PARIS!!!

Travel Journal BY WIL✈

 (26/4/12) we woke up in a cosy little camping ground on the banks of the Seine, Paris. We smashed our school and left to have a look at the town. We caught the bus to the Porte Maillot Metro station, and from there we walked to the Arc de Triomphe. We had to go through a tunnel to get to the Arc, If we crossed the road we would die. We saw on the Arc there were four relief sculptures of scenes of napoleonic wars. We saw the tomb to the unknown soldier with it's eternal flame, roses on the roof and names of famous battlefields on the walls.

1st pass under the Arc

Following this, we went of to the Eiffel tower, where it started raining.

We climbed as high as you can (the second floor) and took the lift up to the top. At the top the wind was nuts! It was blowing so hard. We saw the apartment in which mr Eiffel lived and caught the lift back down.

After this, we crossed a the palace bridge, walked along the banks of the Seine, strolled through the garden of Tuilleries  (in pouring rain) and went to an information centre, where we bought tickets for the Louvre. 

We didn't visit the Louvre until 27/4/12. After the information centre, we walked back to Place de la Concorde (where aristocrats and then the revolutionaries were executed during the French Revolution) and caught the metro back to Porte Maillot, and  bused back to our camping ground.

27/4/12 This morning, Mum and Dad went for a run and left Kel and I home to read.  When they got back, they were grinning like idiots and huffing and puffing. We had breakfast, smashed our work and left. We got on the bus, which took us to the metro,  bound for the Louvre. We entered through the Metro station underneath the Inverse Pyramid (my favourite part of the Louvre, what a feat of engineering!) where there was a huge Apple Store! No time for the Apple store,we must see the Louvre.

  Since reading The Da Vinci Code ,I have a strong curiosity.We headed to the Sully wing, where we saw a statue of Venus de Milo & people around it crying ( but we all preferred Athena, the one at the end of the hall that we named " I Love Milo " owing to the blackish stain around her mouth) 

VENUS DE MILO

I LUV MILO

In the Richelieu wing, we saw Napoleon's apartments (laden with gold and posh- yuck! Dad reckon's he was persecuted in a previous life by these 'gentry') in what seemed like the land of the giants, just like the rest of Paris.  The chandeliers, curtains & dining table were immense. In Paris , you look down a street and see a huge chateau, not mentioned in tourist books or anything, just one of many,many chateaus. Overwhelmed by endless rooms,levels,art and stuff,with tired legs, we took a break for a coffee and a squiz in the Apple Store, where Mum bought an iPod as her other one was stolen coming through Johannesburg. I wanted her to get one with a screen and loads of other features  but it cost twice as much! The break is over, and we head over to the Denon wing where we find the Mona Lisa - much a do about nothing. Here was a huge crowd, with lots of pushing and shoving. I think I understand how people say the Mona Lisa looks a bit like a man, I agree with them. Leonardo used a technique called  sfumato where all the colours are blended into the same colourway - the result is brown.

The rest of the Denon wing is all Christian paintings of biblical scenes, the best of which portrays the bible scene in which Jesus is dying and cries 'father father, my soul is yours' or something like that. The temple curtains rip, the dead come out of their graves and there is an earthquake. In the painting, the sky has opened up and a spinning gold ball (God?) is descending towards the earth.  After 3 1/2 hours we're done. They reckon if you only glimpsed at every art piece for a second, it would take you 9 months! And you just can't imagine the number of people here.

After the Louvre we walked along the curved UNESCO listed banks of the Seine, admiring some of the 35 bridges, including Pont Neuf (new bridge is what it means, but it is actually the oldest bridge in Paris having been built in 1604), which we crossed to get to the island on which Notre Dame stands, with its huge gothic spires. 

PONT NEUF

Paris Ground Zero

We saw Point Zero, a lovely bronze star in the pavement and the place from which all roads in France are measured. We saw the inside of Notre Dame, very gothic, intimidating, dark and shadowy. We promptly circled out, and took the metro home. For dinner was a little serve of yoghurt, followed by a long, drawn out read. We are all so stonkered after

these Paris days.

28/4/12 Today was the day of a huge bike ride through Paris - in the rain. At the start of the ride, we passed through a huge forested area , the Bois de Boulogne, with huge wide roads - only for bikes. Strangely, we all burst into song riding freely about.

 I raced Dad and we both weaved around like madmen, it was so much fun! Sadly, we had to leave that area making for the Trocadero, where we saw the Eiffel Tower this time with its head in the clouds. 

A sweet older, very French looking couple  asked if we needed directions - and off Mum went in conversation saying she wishes she was French. They live in an apartment right here overlooking the Eiffel Tower which they say is lit up and changes color every night. We then continued on to see the Musée d'Orsay, a modern museum filled with Van Gogh, Manet, Monet etc. Impressionist and Post-impressionist. 

The building was quite visually pleasing, unlike the Louvre, but to me the paintings weren't(except for Van Gogh's self portrait - his eyes portrayed sadness & fear and a world weariness. Dad also most enjoyed his works).Mum loved three marble sculptures of  Africans in beautiful coloured stone,marble & bronze and ooo-ed over the colors and brush strokes of Van Gogh. Kel  really loved the Monet because they were of flowers,happy scenes & soft colors. A massive grand,golden clock stole the show as the building was initially planned to be a train station. 

Back on our bikes and in the pouring rain, we made for the Roudin sculpture garden. We're slumped wet and a bit frazzled into a warm, dry garden cafe and thoroughly enjoyed a warm pumpkin soup. The museum itself had two floors of smaller works but the garden was magnificent. We saw the famous Thinker amongst beautiful trees,paths and ponds . 

The  tops of all sorts of famous Paris landmarks stuck out in the back ground everywhere you looked. My favourite garden sculpture was a wall of massed little sculptures with the Thinker up top at the epicentre .  The smaller sculptures were in a chaos of action like the Bosch painting "The garden of earthly delights". I think it could represent his thoughts spilling out around him. Mum & Dad totally loved the place, especially a gaggle of six men whose faces showed intense and different emotion especially as the rain dripped off their faces.

 On the way home, in the pouring rain, Kel got a puncture! Mum asked a guard where we could get help & he pointed us to a gas station where we pumped her tire up and prayed we could get home. We were still 10 Kms or more from the campground. Luckily, the puncture held and we made it home. Exhausted but exhilarated ,we munched a salad and hit bed.

Dice roll

Wil ( fav. Taste) the hot,thick pumpkin soup

Kel ( fav. natural thing) the tree - lined path along boulevard  Concorde on our bike ride because it was like an archway with pink blossoms on all the trees. It felt magical, almost like trees should be fairies around.

Jeff (word of the day) bloody rain

Jen ( fav . Man - made) the bike paths in green Paris especially L' Hippodrome

29/4

Rained all night. Huge morning read. No school .Made for the Bastille markets on the metro with Mum's tail wagging. They were fragrant,huge,mouth-watering,musical with an enormous spread of tasty food. Kel reckons Mum is just about fish and Table Mountain.

 Kel loved how colorful it was with flowers, red tomatoes and watermelon and she loved the 'yodeling ' vendors. 

Mum noticed across the world , the best ' marketeers' are Greek/ Italian. We bought crepes with a spicy mince,beautiful seedy breads & Mum bought a fish & fennel salad for lunch. We bought up some more bread for dinner and then sat to chomp with the sound of a lute in the background. The sun came out! We decided to metro to Sacre Coeur on top of the hill at Montmartre. It was a really nice Basilica flooded with natural light. It's altar was really smart with lots of blue and gold & many ,many more small golden mosaics of religious scenes. 

Sacre Couer

Sacre Couer

The stained glass was more modern and  the decorations overall were more attractive. We dribbled down through squares filled with artists and diners toward the Moulin Rouge. Mum was really into it and kept telling us about it's interesting history.

 After a coffee, with the sun still shining, we decided to walk the Champs Élysées together with millions of others. We stopped to look at the wild Citroen show room ,ogled at the Lamborghini,Renault and Twizy show rooms and all  licked on an ice-cream on our way to the Arc de Triomphe. 

Citroen showroom

Mum and Dad took thousands of photos. .....again.

 Loads of soldiers were collecting in many different uniforms for Bastille Day. We met our camping bus and 8 hours later sank into the seats whilst it took us home for a French dinner of bread& pâté!

Well done Wil!!

30/4

blue sky !!!

Jeff and I head for a run together ( WOO-HOO) whilst kids have a lazy start in bed with books.

We decide,despite the glorious weather, to have a slow day “at home” ,no school,washing bedding and PJs, cleaning out Ed and having a cooked midday meal.

games in the garage

Wil helps prepare an excellent curry and we march x 5 to and from the laundry waiting our turn for the dryer. The kids play tiggy with some Frenchies. Wil keenly missing friends today having received a few e-mails yesterday. Extra cuddles. Jeff does battle with SAA in Paris and then in SA itself to organise the re-routing for home-coming as will be peak holiday season.No-one really interested so he sends an email back home to the Aussie agent. Sometimes it is so bloody hard and we fleetingly just wanna come home! Boys out for a bike ride at 1800 in the softer colours of the day.

We all feel refreshed. 

1/5

drizzly start but oldies off for run together again leaving Wil in responsibility - in bed with a book!

Back to some maths,waiting for the sun to struggle out from behind the clouds as forecasted.

Here it is and off on our bikes for one last look at glorious Paris. The crowds and traffic however are one major drawback but we understand that on public holidays and Sundays council’s ‘Paris Respire’ program sees many roads closed for bikers, skaters, walkers, and joggers .

BUT...........it’s the week before major elections &the May long weekend & the start of summer & school holidays...........

DISASTER.......imagine arguably the most visited capital city in the world with a resident 10 million normally...... then add..... monstrous passionate & very vocal flag waving, jeering & wound-up crowds; coach loads of heated protesters & campaigners; the whole nation’s police force & TV/journalist/media population; frustrated honking, gesticulating traffic; scores and scores of sticky beaks,the usual bike lanes jammed with taxis & buses, and swarms of bewildered & confused tourists on bikes trying to negotiate the road & people blocks.

Bois de Bologne

Another visit to the Arc

The Trocadero

Bye Bye Ms Eiffel

We got lost.

We got hungry.

Kel got squealy. 

Wil was having the time of his life.

But we were prepared for rain and tyre punctures.

Finally back at the campground, hair on end,jittery & unable to speak,we pulled out the outdoor table, piled it high with all remaining food in fridge/cupboards and feasted for an hour or more in the late afternoon sun.

Settled at last, we washed bikes & dishes and planned a movie night.