Nate Shops at The Gap and Also Breaks the Law

Today we were scheduled to take a scooter tour through the Bois de Bologne (big park, French Open happens near here) and out to Versailles, but our tour company had some drama and were mega-late, so we cancelled with them and took the RER out to Versailles. It turned out one guide's Vespa wouldn't start and the other had an accident on the way to get us. Kinda glad that whole thing didn't pan out, though they were extremely apologetic, refunded our deposit and offered us a free nighttime Paris tour. (We declined.)

Versailles is, of course, epic and amazing and extravagant. It's hard to fathom that people lived there! 

Today was a fountain day, so we waited for them to turn them on. They were beautiful and very fountain-y. 

The lines for the potty at Versailles were epic so we stopped at McDo (Mc Donald's) so I could pee and Nate could eat a Royale with Cheese like Vincent Vega in Pulp Fiction. He almost got in a boxing match with the cashier, who didn't want to put ice in my diet coke and who tipped the tray and spilled a whole cup of water on Nate. So, the McDo workers in France are about as happy to be there as the McDonald's workers in the US. Quelle surprise!

Getting home was a little bit of a challenge. Our tickets (we bought a carnet, or 10 pack) should have been fine - we used two on the way out. However, the RER seemed to be having some sort of nervous breakdown or strike because tons of people's tickets were being taken and not working (but marking them as used, and thus invalid). It kinda sucked. A long line formed at information to deal with the problem and the info stand people just shrugged and gave people a different ticket. Nate decided it'd be better to just sneak in behind someone else, forcing me to do the same! Law break #1. 

On the other end of our train ride, we needed to reinsert our tickets in order to transfer to the metro. Of course, they didn't work. So, I used a new ticket and got through, and gave Nate a new ticket, too. His new ticket didn't work. So, instead of going to info and exchanging, he hopped the turnstile like a real Paris thug (while wearing his camera and backpack). I was so. freaking. mad. I thought for sure he would be arrested or fined or forever banned from the Metro. It all worked out and we escaped!

I managed to catch a nice little cold so we stopped at another Paris must - the pharmacie! The pharmacie is different from our Walgreens or CVS. Everything is behind the counter and you must ask for it, so I had to describe my symptoms. Luckily I just have a cold and not something more unfortunately embarrassing! 

Off to dinner where I had some onion soup! So happy! I love soup more than any other food. 

Then we hit the Champs Èlyseès to head to the top of the Arc de Triomphe. Nate was sick of all his long sleeved shirts and it's been a little chilly so we stopped in The Gap (another Paris must, right Mom?). Nate bought something and I didn't. That's pretty major. 

After Nate got his damn shop on we climbed the eleventy billion steps to the top of the Arc de Triomphe and watched the sun set and the Eiffel Tower light up. That didn't suck. Butt and leg workout plus beauty of Paris! Ha!

Once we were done there we did something that would horrify Jeremy Meisinger and caught a CAB back to the hotel. Nate didn't feel like a metro ride plus transfer (or maybe he was nervous the French fuzz were on the hunt for him. Also, my feet are pretty jacked. 

Time to kick back with BBC News - the only channel in English except a random porn channel. 

Tomorrow - Sacre Coeur/Monmartre if the weather holds! 

Nate and his Royale with Cheese

French cold meds!

Nate says this is his "French medicine."

Colleen Hiles - France has Bugles!!!

View from the Arc de Triomphe!

Nate will put more pics up later. :)

Notre Dame/Tour Eiffel

Notre Dame, Eiffel Tower, Poilane!

This morning we headed out early to queue up for the climb to the top of Notre Dame. The wait wasn't bad, and we managed the 422 steps! Amazing views of the gargoyles, the city, and the river!

After that, we hopped on Batobus (water taxi) for a leisurely ride to the Eiffel Tower and had a tour that was very informational and also allowed us to skip the 2-3 hour queue! More cool views of the city! Did you know that the Eiffel Tower was originally a reddish color and was painted brown in the 1960s??

Post Tower Tour I dragged Nate to a little bakery in St. Germain de Pres called Poilane, all because I'd read an article in the New Yorker about how this famous baker's daughter had taken over the business. There was a line out the door of this small bakery storefront and it was all locals picking up mostly bread, but also quiches, cookies, and more. We bought some of their famous "punitions," small, thin butter cookies. Delicieux!

Back to the hotel to have dinner at the little creperie next door (oddly named "Pancake Square"). 

Getting to bed early, as tomorrow we are on a Vespa tour out to Versailles!

À bientôt!

Rainy Day

Yesterday was super rainy!

We started at Notre Dame in the morning, went through the cathedral and tried (twice) to access the towers but it closed inexplicably. When it started to get really yucky we headed to the Centre Pompidou, Paris's modern art museum.  Super cool museum! I got to see some of Matisse's cut paper collages, Marcel Duchamp's. "Fountain," some Picassos, and more! We also got to avoid the pouring rain for a bit. 

When it didn't look like it would stop, we decided to brave the elements and hop on the Metro to visit Angelina for the best hot chocolate you'll ever have in your whole life. We waited out the rain and relaxed. 

After a nap and dinner, the weather cleared and we walked over to the Eiffel Tower for a closer look. So pretty!

I love the Metro!

Crazy art in Centre Pompidou

This is filled with spices!

The best. 

Bayeux and The Louvre

Bayeux & D-Day Sights

After arriving in Bayeux and dropping our luggage, we headed over to the Bayeux tapestry museum to view the nearly 1000 year old Bayeux Tapestry, which tells the tale of how William the Conqueror came to power ( after old Harold tried to pull a fast one and assume the monarchy). 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bayeux_Tapestry

Nate, of course, made many jokes about being "here to see your tapestries."

http://youtu.be/z14uhNXcx-s

After tapestry viewing, we wandered around and then grabbed dinner at a little bistro on the main drag in Bayeux. 

The next day, we had a lovely breakfast at the hotel and headed out to Pointe du Hoc, Colleville sur Mer (American D-Day Cemetary/Memorial) and Longues sur Mer (where German artillery/battery can be visited). All were amazing sites. The craters that still exist at Pointe du Hoc are massive and illustrate how treacherous that battle really was. 

After visiting the three sites we drove back to Paris, only this time we figured out how to keep the GPS on the toll roads! 

We checked into our hotel and hit the Louvre for the fastest tour ever. Nate doesn't much care about that stuff, but I disallowed him from visiting Paris without seeing the Venus de Milo, Nike of Samothrace (Winged Victory) and the Mona Lisa. I even threw in Virgin of the Rocks (a DaVinci I prefer to Mona) and Raft of the Medusa for good measure. And then I took him to the Apple Store in the basement of the Louvre. 

!

Pointe du Hoc crater

Pointe du Hoc

Colleville sur Mer American Cemetery 

German battery (aka Nate loves big guns)

I'm your Venus. 

Yep, that's Mona!

Nate in the Apple Store. He told me a story about how those stairs used to be clear but are now frosted because of perverts.