PARIS. 15th-18th August

Regretfully I'm not at the stage of being able to add pictures to the blog, as all the instructions on the computer are in French, and none of the staff at the internet shop speaks English. Hopefully I'll soon run into some computer whizz who speaks English (and French). Have taken lots of photos, though.

Friday morning set out to master the Métro. A violinist played for a few stations, and then vanished. Interesting multicultural mix of passengers. The tunnels are lit all the way along, and every single metre is covered in graffiti. A lot of the stations are quite grotty. Pluses are that there are heaps of trains, and they seem to always run on time; I'd say that the average time I've had to wait for a train is 2 minutes. And the arrival time of the first and second expected trains is given - like on the new bus stops in Stud Road.

I decided to first look at the Arc de Triomphe as it was on the same Métro line as the hotel. I'd had a few brushes with death the day before, as I'd crossed against a few 'Walk' lights, not realising they were there, because they're quite tiny, relative to ours. Plus I'd had bright sunlight in my eyes. Also, a goodly number of Parisians drive like Jason Bourne. I came up out of the Métro just across the (10 lane) road from the Arc. I noticed people walking (or sprinting) across the road, and followed suit, waiting for a nice break in the traffic. However I hadn't counted on vehicles appearing from behind me, and had to indulge in some pretty nifty footwork to avoid being decimated. Hemingway, writing about Paris in the twenties, said something to the effect that a man needs to experience Paris while still young. I don't know anything about that, but it would certainly be an advantage traffic-wise. Of course, on the way back I discovered that there is a pedestrian tunnel beneath the road.

The views from the top of the Arc were incredible. I think it doesn't matter how many movies or whatever you see about Paris, it doesn't prepare you for the impact of the city and it's architecture. Afterwards I (and about 10,000 other tourists) walked up the Champs Elysees.
I had some vague idea of going to look at the Eiffel Tower, but found myself in the Place de la Concorde, and then the Tuillieres Gardens. I Crossed the Seine to the Musee d'Orsay (pre to post Impressionist art and sculpture), and stayed there till chuck-out time. A walk along the Seine on a gorgeous summer evening brought me to Pont Neuf, from where I
handled changing trains on the Metro a couple of times to get to get to 'my' railway line.

Saturday 16th I was zonked from the exertions of the previous day, and didn't do much. Plus when I went to use internet banking I found it was blocked. I rang ANZ in Melbourne, and found out that some obscene person has made an illegal internet transfer of $3000 from my main ANZ account, and $3000 from my ANZ Debit Card account. Fortunately I have 5000 euros in an (unlinked) ANZ Travel Card account. Apparently the money was paid into a Commonwealth Bank account at La Trobe University in the name of Na Yan. If anybody visits La Trobe, could they please punch this person. In the afternoon I did some shopping near the hotel, in Belleville. Went to the markets, and to some colourful shopping streets.

Sunday 17th I started early, with a visit to the Cimetiere du Pére LaChaise, allegedly the most-visited cemetery in the world. Checked out Proust, Balzac, Moliere, Maria Callas, Isadora Duncan, Chopin, Jim Morrison and Oscar Wilde. Got into a discussion with two American matrons as to what Oscar's last words were. Something like 'Thank God I'm dying - I couldn't stand another hour with this wallpaper'?

After another AUS$15 phone call to ANZ (it only costs 0.25 Euros a minute, but they keep you on hold for half an hour first), I set out for Monmartre. A funicular railway takes you up to Sacre-Coeur, and from the top of the church you can get more excellent views over Paris. Afterwards I walked through the streets of Monmartre looking for the studio where Picasso lived in his 'blue' period (pre-WW1), but couldn't find it. Had a Macca's and a couple of milk shakes near Pigalle Station, then walked to the Blanche Métro, and home.

Had originally planned 3 nights in Paris, which I extended to 6, and only 2 days left, so decided on a marathon on Monday. First to the Paris Opera, and I think the grandest chandeliers you're ever likely to see. Then to the Louvre. I did what you really need a few days for in a couple of hours. Caught up with Old Mona and Venus (me and that same 10,000 tourists). Then on to Notre Dame, which doesn't take long as there's only the one thing to look at, but if you're into stained glass it'll really rock you about.

Ever on, to the Luxembourg Gardens, for a stroll. Now this was a Monday evening, about 5-ish,
and the park was full of Parisians, just sitting around, talking or reading or plain relaxing. And that's something I really like a lot about this place, no matter where you go, even where I'm staying in Belleville, which is very much a working people's district, scads of people sitting around in coffee shops or in cafes or on park benches - relaxing!

Then I walked around some of the parts of the Sorbonne, eventually finding myself in the Jardin des Plantes (not a patch on Melbourne's, I'm afraid). From there a Métro to the Eiffel Tower, and (weakening now), a visit to the 1st level only - but that was high enough thanks. The very highest level was closed anyway.