Picnic at the Louvre

Second part of our Europe trip.

"We decided that we would try to make it to the Eurostar at four in the morning..so that our tickets would be cheaper.. We realized this at about midnight the night before. We woke up at four, got out gear together And then stumbled out of the hostel in search for a taxi since the Underground doesn't run that early in the morning. We finally caught a taxi and had him take us to Kings Cross Station...only he didn't take cards so we had to stop by an ATM to get money out. Got to the station, bought our tickets and the two lattes and realized we had to dump our ten dollar coffees out to go onto the train...grrr..

Went thru the northern Part of France to get to Paris around 9am. St Gare du Nord.

Arriving at the train station in Paris.

Got off the train and headed up the super high steps of Sacre Couers located at the summit of le butte du Montmartre . Greeted by deaf girls and felt up, yeah for Brandon... Went in and around the famous church.

Back down the stairs to Pigoilly station completely no cue what we were doing, or where we were going. Got off around the Louvre and started looking for hotels.

Booked. Booked. Expensive. Greeted by a bird and a rat. Expensive ...all of our gear and walking around Paris, hungry, thirsty and not a clue. Awesome. We stopped in a sandwich shop and got a vegetarian with two cokes and sat in the Louvre gardens and ate. Amazing.

Walked up to the Arc and down the Champs élysées.

Even with the beautiful sites the stress and hunger was starting to wear. We walked over to the St. Germaine area and found Welcome Hotel.

They had a triple for 129€ we took it. Our room was on the top and we could see La Tour Eiffel from the window. Dropped our stuff off, took a shower and headed out to see the sites. We grabbed a crepe avec nutella and headed to the Vendetta boats.930pm we took a cruise along the Seine.



Walked around the Louvre at night and the neighborhood.Felt like walking through a history book. Seeing the prison where Marie Antoinette was held before her guillotine invite, houses of famous artists and writers. Sleeping grounds for works of art that money can't buy. Can this place really exist?

Walked around the il de cite a thousand times more.





Saturday we had to find another hotel..luckily not far was Hotel Michelet Odeon.


View outside our window.

Saturday was a hot one, and we walked over the the Invalides and around and then the Eiffel tower.Heat. No real food. Not much water, wearing all black with gallons of black coffee and cheese bread equals a bad mix..... We would return later.



We wound back around the city to the hotel, stopping by the Champs Elysee. Seeing the Arc de Triumph and the mad house of cars around it.

Next, over to the Louis Vuitton store. I always thought that it would be ideal to buy a Neverfull at the flagship store, but we went to three different ones and they were all closed! Not so lucky. At least the outside kept me entertained for a while. Walking back down St. Germain we went into a little pastry shop and fell in love with macaroons. salted caramel please.


Sunday, we went over to the market to see all the meats and cheese that were displayed like art.



There were so many people picking through the beautifully assorted ordure's.



Now to roam the Louvre, then back to Eiffel's creation and up to the top.Over to the Arc de triumph, Louis vuitton, grand palais.

Monday, morning to Versailles, and around the neighborhood.

On our way to the train station we stopped by another outdoor market that was selling everything from Simpson inspired doughnuts, to organic handmade blouses. We grabbed some pink frosted doughnuts and rode out to the countryside of Marie Antoinette.




So amazing to see her Petit Trianon and the palace itself. There was a movie being filmed while we were there, so there were all kinds of cast and crew members roaming about in period costume. I liked to think that they were there for our entertainment to get us better in the French Revolution mood.


Sat under the tower and ate pickled mustard chips and coke and San pellagrino while the tower did it's night show.





How can one city be so beautiful?? There is definitely no place like this in the world, and I can see why it is such a destination for almost everyone. Even being here before, seeing the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triumph will never get old.