Today begins day 3 in Paris, but I hadn’t time to update you about last evening in full detail. After spending yesterday day exploring the street scene and the thousands of multi-ethnic people, I took a short afternoon nap and got ready for the 7 pm evening bike tour. “Fat Tire Bike Tours” is run by a group of American ex-pats and they have a WILD evening in store for me and 24 others. I met the group under the Eiffel Tower and am introduced to our adorable, extroverted, hysterical guide “Karl” - who is “from Norway” and he is “a Viking.” He’s a history major at some university here, but he’s more like a stand up comic and so we’re in for a good time.
We all get a bike picked out and they are nice adjustable 3 speed beach cruisers, and mine is adjusted perfectly for me. The night was warm fortunately, as opposed to the previous night which was freezing. So we’re good to go! By now the sun is going down and the city is lit up. We all wear these cheesy neon vests with reflective tape on it which helps Karl keep track of us, and keeps us from being run down. It works, nobody has died yet! We didn’t even sign a waiver that we wouldn’t sue anyone if we got run down by a bus or drunk, which in the States we definitely would have been forced to sign!
Karl he tells us the rules of riding “like a Viking” through the crowded busy noisy crazy streets of nighttime Paris. Picture New York city at night, it’s like that. We take off riding in a huge group, and Karl takes us all over the city, however I can barely look left or right because we are riding like a bat outa hell and there are cars and people and other cyclists and lights and noise and curbs and buses and the rest of our group ALL around and in front of and behind us! It was nuts, but of course I did excellent. I knew the “old me” would have never ever been able to do this. I was celebrating the new me, who of course takes this kind of activity in stride like I do it every day.
We toured all over the city with Karl pointing out the sights and stopping now and then to explain the history of some location, adding his own spin on it. For example when he shows us the place where they kept Marie Antoinette held prisoner, he tells us how there was a hole in her cell (more like a cave) and how the guards would pee through the hole. When they chopped off her head, they brought the guillotine down once only part way so she was cut but still alive. Then after a minute of suffering for good measure, they dropped the blade again to chop off her head. After that, we stopped for ice cream by Notre Dame on the Seine. I had “Moka” ice cream in a sugar cone and it was divine.
The scenery on this bridge we were on, was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen in my life (except for my children being born, don’t get me wrong.) Anyone who has been to Paris knows that bridge where the people attach all the locks on the fence going across the bridge, a romance thing? OK there, at night. AMAZING. I was awestruck by the beauty of the city hall place (Hotel de Ville, but it’s the city hall) and Notre Dame and the Seine, and the thrill of the ride and all the fun people. A lady took my photo in front of the eerily glowing Louvre pyramid, at about 10 pm.
After that we all boarded Batteaux Mauches which are these open boats and we cruised the Seine river for an hour, drinking red wine. Salut! We could have “all we can drink” however we still have to ride our bikes back so I held it to one glass, boo hoo. Bummer! There were all kinds of people lounging along the banks of the Seine, many who are fully intoxicated and falling, making out, mooning the boats as they float by, and lots of singing, drinking and merriment. I wonder how many drunk partiers fall into the Seine every day. Karl says yes they do find dead bodies in there. But I made it back sober and safe as we all did, and the adventure ended around 11:30 pm. I had to walk back alone through town and through Champ de Mars to my hotel.
Believe me I wasn’t “alone” because there is a party there ALL night long. I strutted confidently like a Parisian woman and nobody gave me a second glance. I have a scarf now, so I appear to be a local. People even speak to me in French all the time, and that is because I wear skinny jeans and walk with confidence and purpose. That is the secret.
Then I came back and chickened out trying to find dinner, and ended up with a banana. The food thing is throwing me off. Then off to bed with the window open and the busy noise of central Paris coming in to lull me off to dreamland. Don’t worry, I’m on the 3rd floor. I slept about 9 hours, which I NEVER do at home, drug free I might add.
By the way, I am employing a strategy of staying DEHYDRATED, which is working great. The idea is to avoid the hassle of locating “les toilettes” all over town, so I have this figured out. The hype about staying hydrated is illogical in a town with few les toilettes. So, although my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth, I am staying dehydrated and have no fears that way. When I get back to my room I have a big bottle of water, so don’t worry. I have a bathroom there too. Comprenez-vous? Oui! Oui!
In the morning today, of day 3, I get up late and freak out realizing what time it is, like 11 am! I dress and get another banana and head to the Batobus which is an open air water bus on the Seine. A funny little French kid taught me how to pronounce it thusly: “BOT-OH-BOUSE” not bat-oh-bus like you think. It stops at 8 touristy places, and eventually at the Louvre where I exit. I’m starving and inside the Louvre there is a McDonalds but I resist and instead order some kind of awful pizza thing with goat cheese from an Italian joint. It didn’t taste like pizza as I know it. It was like um, a cracker with goat cheese on it and maybe a tiny bit of sauce. Ugh. Soon however I find Starbucks and I am good again.
Once in the Louvre I head to the Italian Renaissance section to see the art work of the great masters. People, let me tell you - I wasn’t prepared for my reaction. At Cal St Fullerton in 1975 I studied Art History and it all came to LIFE for me today. I was simply awe-struck and emotional seeing in person these works up close. I couldn’t believe it. The paintings are like nothing you’ve seen before, when you view them in person. Some of them are massive, taking up an entire wall. That period had so much darkness and suffering and fear. So many of the people in the paintings look so sad, and never make eye contact with the artist. There is a massive amount of religious symbolism and paintings of the Crucifixion. There is emotion everywhere you look, in each face, in each scene and brushstroke. I was simply floored, and tearful. I will never forget it. I studied it in an auditorium at college, but it was nothing like this. I wanted very much today to have my brother in law Art at my side to enjoy it with me. He loves history and he would have made the BEST companion today. Love you Art, you were there in my heart the whole time.
After the Louvre closed, I picked up a few EXPENSIVE trinkets for my kids and headed back on Batobus to the 7th arrondissement where my hotel is. It’s a few hours later now and I’m doing my laundry in the sink, and writing this update. I got a call from my old friend Patricia, who lives in Paris now, and we are meeting for lunch tomorrow! I’m SO excited. She is going to teach me how to actually eat at a Parisian café. No more bananas and ham sandwiches for me! Tomorrow at 4 pm I meet my tour group. I have observed a few of them checking in early as I did.
I still haven’t climbed the Eiffel Tower stairs because the stairs closed at 6:30 and I missed it! I am so mad! I can’t go back without climbing those stairs, as my kids, and Kel and Daimon my trainer are all counting on me. I have to fit this in! If I can get myself outa bed early tomorrow, I can get it done before lunch I hope. My camera battery died as I was trying to upload photos. GAAH.
Well, for tonight, “bonsoir” my loves!
Wow that sounds so amazing!! Thank you for the update :) Excited for my trinket! LOL! I was waiting to hear about all the wonderful food! Maybe thats Italy!
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