Paris and the last few days of our trip. It is hard to believe that we are headed to Paris and nearing the end of our trip, it has been an amazing couple of months!

We arrived in Paris around half past 9:00 this morning. I had written down instructions for how to get from the airport to the area we are staying before we left so we arrived with some idea of where we needed to go, which is always helpful. After locating the correct train we got in line to purchase tickets, after seeing the people in front of us pay 16 Euro for two tickets to Paris I decided to double check our Eurail discounts to make sure we didn't have one on any public transportation in Paris, and sure enough our pass allowed for us to have free travel from the Airport to the Gare du Nord, one of Paris's main train stations. So we got a pass and hopped on the train. It was about a 30-40 minute train ride to the Gare du Nord where we switched trains and hopped on a metro line that took us to Montmartre. Once off the metro in Montmartre we had to find our way to the hotel from there, as that was where my instructions ended. I had the address and went into a restaurant to inquire if they could point us in the right direction, unfortunately the individual did not speak much English and was not familiar with the street. So we picked a direction and started walking. Shortly thereafter we came across a hotel and ducked in as I was certain they would know where our hotel was, and sure enough they did, and they even printed us off directions and a map. After getting directions we were at our hotel in just over 5 minutes. Luckily the hotel had a room ready so we didn't have to store our bags and we were able to go and have a much needed rest.

Perhaps because we have been traveling for nearly two months or perhaps because we had been up since five o'clock this morning, but neither Tim nor I felt like doing much, so we decided to rest for a while and maybe just explore the area around our hotel, and not go into the center of Paris today. This turned out to be a great use of our time, as I had not realized that where we were staying, Montmartre, was in fact a major tourist destination in Paris, so after a brief rest we headed out. We walked by cafes and restaurants before finally selecting a place for lunch. Our first lunch in Paris, and it was a major success, we shared the best baguette either of us have ever had! After lunch we continued through the darling streets of Montmartre towards the butte of Montmartre. Once we reached the butte of Montmartre, we climbed to the top to see the spectacular views of Paris and tour the Basilica of the Sacred Heart. After a quick peak inside the Basilica we made our way back down the Sacre Coeur and over to the Moulin Rouge before heading back to our hotel for another rest.

A little later we walked back towards the metro station where we had arrived and had dinner at a restaurant called Indiana Cafe, it's not at all obvious that we miss home! They unfortunately did not have an English menu, nor did our waitress speak much English. Tim was looking at the club sandwiches, of which they had several different types, one of which was called the "Indiana Club". Tim asked what was on the "Indiana Club" and our waitress described it as a red animal from the sea and I kid you not made "pinchers" with her hands. I'm not sure what was funnier, her impromptu game of charades or the fact that they put crab on a sandwich called the "Indiana Club".

After dinner we went back to the hotel and watched a movie before heading to bed.

The Spanish Capital

Tuesday, July 20th, 2010

Today is our last day in Spain, and our only full day to explore Madrid, Spain's capital city. We set out mid-morning with the Royal Palace of Madrid the first item on our agenda. The Royal Palace of Madrid, or the Palacio Real, is the official residence of the King of Spain in Madrid, but is only used for State Ceremonies. We spent a couple of hours touring the Palace as well as its pharmacy and armory before making our way across the plaza to the Cathedral of Madrid. When the the capital of Spain was moved from Toledo to Madrid in 1561, the seat of the Church remained in Toledo, so Madrid had no cathedral, which was quite unusual for a capital of a Catholic country. Plans for a cathedral were discussed as early as the 16th century, but construction of a Cathedral did not begin until 1879. Construction was then halted during the Spanish Civil War and did not resume until 1950 and wasn't completed until 1993. The Cathedral is very different from most of those we have seen throughout our trip, in that it is uniquely modern in its design and decor. After a brief stop at the Cathedral we made our way to the Basilica de San Francisco, which is located in one of the oldest districts of Madrid. The 18th century church is Madrid's largest and is still used today. Unfortunately the Church was closed when we stopped by, so we were unable to see its interior. Unable to tour the Church, we decided to grab a quick bite to eat from a nearby supermarket before continuing on.

After lunch we walked through the old center of Madrid known as Los Austrias, which is named such because this historical center was built during the reign of the Habsburg Dynasty. We eventually made our way to the Plaza Mayor. The Plaza Mayor is the most notable construction by the Habsburgs and is a large, rectangular plaza surrounded by arcades and accessible by nine entrances. During the time of the Habsburgs' reign the Plaza Mayor was used for bullfights, executions, and coronations. After strolling around the Plaza Mayor and the surrounding streets of Los Austrias, we headed back to the hotel for a rest before coming back into town for dinner.

After a rest we headed back for the area of Los Austrias to find a good Tapas restaurant to enjoy our last night in Spain. After some amazing Patatas Bravas, Pincho Moreno, and Croquettes we made our way to the Chocolateria San Ginés for some chocolate y churros, before heading back to the hotel to get some rest before our 7:00 a.m. flight tomorrow to Paris.