After my adventure getting to Paris, I decided I was allowed to sleep in. So I slept until a little past 11 and frankly i could have stayed in bed all day. I took my time packing my things, hoping I could organize it in a way that would be better on my shoulders and back. Keeping an eye on the time since i had to check out at 12, the room phone rang and it was reception asking if i knew that check out was 12 and it was that time. I'm pretty sure i had at least 3 more minutes, but apparently someone was in a rush to kick me out! Anyways, I finished packing and headed out for the day. Since I was staying by the Eiffel tower i decided to visit it. But first i stopped by the ATM to get euros so i wouldn't get stuck... Again. I followed the crowd and was starting to wonder when I was going to see this thing, i mean it couldn't be THAT far! Well, i turned a corner and looked up and VOILA! C'est le tour de Eiffel! I'm not sure why I thought it was going to be smaller, but it was actually huge! There were, however, masses of people EVERYWHERE! Granted it was Saturday at midday which was probably a bad idea on my part. The lines to go up the stores and the lift that brings you to the top were so long and i definitely wasn't waiting... Not with my all my luggage either. I noticed an area around a vendor truck blocked off by the police and there were military people walking around with their very scary guns. I later learned from the Scottish boy Max who i bunked with at the hostel that there were in fact 2 bomb scares there that day. So i walked around a bit and absorbed that iconic landmark. But there was something a little more obviously threatening approaching... The sky. The cloud were becoming far more dense and dark signaling to me to get moving towards the metro. Well, since i wandered off my previous path I started off in a different direction (away from the metro) and then the rains came. It began to pour. The thunder and lighting started and I thought, "well of course. Paris just doesn't want me to like it!" I found the nearest cafe with an empty seat and got a delightful cheese, tomato, bread thing and loved every bit.... Despite not entirely being blocked from the rain. The family next to me left and so i scooted over more and a few minute later a lady from the U.K. sat down next to me. We got to talking and she was there to see her partner finish up a 300-mile bike ride from london to Paris for the children's hospital. She was a really nice lady and i enjoyed her company. After the rain cleared, though, we parted ways to get to our destinations. I found my way to the train and after following somewhat confusing directions of the metro i retrieved a map or the lines (which was my prized possession for the next few days) I eventually got to the hostel. The hostel was in a really pretty location in Montemarte, near Sacre Coeur. When i checked in, i was definitely still emotional from all the events of the previous few days. I felt i was going through the motions and not actually enjoying myself because of my frustrations and anxiety of what was going to happen next. Knowing better, i knew i needed to get out so i took the train towards the Musee d'Orsay. It would be the beginning of many magnificent old buildings with such beautiful architecture and intricate details. Before i got there though, i had my first near altercation with a French man in a souvenir shop. I was minding my own business looking at the tour de France items and when i pulled out a shirt to look at it with a tdf water bottle i was contemplating buying, he interpreted that as i wanted to buy all those items and he winks saying he'll give me a bargain. Confused, I followed him to the register more so because I wanted to figure out if i wanted the bottle. I tried explaining that, and he took it as i was trying to bargain with him. For the 2 items he was going to give them to me for 25 euros -- final price. Well, it surely wasn't a deal and i really didn't want it. Annoyed i ended up just getting the bottle because i wasn't exactly sure id be able to get out of there with nothing. Paris needed to start getting better, i thought. I grabbed a really good veggie sandwich on an amazing baguette and ate it along the river after the rain cleared up (again). I noticed a lot of people taking pictures of this really big building across the way and i went over to check it out. There was a HUGE rainbow and when i pulled out the map i got before leaving the hostel, i realized, duh, it's the Louvre! I walked over the bridge to check out the grounds and then reality hit me. I'm not sure exactly why, but emotions really overtook me with this building and the pyramids and the grounds... I was so moved. It was one of those moments when I really felt like i was there and i think it was the first time that had happened since I came to Europe. Since it was already late, I couldn't tour the museum but decided to at least go inside to check it out. I wasn't expected a mall inside, that's for sure! The foyer was huge and people were everywhere (which was just the whole Paris experience.... People EVERYWHERE!). When i was leaving there were these kids who were laying on the side rail of the escalator, riding down. Um, bad idea kids. The guy behind me made a comment, "nice parenting, huh?" i chuckled, and then we began to talk about the whole situation. I noticed he had a tour de France hat on and asked if he was there to see the race. I soon found out not only that he was and he flew in from L.A. but also his entire life story. My new friend mark and I were both headed towards the Notre Dame so we walked over together and stumbled upon the Latin quarter. It was a really neat area with lots of shops, cares, and, you guessed, people. Eventually we got to the Notre Dame and checked it out. We then decided to grab a happy hour drink and during this time i disclosed i was a nurse and this time it was a bad idea. He went on to tell me about his experience when his mom died and he started crying and then there was the awkward people that come up trying to sell you roses... I should have been an account who worked on wall street, but then again i don't think i could pull that off. I did however enjoy an awesome Belgium beer which got me excited that portion of my journey but the french beer was not so great. Since it was way past my bedtime i said bye to mark and headed for the hostel. By this point i had the metro down to a T (pun for the boston folks!) and had a good night sleep except for the nightmare about the Eiffel tower being bombed thanks to the information i received from my scottish roommate, max.
Sunday was the big day: the final stage of the tour de France. My dream come true! I got up and decided to check out the area I was staying in then go up to Sacre Coeur and then walk down to the Champs Des Élysées. I walked up towards the church which had a really cool surrounding area with lots of street artists and of course more cafes and shops. I found the Sacre Coeur to be way more impressive than the Notre Dame... It was beautiful! Since it was getting closer to noon and i needed to leave time for getting lost, i started walking to the champs Des élysées. Along the way I didn't have to really have the big red moulin rouge to tell me I made it to the red light district. There were enough sex shops to put the pieces together. As I got closer to the champs, my excitement grew but i also stumbled across the Madeleine and decided to stop in. At first i thought it was a court house or something political by the exterior, but the flowers lining the steps up and the sign which read, "You are entering a church. Please have the decency to be quiet." the interior was quite phenomenal. I also find these old elaborate churches fascinating with the stained glass and statues. I continued down just a little ways and i knew i was close. Roads were blocked off, a special entrance for the VIP guest (where was my pass?), and people crowding the streets. I followed everyone with their bright yellow shirts, hats, and bag towards the champs! My heart began to beat harder with each step and my stride lengthened as i couldn't wait to get there. When I finally arrived a huge smile emerged. "i can't believe I'm here! The tour! This is for real!" since it was early and I knew i had a few hours to wait before the riders came through, I got a crepe avec confectionners (bad spelling) framboise and enjoyed it. But of course not without getting some jam on my pants... I really need to find a laundry mat! Then i walked around a little in the area to find the perfect viewing spot. I found what i thought would be best but when more people came by to claim their spot, i learnt the 2 guys who had been sitting in front of my where at least 6'5"... Go figure! I did however manage to finagle a viewing spot only 3 people deep! I could see the road and that's what mattered to me. Next to me was a really adorable French couple who entertained me for much of the time leading up to the riders coming through. They kept playfully hitting each other and the man made jokes with me despite our language barrier. Then a guy from Atlanta, Ronnie, stood next to me and we started talking. He was nice to talk with except when i thought i was about to pass our from standing so long. After about an hour, they had the sponsor parade where all the tour sponsors swerve down the road with these crazy floats and sing and dance. There was one, i think it was for laundry detergent, and they had these guys in tighty whities dancing rather provocatively on some poles... Only in France, I guess! We had to wait another hour for the riders to come through and by this time the crowd grew to about 15-20 people deep. It was so worth the wait. Suddenly you started hearing "Allez! Allez!" and the cameras raise and people start looking over to the left. They were hear at last! The peloton ZOOMED by and it's no lie that they were going like 40 mph. It was amazing. It was so surreal for me to see all these jerseys and riders in real life and not just on tv. Luckily, I got to see this go on for 8 laps which meant I really saw them go by 16 times since I could see them on the other side. The excitement was contagious and i loved every minute of it. At the end of the race, one of the aussi fans came up to me and we started talking about how exciting it was for australia to get it's first tour win with Cadel Evans. We joked about how the Americans are just letting other countries win after Lances epics streak. He mentioned that he just happened to decide to come to the tour this year and what a tour to go to! Since we could see the tv, we watched the awards ceremony and at this point the lady next to me (the wife of the adorable couple) was crying and i was trying to hold back balling my eyes out from bliss -- something i hadn't done since i got to Europe. After the awards, we waited a little longer and all the teams rode through with their team cars. SO AMAZING! Not only did i get to see most all the riders, but the yellow jersey, green jersey, polka dot jersey, and white jersey! And at this point I moved on up to only 1 person in front of me so i got some amazing pictures! After the yellow jersey, a truck that said "course fin" meant the tour was officially over. Wanting to try and get another glimpse of the riders, i bolted down towards the arc de triumphe and actually got to see some riders up close. And then it was really over. I enjoyed he arc de triumphe and it was probably the first and only time i will ever see no cars on the champs des élysées. As i walked back towards the louvre area with intentions to find food and the metro, I stopped to answer a text from my parents. When i looked up i noticed a man walk by, it was only when i took a double take that I realized it was Bob Roll, the commentator for the tour on Versus! We made eye contact and he just gave a smirk clearly realizing i was starstruck with my bugged out eyes and mouth nearly touching my toes. I just stood there for a minute going, "that was bob roll. THAT was seriously him!" I composed myself enough and made it to a food truck and for some reason was craving American food. So I got some French fries and it was definitely a horrible idea. They were soggy, not salted, and just bad. I should have known better but I was desperate. Exhausted from the excitement of the day, I called it a night.
The next morning, I planned to take the overnight train to Rome. I woke up, got a croissant at this really cute bakery and headed towards the train station... Of course going the wrong way, but luckily there was one in that direction. When I got there, i waited in line and the 2 girls in front of me, i learned because i liked the one girls Toms and commented on them, were from DC. When I mentioned i was traveling alone they were quite impressed and i think pretty shocked. I got to the ticket counter only to learn there were no trains with room for my Eurail pass at all. The only thing i could do would be to catch a train at 8a.m. The next day and it would only take me to Milano. Needless to say, i couldn't think straight and i didn't know what else to do so i sucked up another day in Paris and got the tickets. One thing i don't like about the pass is the extra reservation fees you have to pay on certain tickets. But what can you do? This meant calling my Dad at 5a.m. To find yet another hostel to stay for the night. Luckily between mom and dad they were able to, and it also meant a room to myself for the night. I got to the hostel, which was a few blocks away from the moulin rouge, and decided to take a really nice shower and figure out my plan for the day. By this time it was nearing 2 so i thought it would be a good idea to go to the louvre. I put on my museum best, meaning I put on a dress and felt clean for the first time in a week, then headed over to the museum. There were so many people on the metro i decided to get off halfway down the champs de élysées and walk the rest of the way towards the louvre that i hadnt the day before. It was a beautiful walk and day, and they were still taking down the viewing area from the tour. I decided to go back to the louvre and go inside simply because I was so moved when I went there the first time. It took me about 15 minutes to get in and get my ticket which i was really impressed by. I looked at the map and got a plan of attack. I wanted to definitely see the Egyptian artifacts as they have always been something of interest for me since 4th grade. We went on this really great field trip to the museum of fine arts in boston and my mom chaperoned (like most field trips). They had an egyptian exhibit and I just really thought everything from the mummies to tombs to hieroglyphics were so fascinating. So anyways, that was on the top of my list to see at the louvre. Despite the short wait to get in, there were mobs of people inside and it was so loud. This really took away from my experience and i felt i couldn't appreciate the art as much as i would've liked because people were bumping into me, snapping photos, and it was so loud. Of course, i forgot my iPod in my room. Not only were the people distracting to the art but the building itself was too. I mean, you're there to see some of the most amazing and historic pieces of art in the world, but you're also in this building that is so breathtaking in and of itself! Which do you look at? I managed though and saw some really neat things. I went by Venus de Milo and this really not so smart boy thought it was a good idea apparently to jump over the little gate to get a picture with the sculpture. The museum security promptly started clapping their hands loudly yelling, "sil-vous plais!" I then happened to go down a corridor that led to the Mona Lisa so i decided to check it out since i was there. There was just flashes and flashes, people pushing and shoving... Not a really great experience and it really is quite small compared to the gigantic French painting that faces it and takes up what could probably be a small storefront. After this, i was ready to leave. As i left though, I was stopped by a museum worker when i was about to step out the door who had to ask me if i wanted to go out with him because he was off work and had nothing to do and i was a pretty lady... I had to kindly decline. It was about dinner time so I figured I'd go back to the latin quarter and find some food since i thought i knew how to get there. I literally went in a circle around the block but eventually found my way. Decisions are not my strong point (as many of my family, friends and colleagues can tell you) so choosing a place to eat wasn't easy. Many of these restaurants offered a 3 course meal which sounded pretty good to me since i knew I'd be on the train traveling the next day and not eating too much. I looked at a few menus and then stopped at this one place where i was sold: the greeter wanted to buy me a drink. SOLD! Even if this wasn't the case, it was definitely the right choice. The workers were hilarious and the food was decent. I had mussels in white wine and fish and chocolate mousse (my favorite dessert!). Things got punchy when the greeter started convincing folks they had "sexy tables" and it created quite the laugh. The waiter was apparently impressed with my French and he ended up calling me the "manager." you see this couple from vancouver came in and sat next to me and we started talking a lot. They wanted to order their food so i just let him know because by this point we built quite the rapport and i didn't want them to starve. So that's how i got my nickname. I did end up getting another free glass of wine which was pretty great for me! The Vancouver folks were super nice and they were so canadiens, the wife even pulled out an "eh" which i chuckled to myself at. After laughing a lot I decided to head out and make my way to the hostel. Needless to say, my last unexpected day in Paris was actually quite good and I'm feeling so much better than when I arrived. I've made it one week and I'm hoping the next 2 will turn around.
Today, I took a train from Paris to Lyon to geneva to Milan and managed to catch a train to Rome, which i was shocked i caught! The views have been amazing going through the french countryside, the Swiss alpes, and the italian countryside and mountains. I even saw a HUGE ikea and a double rainbow in Italy! So despite being stuck on a train all day, at least the scenery is beautiful! Although i wish i was hiking... But now I am officially caught up with writing and hopefully can do a better job of keeping you up to date! I feel like a new person and i think I'm going to enjoy italy. Will write more about my italian adventures soon! Namaste!
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