People are so polite. Not just the people working in shops and cafes, but people on the streets too. Manners have definitely not gone out of fashion here.
Nor has table service. The whole go up to the counter yourself to order rubbish doesn't seem to exist here. I half expect if I went into McDonalds you'd get table service there, too. And the waiters in the cafe know how to be proper waiters. It's weird, I've not seen a single female waiter, they are all men, and mostly middle aged. No teenage girls with attitude problems, who act as though they are doing you the favour by waiting on you.
So, it's nice to see that service and general good manners are only dead back home, and not the rest of the world...
Friday, August 20, 2010
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Day 2 - Eiffel Tower, Versailles
I take back everything I said about the Louvre yesterday. I have now seen Versailles...
... and it makes the Louvre look like a dump.
But going back a step, I visited the Eiffel Tower this morning. It seriously is one big mofo, and the views are absolutely spectacular.
Then it was down to Versailles. I spent half a day there, and it was nowhere near enough.
 |
| Versailles Front Gate |
I saw enough of the insides of the buildings - spectacular, and the Hall of Mirrors isn't done justice in photos.
 |
| Hall of Mirrors |
- but I'm planning another half day down there, just to wander through the gardens properly, I barely saw half of them. Of what I've seen so far - and I suspect even including what I've yet to see - Versailles is my favourite, I absolutely fell in love with the place.
 |
| Room in Versailles Palace |
 |
| Petit Trianon |
The only way I can really describe Versailles is with some photos.
 |
| Formal Garden |
Rear of Versailles Palace
Bed Chamber
 |
| Family Chapel |
Paris
I think my feet are going to start bleeding soon. The perils of a profession where you sit on your ass all day.
There are a few things that have really struck me about Paris.
1. It's so clean. There is no litter anywhere, the copious amount of bins are constantly emptied, and even the much used public toilets are clean, believe it or not.
2. There are no obese people. Seriously. (Other than the English speaking tourists, that is). Not that all Parisians are thin, but I have honestly seen no obese ones. In all of my walking, I have also only seen one fast food place, and that was in Versailles - a McDonalds. Maybe the two are related? But then, with all of the delicious food around, who needs American burger joints?
3. NUTELLA. It's everywhere. Nutella crepes, Nutella in the petit dejeuner room for toast and croissants... I'm in heaven. And to think I brought a jar with me!
4. It's actually quite cheap. The food (I just had dinner - duck - and wine for 21€) the metro (less than 6€ for a return trip to Versailles), even a bottle of Evian is cheaper than our plain old Mount Franklin water... So long as you think in Euros, and ignore the crappy $au conversion, but still, it is cheap, even the food at the tourist places, which you would expect they'd charge through the nose for, simply because they can.
5. People are generally very friendly, and not at all the snooty French they are stereotyped as.
6. There are way too many gypsies, and none at all resemble Johnny Depp in Chocolat. Damn you Hollywood!
And the pastries.... nom, nom, nom!
There are a few things that have really struck me about Paris.
1. It's so clean. There is no litter anywhere, the copious amount of bins are constantly emptied, and even the much used public toilets are clean, believe it or not.
2. There are no obese people. Seriously. (Other than the English speaking tourists, that is). Not that all Parisians are thin, but I have honestly seen no obese ones. In all of my walking, I have also only seen one fast food place, and that was in Versailles - a McDonalds. Maybe the two are related? But then, with all of the delicious food around, who needs American burger joints?
3. NUTELLA. It's everywhere. Nutella crepes, Nutella in the petit dejeuner room for toast and croissants... I'm in heaven. And to think I brought a jar with me!
4. It's actually quite cheap. The food (I just had dinner - duck - and wine for 21€) the metro (less than 6€ for a return trip to Versailles), even a bottle of Evian is cheaper than our plain old Mount Franklin water... So long as you think in Euros, and ignore the crappy $au conversion, but still, it is cheap, even the food at the tourist places, which you would expect they'd charge through the nose for, simply because they can.
5. People are generally very friendly, and not at all the snooty French they are stereotyped as.
6. There are way too many gypsies, and none at all resemble Johnny Depp in Chocolat. Damn you Hollywood!
And the pastries.... nom, nom, nom!
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Day 1 - The Louvre and Notre Dame
Ooh! It's apparently going to be 25c tomorrow, then 28c Friday. Life is good!
My plane touched down in Paris at about 6.30am today. I have to say, my arrival was a bit of a disappointment. Charles de Gaul airport is an absolute shambles, and standing with hundreds of other people, squished into a hot, stuffy corridor whilst lining up to get through customs, wasn't a great start to the morning. To top it off it was a rainy, grey, cold morning. So I don't know where that corridor got off being hot and stuffy.
It all quickly improved after that! The sun came out, and the weather was perfect for walking around. Taxis are surprisingly cheap - although only seem to be able to take cash, which is a little outdated. My hotel is in a fantastic location - the Louvre is right across the road, and all of the major sights are within walking distance.
I'm very glad I'm not driving within Paris - although a lot of streets seem to be one way, lanes seem to be non existent, and people just drive anywhere. Including through buildings. I can't believe they have roads going through the palace!
And don't make the mistake of thinking pedestrians have right of way, because that doesn't even seem to be the case at pedestrian crossings, as a few other tourists found out today.
I spent most of today at the Louvre - five hours to be exact, and although I think I got through most of it, that was at a pretty fast pace. You could easily spend several days there, if you really want to give it all the attention it deserves. Seeing my favourite Italian paintings in the flesh was amazing - and of course the Mona Lisa. Which is so small, for all the fuss it causes! Getting a good look at anything in the Italian section, let alone the Mona Lisa, is difficult with all of the people crowding around everything - how people think they can properly view a painting that's 10 metres wide from a few feet away is beyond me, but they are good at getting in everyone else's way! The size of some of those paintings is unbelievable. I can't wait to get to Italy and see more of it. And seeing an art museum that's actually full of ART is refreshing - no 'modern' rubbish here! That crap is kept in its own museum, I think.
The statue of Venus is impressive too. I didn't realise they still had some of the medieval castle under the ground too, they've dug down to it underneath the palace, and you can walk through. Seeing so much in one day makes it hard to take it all in, but that place is amazing. I can't get over how big the Louvre really is!!! And only half of its used for the museum. It's a shame not to see how it was inside as the royal palace, but I guess none of that survived... I now understand why you'd be so pissed seeing that place standing there in its ridiculous size and opulence, when you can't even afford bread to feed yourself...
Napoleon's apartments are on display too, and is opulence at its most... well, just at its most. Strange little man - you should SEE his bed. It has bloody feather tufts on top of the canopy!
After the Louvre was the Notre Dame. It's a little weird seeing it stuck in the middle of busy streets and cafes, but I guess most landmarks are like that now. It's absolutely beautiful inside, completely indescribable, so I won't bother trying.
Anyway, I'm absolutely stuffed, so I'm off for an early night. My feet are killing me from all the walking today around the Louvre, so they need rest so I can walk to the Eiffel Tower tomorrow! Then the plan is to take the metro to Versailles. Photos will be forthcoming... sometime soon. The wireless is exorbitant in this hotel, so I won't be online too much until I get out of Paris. That's assuming it will be cheaper anywhere else...
Bon soir!
(and yes, they do all speak English for the most part, but treat you a lot differently if you attempt to speak French first. Everyone I've met so far has been very friendly and helpful!).
My plane touched down in Paris at about 6.30am today. I have to say, my arrival was a bit of a disappointment. Charles de Gaul airport is an absolute shambles, and standing with hundreds of other people, squished into a hot, stuffy corridor whilst lining up to get through customs, wasn't a great start to the morning. To top it off it was a rainy, grey, cold morning. So I don't know where that corridor got off being hot and stuffy.
It all quickly improved after that! The sun came out, and the weather was perfect for walking around. Taxis are surprisingly cheap - although only seem to be able to take cash, which is a little outdated. My hotel is in a fantastic location - the Louvre is right across the road, and all of the major sights are within walking distance.
I'm very glad I'm not driving within Paris - although a lot of streets seem to be one way, lanes seem to be non existent, and people just drive anywhere. Including through buildings. I can't believe they have roads going through the palace!
And don't make the mistake of thinking pedestrians have right of way, because that doesn't even seem to be the case at pedestrian crossings, as a few other tourists found out today.
I spent most of today at the Louvre - five hours to be exact, and although I think I got through most of it, that was at a pretty fast pace. You could easily spend several days there, if you really want to give it all the attention it deserves. Seeing my favourite Italian paintings in the flesh was amazing - and of course the Mona Lisa. Which is so small, for all the fuss it causes! Getting a good look at anything in the Italian section, let alone the Mona Lisa, is difficult with all of the people crowding around everything - how people think they can properly view a painting that's 10 metres wide from a few feet away is beyond me, but they are good at getting in everyone else's way! The size of some of those paintings is unbelievable. I can't wait to get to Italy and see more of it. And seeing an art museum that's actually full of ART is refreshing - no 'modern' rubbish here! That crap is kept in its own museum, I think.
The statue of Venus is impressive too. I didn't realise they still had some of the medieval castle under the ground too, they've dug down to it underneath the palace, and you can walk through. Seeing so much in one day makes it hard to take it all in, but that place is amazing. I can't get over how big the Louvre really is!!! And only half of its used for the museum. It's a shame not to see how it was inside as the royal palace, but I guess none of that survived... I now understand why you'd be so pissed seeing that place standing there in its ridiculous size and opulence, when you can't even afford bread to feed yourself...
Napoleon's apartments are on display too, and is opulence at its most... well, just at its most. Strange little man - you should SEE his bed. It has bloody feather tufts on top of the canopy!
After the Louvre was the Notre Dame. It's a little weird seeing it stuck in the middle of busy streets and cafes, but I guess most landmarks are like that now. It's absolutely beautiful inside, completely indescribable, so I won't bother trying.
Anyway, I'm absolutely stuffed, so I'm off for an early night. My feet are killing me from all the walking today around the Louvre, so they need rest so I can walk to the Eiffel Tower tomorrow! Then the plan is to take the metro to Versailles. Photos will be forthcoming... sometime soon. The wireless is exorbitant in this hotel, so I won't be online too much until I get out of Paris. That's assuming it will be cheaper anywhere else...
Bon soir!
(and yes, they do all speak English for the most part, but treat you a lot differently if you attempt to speak French first. Everyone I've met so far has been very friendly and helpful!).
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
KL Airport
It's just after 11pm Adelaide time on Tuesday night, and I'm in KL airport waiting for my connecting flight.
This airport is absolutely unbelievable! HUGE, swanky... I had to catch a train to get to my gate. It even has a freaking rainforest in the centre of it!
They don't stop feeding you on the flight, dad, you'll like that! Electrical storms also look very cool from up in the air.
Even in the airport it's hot and muggy here - I can finally wear a tee shirt! I could definitely get used to this. Looking very forward to spending a few days i KL on my way home.
I have a window seat on the next leg too, thank GOODNESS! I don't know how people sit in the middle aisle, that would be hell.
Must stay awake a few more hours into this flight, which takes off at 12.30am I think, then if I can sleep through to Paris, hopefully I can beat some jetlag...
Not sure what I'll do when I get there (Wednesday?) but I'm booked into an Eiffel Tower climb (well, elevator) on Thursday morning.
Now I'm off to explore this airport!
Ahhhh, sweet muggy heat... I could live here...
This airport is absolutely unbelievable! HUGE, swanky... I had to catch a train to get to my gate. It even has a freaking rainforest in the centre of it!
They don't stop feeding you on the flight, dad, you'll like that! Electrical storms also look very cool from up in the air.
Even in the airport it's hot and muggy here - I can finally wear a tee shirt! I could definitely get used to this. Looking very forward to spending a few days i KL on my way home.
I have a window seat on the next leg too, thank GOODNESS! I don't know how people sit in the middle aisle, that would be hell.
Must stay awake a few more hours into this flight, which takes off at 12.30am I think, then if I can sleep through to Paris, hopefully I can beat some jetlag...
Not sure what I'll do when I get there (Wednesday?) but I'm booked into an Eiffel Tower climb (well, elevator) on Thursday morning.
Now I'm off to explore this airport!
Ahhhh, sweet muggy heat... I could live here...
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