Adam Turtle, Freelance Web Design in Belfast, Northern Ireland
Since1986
My Trip to Paris – Part 1
- 6th August, 2009
- filed under: France, Mini Series, Travel
- 3 comments
I’ve just returned from 10 great days in Paris, France. Lots to talk about, so rather than write an exhaustive article on the whole trip in one go I’ve decided to split this into a 3 part mini-series. Three articles, three days. Here’s what to expect:
- Part One: The first three days in Paris
BBQ, getting ripped off and a giant beer.
- Part Two: Days Four to Six
Finding the elusive Georges Pompidou, world’s most energetic dog and meeting the French Mr Bean.
- Part Three: Final Days
Versailles Castle, destroying my hands playing Tarzan around the forest and the nicest house I’ve ever seen. Also, smuggling drugs through Belfast International.
Lots to look forward to, so let’s begin.
First Day
I met Valerie at CDG as she was returning from a three-week trip to New York.
It was a reasonably quiet day, so we just relaxed at Valerie’s house in St Germain les Arpajon on the outskirts of Paris. We had a barbeque in the evening, luckily her dad had been to the butchers so there was plenty to eat. The weather was warm and the food was great!
I bought a new camera a few weeks ago, so this was my first attempt at getting to grips with it. Was very impressed with it throughout the trip.
The day finished by watching a movie and heading to bed.
Second Day
The second day was mostly pottering around the house and making a plan for the rest of the holiday.
The original idea we had was to go camping either in Brittany or the South Coast, so we looked online and booked a really nice campsite in the centre of France.
Unfortunately we had to cancel it as it turned out we had no insurance on the car. So a quick change of plan and we sorted out a few things to do around Paris, accessible by bus.
Third Day
We got up in the morning and headed into Paris for some sightseeing.
I have to say that Paris in summer is certainly a much different place than in the winter when I visited last. Then, the weather had been fairly miserable which meant I couldn’t get a real taste of what Paris is really like.
When the summer rolls in, the sun comes out and the temperature is frequently above the 30℃ mark. I think this is what really brings out the real spirit of Paris. The streets are lined with little bistros, cafes, bars and restaurants which creates a friendly, welcoming atmosphere.
La Defense
We started off our city tour at one of the more modern neighbourhoods of Paris. La Defense is crammed with modern architecture and sculptures. It’s not favoured well with the locals, and it’s iconic feature – the Grande Arche – was not particularly well received when unveiled 20 years ago.
Despite this, La Defense is a bustling business district that gives the whole neighbourhood a somewhat grey and dull hue. I find it quite interesting, despite what others think.
Eiffel Tower
No trip to Paris is complete without seeing the Eiffel Tower. At just over 1,000 feet tall it’s unlikely you would visit Paris and not see it – it’s visible from almost everywhere.
At Christmas, Valerie and I took the trip to the third floor so that wasn’t on the cards this time. It was simply a photo opportunity, but a very good one!
I took loads of photos. It’s impossible to take a bad one, but the new camera really impressed me. I got some awesome shots which are up on Flickr and honestly I haven’t added any post-processing effects. Think I could get into this photography thing.
Probably the best place to get a photo of the Eiffel Tower is the Trocadéro. While we were there taking photos, a Russian couple were getting some wedding photos taken.
After the tower, we checked into a hotel near the Louvre (as we needed to be in Paris again in the morning to catch a bus) and headed out for dinner.
Big Mistake
Dinner was great, we ate at a bistro. Think I ordered spaghetti, but the mistake came when ordering a beer. The sizes on the menu were in centilitres which I’ve no clue about. I asked for a small, but Valerie insisted it was a half pint and re-ordered the large.
So here’s a large:
I think the only thing bigger was the price. €16.80. For future reference, ask for clarification of what a grande biere actually is.
Lido
This is where big mistake number two occurred. Lido is a slightly less pricey cabaret show in the same vein as Moulin Rouge. We’d been promised on the phone that tickets were €45 each, which we’d agreed to pay.
Due to running late after eating dinner, we arrived for the show just on time to be ushered into our seats without paying first. Next, the waiter came round offering up champagne, an offer that after the huge beer wasn’t too appealing. We turned it down until he informed us that it was included in our ticket price, after which we accepted.
The show was pretty good, a little slow at the start but got significantly better with a range of acts from strong men doing impossible acrobatics, ice skaters, a strange two-headed guy (hard to explain) and superb costumes. All very entertaining, but photos are not allowed so nothing to show you.
With about 20 minutes left in the show, a manager or head waiter came round with our bill and a credit card machine. I got my wallet out and expected to pay the €90 charge for two tickets.
€200!!
Gotta be some mistake, we argued. The tickets were €80 each (€160 total) and a €40 charge for the champagne. We argued with the guy for several minutes, insisting that even if the €45 tickets was a mistake, the waiter had told us the champagne was included. As a somewhat insulting gesture, he knocked €20 off the bill for the mixup and was adamant that we pay and argue outside.
Reluctantly, we paid it and at the end of the show went to speak to the management. He was very unhelpful and traced the mistake to a clerical error with his staff. The woman who took our reservation had booked us into the dearer show instead of the cheaper one at €45. Despite his admission of the error, there was no talk of a refund and his final words basically boiled down to “sod off”.
Needless to say a complaint email was sent, and even more needless to say is that a reply was never received.
Regardless of this experience, I must say that this is probably the only rude French person we met during the whole trip. I found French people to be mostly quite polite, if a little proud. But rarely rude. Just wanted to clear up a stereotype.
Louvre
As we walked back to the hotel, there was just time to get a shot of the Louvre by night. At least there was one thing this evening that didn’t cost an arm and a leg!
More to come tomorrow, but for now you can check the photos so far!
Nice. I’m headed to Paris for a few days at the end of the month – so if you could do me a favour and put the other 2 entries up before then – I’ll trust your judgement on what’s good and what’s not!