Kicking off Paris

While getting around all the tourist sites felt quite full on in Singapore, it was just the warm up for Paris.  We are averaging almost a half marathon in walking a day.  It boggles my mind that Kaia has managed to keep this pace for 4 days straight (complaining the whole way of course). Zach just seems to bounce around like a turbo bunny unfazed by the distance we are covering.

So much has changed in some aspects since I was last here.  So many more people speak english, and in some of the markets, are keen to try their english rather than me trying to practice my french.  There is more of a friendly vibe, and I love the way that Parisians really put the needs of disabled people first.  The streets are much cleaner, and way less stinky smells hovering about.

Some things haven’t changed.  SO MANY PEOPLE.  While having lunch in a little trattoria on a side street by Notre Dame, the owner, keen to talk to us, said that at the All Blacks v South Africa final the city swelled from 2 million to 7 million during that game.  The hustle and bustle of central Paris hasn’t changed and I always love hanging out there.  Same as Montmartre, the little cafe there had this blackboard where you could write versions of “I love you” in different languages.  As there was no Te Reo up there - I gladly added it to the wall (wish I’d taken a photo after writing on it!!)  Now in Mille Maison cafe “Aroha nui” is proudly graffitied on the wall.

We have a Navigo 7 day pass and it's been really worth it.  We paid for all 5 zones to travel across the city and it meant that we have been able to get around without worrying where we are and how much it costs.

I thought doing two sites in one day wouldn’t be too much, but hadn’t considered all the steps involved.  We didn’t manage to get online tickets before we left for the Eiffel Tower (sold out 6 weeks in advance).  So we rolled up at 9am to take our chances.  While waiting at the security checkpoint one of the guards told me that this part of the day is “the nightmare of my life”. 

Given the option of walking to the second floor or the elevator - we climbed, and it was so worth it.  Both kids really took to the structure.  Kaia took pictures so she could create artwork from them later, and her style is a little more abstract so her photos and artwork reflect that.  Zach, who doesn’t normally do artwork, also spent that evening recreating an image on paper, being a completer / finisher personality, it had to be the whole tower and anatomically correct.

The elevator to the top is definitely not something I will remember fondly.  Sardined into a tin, then climbing to a height that made me feel fear and motion sickness all at once.  But the view is extraordinary. 

Regret slightly seeped in, when on descent back to the 2nd floor, we realised we had to walk back down the stairs with jelly legs.

Making our way to the Arc de Triomphe next is when we really found out how much the city lacks in public toilets. Again back through the security checkpoints we started our ascent up the stairs to the top.

Inside the Arc is an area that gives you the history of the Arc and well worth stopping to watch the video.  When we made it out to the terrace we had approx 5 minutes to admire before this wall of rain dumped on us.  It may be controversial but I think the view of Paris from the Arc de Triomphe is way better than from the Eiffel Tower.