Arriving in Paris

Woke up this morning at 30 something thousand feet to be greeted with the beautiful sight of the rising sun shining on the snow-capped peaks of the Swiss Alps - now that was unexpected!  From here it was all downhill (haha) and into Charles de Gaulle by 6.30 am.  I must say that the A380 provides a very comfortable means of journeying half way around the world at high speed.  Delightful Malaysian crew as well.  We enjoyed a speedy and hassle-free trip through customs and immigration and then trekked over to Terminal 2 to meet Maree and Melanie.  The Cathay flight was the only one of the dozens on the arrival board to have no information concerning its whereabouts!  A handy information booth provided the missing data - Terminal 2A - just 7 minutes walk!  A good ten minutes later we located the correct gate just in time to greet M and M.  I suggested a bit of extravagance might be in order and within nano-seconds Jess had rustled up a car and a driver and we were smack, bang in the middle of Paris peak hour traffic. Quite an entertaining journey - I don't think there are any road rules in France but most of the traffic seems to get where it wants to - eventually.  The girls were feeling very sorry for the driver who spends his days going back and forth from the city to the airport.
Eric, the apartment rental rep was due to meet us at 10 am so being early we hung out at a nearby café beside the Georges Pompidou Centre and tormented a hapless waiter with our efforts at speaking French.  To his credit (and probably because he had few customers yet) he was utterly charming and heaps of fun.

Getting installed into our respective apartments was quick and easy - Maree and Mel are staying in rue Simon Lefranc, right beside the Centre Georges Pompidou and Jess and I are just around the corner in rue Rambuteau.  I love this location in the Marais because it is easy to walk to many places, it has great Metro links and it is quaint, quirky and quite delightful.  We have a boulangerie across the street and lots of little specialty food shops within a few doors. Our apartment is also very spacious by Parisian standards and the double glazing on the windows eliminates the street noise completely - even though the sounds from below lend a certain atmosphere - street sweepers, children chattering, motor bikes and delivery vans, sirens in the distance, people enjoying dinner or drinks at the numerous pavement cafes - and the smells - fresh coffee, pizza cooking in the restaurant  below - who wants to close the windows!



19 rue Rambuteau -our living room in Paris

A much appreciated shower and a bit of a rest and we headed out to see the sights.  We strolled down rue du Temple with its little boutiques and cafes and made BHV department store our first stop - there are sales on everywhere and some good bargains to be had.  Jess found the handbag and sunnies that she had on her Paris shopping list, Mel was content to look for the moment and Maree and I ooed and ahhed over stuff but resisted temptation.  We then carried on strolling to the river and  after admiring the Hotel de Ville, crossed the Pont d'Arcole to the Ile de la Cite where we collapsed at a café and drank exorbitantly priced cappuccinos.

Hotel de Ville

Personally I wanted to run away from the hordes of tourists but we soldiered on and arrived at the Notre Dame Cathedral.  It was absolutely overrun and the queue to enter was too much to contemplate. The open area in front of the cathedral has been set up as a temporary museum, celebrating the 850th anniversary of this iconic building.  We didn't linger and made a short tour of the island, taking in the queues at Sainte Chapelle and the Conciergerie, the full to the limit tourist boats and the many  buildings undergoing repairs/restoration before returning to the Right Bank.

Tourist boat passing St Michel

  Our route home was via  rue St Martin - pedestrianised and blissfully free of tourist mania.  It  is a favourite of mine.

Maree, Melanie and Jess - rue St Martin

  

We were all pretty whacked after our flights so it was home to a dinner of crusty bread, cheese and ham, with cherries, raspberries and strawberries to follow.  We couldn't even manage a glass of wine.  Jess and I were both asleep by 6.30 pm!