Bonjour, Paris, we are so happy to be here!We arrived in Paris on Sunday morning, only a few hours before we were to meet our group. Our journey through customs and into the city via taxi was so smooth that I can't even recall what the experience with customs was like. I do have a stamp in my passport, though, and that's all that matters! Our taxi driver was desperately trying to tell us about the city, and was pointing landmarks out to us; but he didn't speak English, and I can't speak French; My sister, luckily had taken several years of French and was able to communicate a little with him. Our first encounter with a Parisian confirmed that the French are friendly and helpful!
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Checking in . . .Our hotel's friendly and
well behaved mascot, Samson.
We had a rather comical welcome to our lovely hotel, Hotel Londres Eiffel. We were assigned a triple room, but told we might be moved the next day. Not 15 minutes after we had entered our room, while I was in the shower, Cedric, our Concierge called the room to tell us that the guests who wanted the triple had arrived. So, we packed everything back up and trudged back to the lobby; another 15 minutes later, and the guests had changed their minds, the room was ours, so back we went! It was worth it though, as we ended up with a triple room that was quiet, had very comfortable beds, a wonderful shower, and just a little more space than a double would have had. |
At 3:00 we gathered in the breakfast room, to meet our guide, Arnaud, and make acquaintance with our fellow tourmates. We then took a brief neighborhood walk, then hopped on a tour bus for a two hour city tour.
Jet lag kicked in for me and I dozed for a good part of the tour; I felt relieved though, to find that I wasn't the only one! There seemed to be a sort of Modern Art display going on around one of the parks, hence these unusual "scuptures" which appeared to be made out of rubber. |
Our first dinner was at a restaurant specially chosen by Arnaud. They opened only for our group and the owner and his staff went out of their way to welcome us. We began the meal with a seasonal vegetable salad. The main course was poached chicken on potatoes in a cream sauce with carrots green and yellow beans and zucchini and was so good, I wanted to lick the plate. Our dessert was amazing, a slice of toasted brioche topped with seasonal fruits poached in brandy. Delicious!
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Thanks, Rick, for the tip!This simple advice from Rick's Paris guidebook helped us immensely: "If you learn only five phrases, learn and use these: bonjour (good day), pardon (pardon me), s'il vous plait (please), merci (thank you) and au revoir (good-bye). The French value politeness. Begin every encounter with "Bonjour (or S'il vous plait), madam (or monsier)," and end every encounter with "Au revoir, madame (or monsier)."
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You learn something new every day!The Eiffel tower is the most visited monument in the modern world. It was designed by Gustave Eiffel (1832-1923), who personally financed the project, designing even the cranes and other apparatus used in the construction. He won the honor by entering a contest to build the centerpiece for Paris' Univeral Exposition of 1889.
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