Paris – Au revoir!!!

Hey all,
On the last few days we had in Paris, we did the final things on our ‘to do’ list. Paris really cannot be done in one day – at least a week is needed. The first part of Paris we thought we’d be money wise and walk everywhere – but by the 4th day, we were so exhausted we couldn’t bare to walk another inch – so we made use of their very good public transport system. We caught the train out to the Arc de Triomphe which was pretty cool. We saw some awesome driving skills there too! The French are crazy – especially at this round about! We then walked down the Champs Elysées and I got a photo under the sign, which just so happened to be out front of the Cartier store. The Champs Elysées was actually pretty cool. Some really lovely little café’s, awesome shops and boutiques and it was so busy. I think people feel very special when walking it. They seem to hold their head up high – Adam just wanted to find the nearest train station to get out of there!!

(Me at the Arc de Triomphe)

We then caught the train out to the Louvre. We had visited the Louvre on my birthday but it was closed for cleaning, which I think is actually a good thing cos you get a discount on Wednesday’s after 6pm. And boy did we get a discount! As we were walking into the Grande Pyramide, and deciding whether it was worth our 6 euro each – not huge fans of big arse paintings and I’ve seen the Mona Lisa (and I’m not sure it would change Adam’s life too much if he missed seeing it) so after standing and tossing the idea up over and over, a young man approached us, and asked us if we spoke English. He then handed us his tickets for 2, explaining his friend never showed – so we got ourselves some free tickets. We felt awful though – we were so shocked that he was giving us the tickets, we didn’t even think to offer him some money or to ask if he wanted to join us – instead, we waved him goodbye as he went up the escalator. We figured we had to go in now. So we did. And there was some pretty impressive stuff there, but they all looked very similar – all massive, dark, and with naked women. I think the downfall of the Louvre is that there are so many paintings that you just can’t really stop to appreciate them – it’s like a hoarder’s house – too much really can be just too much. And it’s clear that everyone goes for the Mona Lisa – we got a few photos, but it’s was like a circus in there – everyone wanted a photo. And I still stand with what I said 10 years ago ‘that’s it? It’s so small!’ so I still really don’t see what all the fuss is about. But Adam loved all the paintings of David and Goliath – I think that’s all he liked. But we did really enjoy the African exhibition – really creative.

(Me at the African Exhibition at The Louvre)

We headed home (home – funny I call it that) and had our fantastic packet beef ravioli and baguette. In the morning we headed off to Sacre Coeur. It was pretty impressive, but I loved the area more so. We were in Montmare where all the cool and absynthe’d up artists headed to live in their mansions. The streets are very alive and packed with café’s, markets, and discount stores and of course, the red light district. It’s just very vibrant. It reminds me of a ‘swanky’ Camden market. So it was pretty awesome. We walked on, and had a look around in the shops and café’s, and then walked up to the red light district to the original Moulin Rouge! It really wasn’t what I expected – but I guess my expectations were shaped by the movie – and the movie made it look pretty damn awesome.

(Adam at the Sacre Coeur)

On the train back, there was an entertainer with puppets. He really did nothing with the puppets but bop them up and down, but the song was funny, and in French. But anyways, we got off to go see the Catacombes. And the map was incorrect, so we were wondering around for ages – then pulled out Europe on a shoestring and got a better idea of the location. When we finally found it – it was closed. It was the very last thing we needed to do to complete our ‘must do’ list. So I was very disappointed and shitty. So we sat in the Victory Gardens and had some lunch, and as I do when I’m shitty and wanna brighten the mood a little, I got out the camera and took some stupid photos. It was good for a laugh. And besides, we’ll be back in Paris for one more night so we’ll go see the Catacombes then.

(Me and Adam at the Victory Gardens)

And that was about it for our lovely stay in Paris. We had a ball, and saw so much – and that’s really what we wanted out of this trip. We see so many travellers who are wasting their time being wasted all the time (I’ll elaborate on our next Blog and you’ll see why) so we made the most of our time in Paris and saw some amazing things that many people will never have a chance to see. And I think that’s also the advantage Australian’s have. We travel far more than any other nationality, yet we have such beauty in our own backyard, so we can really see it all if we want. Next on our list (and I’d love to go with Nik and Jess) is seeing Australia. So much to do and see. How exciting.

(Me at the original Moulin Rouge)

Well, we had our crepes, croissants and baguettes. The next stop is Lauterbrunnen in Switzerland. We caught the bus, and headed on the 10 hour journey. We’ll see you in Switzerland!!!

Love u all,
Ash and Adam in Paris.x

Or Adam and Ash in Paris.x (as Adam claims is better.)