Les Cinq Premiers Sites de Paris

I love Paris. I may even love it more than London, and that's saying something!

I hadn't thought much about what I was going to do for my two days in Paris. As I'd been before (Trip with the St. Brendan's Honour Students in 2010 to attend a conference about the future of young people), Fran told me I could skip the top 5 because I'd no doubt have already done them, the top 5 being...

1. Eiffel Tower (obviously)
2. The Louvre
3. Arc de Triomphe
4. Champ-Élysées



I got a bit snap-happy until we got on the metro.
I have about 15 photos just of this station.
Then there's nothing til the Conciergerie... 

5. Notre Dame

I'd done all of these before, except for Notre Dame. Fran was shocked, 'What?! It's a must-see! Do that right now!' (more on that in the next post).

After a lot of faff with parking meters in a nearby street (Charly hadn't actually realised it was Pay and Display the other 100 or so times he had done it!), we hopped on the metro at Le Vésinet - Le Pecq station aiming for Hauvre-Caumartin. Fran tried to buy me a 'Billet Jeune Week-end' (a 2 day weekend ticket for under 25's in Zone 1/2) but the machine wouldn't let her. She tried asking the bitchy woman at the information desk, you know, where you're supposed to be able to get 'information' but she just snapped 'on the machine' and wouldn't say anything else. Helpful!

All about Gare Le Vésinet-Le Pecq

The Conciergerie

They were going to Printemps (giant department store a bit like John Lewis/House of Fraser, right in the centre, 2 min walk from Saint-Lazare and Auber stations) so I tagged along. Fran wanted to get a new Kenwood mixer and as they still have money left over from their wedding registry at Printemps, that was the place to go. Apparently Printemps do an amazing thing where you can sign up for gifts for your wedding gift list, and then rather than getting the actual stuff people pay for, you get an account with the money, and a list of the things you chose originally. You can then pick and choose what you really want afterwards, or change your mind about the brand/type of hoover you want for example. You even have the option to pick loads of sensible stuff like dining sets and bedding, and then go all out on a flat screen tv and home gym if you really want, but without the guilt (that is, until Grandma comes to visit to see the set of hand-painted china dishes she paid 300euros for, and then you're screwed).

Lovely view across the Seine

I broke free just after we reached the Kitchen Aid/Breadmaker section (not that it wasn't fun but...) and headed back towards Auber metro station.

I'd downloaded the 'Visit Paris by Metro' and 'Paris TripAdvisor' apps before we left Cherbourg which made wandering around Paris a breeze.

Even in the centre of Paris I couldn't seem to buy one of those young people weekend metro tickets so I gave up and bought the next best thing - Mobilis - an adult day pass. I wasn't able to buy this for just zone 1, so got zone 1 and 2. It cost nearly 7euro though which I was a bit annoyed about (especially when it later transpired I only did one journey and could have just got the 1.70euro zone 1 single journey ticket instead!!)

I went from Auber to Cité, coming out just round the corner from the Conciergerie (a 14th Century Royal Prison and Palace) which I should have gone in as I was there, but didn't. Perhaps because of the ominous looking guards at the gate. Maybe next time...

I wandered over to the Notre Dame - turns out there was a much more direct route than the crazy river view route I took along Quai de la Corse and Quai aux Fleurs. Feet were already killing me when I got there!

View of l'Hôtel de ville from across the River