1st day in Paris

We slept the sleep of the dead, waking up at dawn, almost feeling quite human. Our apartment is what I would call a 'bed sit' with a Murphy bed you pull out of the wall. It was quite comfortable, although Europeans always seem to have flimsy pillows.

We went out in search of coffee and a boulangerie - they don't rise early in Paris, so the streets were quiet, and the air was beautifully cool. We found a boulangerie and grabbed a Pain au chocolat and cheese and bacon baguette. We picked up some coffees from a small Cafe recommended by the lady at the boulangerie.

We set off early for some exploring - we had read-up on some good walks to get us into the swing of things in Paris. We first needed to take the metro - we walked to the nearby Pigale metro station and got our Navigo cards from a vending machine and loaded some money on them. We took M2 Nation line to Jaures station - lots of people going to work.

Our first walk took us along Canal Saint-Martin - it was a lovely walk with many locals cycling and walking next to the Canal and not touristy. The walk brought us to Place de la Republique, a square with a large statue of Marianne at its centre. We wandered through the nearby streets and then walked towards Notre Dame, a few kilometres away.

We found all of the tourists! They were lined up outside the famous and recently restored cathedral! We took many photos of the cathedral (although there is still a lot of scaffolding) and watched the throngs of selfie stick wielding tourists heading in.

From Notre Dame, we essentially followed the Seine River west, taking in the beautiful vistas. We stopped for a bite to eat - more bread, a ham and cheese baguette. The route then passed by the Louvre and Saint-Germain-l'Auxerrois, and the 2024 Olympic cauldron, which was still burning away. There is so much open space and parkland in Paris!

We walked to Place de la Concorde, a public square, scene of executions, decorated with fountains, statues & an Egyptian obelisk - disappointed there were no executions today. We then continued past the Petit Palais and Grand Palais, and then along the Champs Elysees to the Arc de Triomphe! Decided against updating my wardrobe to couture - going to stick with my uniqlo shorts, t-shirt, and sneakers!

We probably walked 10kms by my estimate, so we needed a wee rest. We took the metro back to Pigale station and popped into the Carrefour Market near our apartment for some essentials, i.e., beer, wine, snacks! An afternoon nap followed.

After a freshen up, we had an aperol spritz at the bar across the road - the French do enjoy a cigarette, I feel like I've been smoking 🚬

We enjoyed a wine at 'home' before heading out in search of dinner. We wandered around the quite touristy Mont Marte area - we settled on Le Potager du Père Thierry. We ordered duck and veal, and the food was good, and the service was friendly. A group of young Americans girls sat next to us, and we 'enjoyed' their varied intellectual conversations, including a detailed discussion about thrush! A fun night was had.Läs mer