The Western European Blitz Day 8 - Paris by foot (Part 1)
Septmber 28th, 2019
Thirteen hours and 30,000 steps. Welcome to Paris.
We have one goal today. Crush this city. Take it in one hearty spoonful at a time. The Luxembourg Gardens are just west of our hotel. It’s 9am and there’s a chill in the air. We find our Americano coffee and head off for a morning walk.
The flowers are beautiful, and the palace is stunning. It was built for Queen regent Marie de Medici, mother of King Louis VIII. It currently is the seat of the Senate of the Fifth Republic, but yea it was built for a Queen.
Our original plan is to head North and cross the Siene. We have to pick up our Museum Pass at the Hotel Deville. However, I had the idea of a morning walk through the gardens which brought us close enough to check out the pastry shop Ingrid has doubled starred on the map.It gives us a chance to peruse some more residential neighborhoods.
The way the beige buildings and particular architecture bend around the corner and sort of blends into the pale blue sky is the biggest take away. Every time we hit a new street, I feel like it deserves a picture. (But apparently this is the best I got. Sorry!)
Chiffre d’affaires pomme (apple turn over) is the recommendation that apparently came close to killing a woman with one bite. (In a good way. I think) We get two. I dive into mine after watching Ingrid’s face melt as she sinks her teeth in. No, I’m not dead, but if I go in this instant it will be okay. The warm apple center of a fresh French croissant. Winning combo. Click! Clack! Next snack!’'
There are several blocks of taste delirium until we are back on track, finally making our way to grab the museum passes. It’s a bit of a walk from here, but it falls in the parameter of our goal, crush the city.
I map out the route so I can’t blame the next stop on Inga this time. What’s up ahead? The very chocolate shop that was on the agenda for later this weekend? Might as well check off the box. Debauve & Gallais is a boutique chocolate shop that dates back to the French Revolution. Let’s stop and drink in the vibe of this joint. The gentlemen inside are in three piece suits. One is arranging some display and slowly stroking a menacing cat (there wasn’t really a cat) to our left when we walk in. The other finishes DUSTING The chocolate! Both should be wearing monocles, berating our attire, and beating us away with sticks like the peasants we are!
The language barrier is at a very frustrating status with these two. They refuse to soil the tongue with our barbaric language. But, so many questions! So many off-hand jokes for Ingrid to poke me, issuing a warning. “But Ingrid what if the queen were to show!”
Okay, we have 4 individual chocolates picked out. They are placed in a pretty blue bag and handed over to us for all the money in our pockets and a promissory note for only our 3rd born. Merci, fancy boys!
Onto the Siene. We cross over and slide down to the water level. There is a bevy of bikers and walkers. There are tourists and locals taking part in sight seeing, exercise, fishing. The clouds roll in creating a bit of a nip in the air. Fall has certainly arrived in Paris.
We love the walk though. It’s a great way to take in all the historical buildings and land marks lining the right bank.
The Hotel Deville is located and we find the proper entry to get the passes. I mention the entry because the building itself is not a building, but an estate with in itself in the confides of a city. What a spectacle.
Today will continue to be a series of “It’s only a 17 minute walk. Lets just make our way over there.” The end of which, as I have mentioned, turns into nearly 14 miles covered.
This next stretch is cold and a little rainy. We are both feeling the crash from the sugar high and are just a bit testy. Monet’s lily pads will lighten the mood I’m sure. His exhibit is held at The Muśsee de l’Orange. On the way we pass the Louvre.
So ya, at this point now a couple hours into our walking tour it’s clear that Paris is an endless array of unbelievable pieces of ornate architecture with each topping the next. The courtyard of the Louve holds the famous pyramid as a point of entry. The Museum itself is not on the agenda today because you need reservations and there are signs everywhere saying our passes don’t guarantee entry at all. It’s looking like even if we dared violation we ‘aint breaking in. Fingers crossed, but the exterior and grounds are enough to hold onto.
Passing through the Jarden de Tuileries is the path to l’Orange. Success! The passes work. Always a good thing when plans work out. It’s a small museum and doesn’t take long to view the pieces. The lily pads are beautiful and striking in size. It must take more of an eye than mine to really tell the difference between the paintings other than the fact that a couple have trees. But I’m all strung out on French chocolate and pastries so it could just be the drugs. C’est la vie. Time for a re -group sit down session in the café. Map time.
The Arc de Triomph is looped into our tour de Force de France. It’s a 37--minute walk though. That’s outside of the 17-minute comfort zone, “we’ll get there eventually” methodology. We are against cabbing and the traffic is b.a.n.a.n.a.s. Uber ripped us of last time, and we are a 1 strike family dammit! The metro requires a lot of translating and smells like a guaranteed stupid fatigue argument. It’s Lime Time!
With a quick millennial move, we download the app for the electric scooter rental and pop on. Theses puppies cook. Not bad off road either. We’re roaring up the Av des Champs-Élysées. Bobbing and weaving between packs of tourists with the wind in our hair Zippin’ over the dirt gravel and bumpy stone walkways. These machines are tasty little devils. Our steps were sacrificed in this journey in lue of time and aggravation and it was a brilliant decision.
Feel the Need. For Speed.
You pass under the massive traffic circle to enter the Arc de Triomph. We weren’t sure exactly what to expect here. (We started to research, but then found a croissant store or something and got distracted. As you do.) There were people on the top so we figured the Willy Wonka golden ticket passes should get us access and they did. Another Check in the win column. Still, it was a little bit of a mystery. We had visited with a friend in NYC the day we left for Madrid. We met her at the Washington Square Arch in the park. In a learning moment, she taught us it was the same architect who designed the Arc de Triomph and that we needed to visit it. Glad we did.
Like most things in Europe, the history is long and a bit convoluted, but the Arc has been a symbol for not only Parisians but all of France to rally behind for countless causes in the couple hundred years since it’s resurrection. It now stands for, among other things, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
The main attraction is the roof. It’s a panoramic view of Paris and its fantastque! From here we spot the next 17-minute jaunt.
The Eiffel Tower.
To be continued…