Nos Derniers Jours de Paris
Note to self – never ever allow your teenager to choose the planned activities while on vacation! Good lawd, BG had me running all around the city! Had I been wearing my Polar, I’m sure I burned over 5,000 calories. LOL
We began our day strolling through the Jardin des Tuileries. The gardens and parks in Paris are simply lovely! After checking out the beautiful sculptures and grabbing an ice cream cone from the nearby carnival, we walked a bridge over the River Seine on our way to the first museum.
Our first stop was the Musee d’Orsay. No cameras were allowed inside so I don’t have any pictures of the beautiful art, sculptures, and paintings. We saw masterpieces by Monet, Van Gogh, Degas, etc. Interesting to see things that I’d only read about in text books.
Our next stop was a second trip to the Notre Dame Cathedral. This time, BG wanted to climb the stairs to the top. Who knew there were going to be 400 of them! Sheesh!
When we finally reached the top, the view was awesome! Here is one of the gargoyles that reminded me of the movie and cartoon “Hunchback of Notre Dame.” I read somewhere that there’s a small statue of Quasimodo at the top but I didn’t see it.
BG climbed another ~100 stairs by herself to see the cathedral bell that rings every hour. I was too scared to go up that high. LOL
Here’s a pic of the alter from inside the cathedral.
Our next stop was the Arc de Triomphe on Champs Élysées – pronounced shahn-zay-lee-ZAY. Sounds fancy! LOL Lots of shopping is done on this street as well. Napoleon had this structure built because he wanted his army to “march home through arches of victory.” We climbed another 287 stairs to get to the top and that view was also breathtaking!
In the meantime and in between time, we probably walked half the city. We returned to the room after being out and about for 11 hours. *relief* Surprisingly, my dogs were not screaming for mercy by the end of the night.
The next day, we visited the Musee de la Marine (National Maritime Museum), Musee Galliera (Fashion Museum), and the Musee d’Art Modern (Museum of Modern Art).
After those museums, I told BG I was tired. I wanted to spend the rest of the day roaming the city like a true Parisian – strolling through neighborhoods (we chose the Latin Quarter), dining at outdoor cafes, drinking wine, and people watching. THIS…is the life!
But what’s a day in Paris without a little shopping? I hit the jackpot and found a hawt pair of pumps! On FB, I said “My vacation dreams are now complete and I can return to the U.S. a happy woman.” HA HA
Other observations about Paris:
At a grocery store, we learned why it’s so hard to find Evian water. The clerk said stores and restaurants only sell organic water – didn’t know water could be organic. Apparently, Evian is not organic so it’s only sold on the streets or in small shops. I took my chances and bought a brand called MontCalm and it was pretty good. This will be my preferred water throughout Europe.
I also asked the clerk why regular tap water is not served in cafes/bistros and she said their water purification system isn’t the best – another reason wine is preferred because the alcohol content kills any contaminants. *shivers at the thought*
When dining out, you must request the check. It is considered rude for the waiter to bring the check before you request it. Tourists usually linger in cafes so I assumed this was why it always took so long for the waiter to return with the check. We were here for 3 nights before I finally figured this out, then I read about it in my Paris book. Reading is fundamental…duh! Also, I realized that some checks already have 15% gratuity included. If the service was really good, I still tipped another 1-2 euros.
Pick pocketing is a common crime. The hotel staff warned us numerous times so were were extra careful. We were approached by 2-3 “would be” criminals and their attempted strategies, but thankfully, we never fell victim. The most common approach – they ask if you speak English, when you say yes, they open a note and ask you to read it to them. I assume if you concentrated on the poorly written note and attempted to read it for them, their partner(s) in crime would innocently walk by and help themselves to something in your pocket, purse, bag, etc.
In the more populated/touristy areas, Paris is very dirty. Trash is everywhere! I read that it was worse in the past, but they’ve actually cleaned up in recent years. I was shocked because I think it’s still very dirty, but I can see why because there are very few trash cans. The few I saw were either very small or see-through plastic bags. I was told it was for safety and security purposes. Interesting…
Based on a few comments I’ve read, several of you have questioned if I’m really in Paris. The answer is unequivocally YES! But I really don’t care if you believe it or not. I share limited information and select pictures on the blog and twitter for a reason. But I share much more – including pics of me and BG at the places I mention here – on Facebook for my family and friends to enjoy. Even some of my FB photo albums are limited to people I really know. I’ve never been a person who needed to impress others and I won’t start now so your skepticism doesn’t affect me at all. But I think it’s funny that my life is so fascinating it doesn’t seem real. HA!
Well, that’s all I have for now. Until next time…
This blog is all about Finance, Fitness, Fashion & Fun - the sum of my life. If you like what you've read, feel free to subscribe via (feed reader) or (email) to follow along.
24 comments:
Write a comment:
Want an image next to your comment? Get your Gravatar here!
Have you read the Fabulous Financials comment policy lately?
I think it is cool that BG celebrated her b-day in Paris. Who would have thought 18 years ago you as a struggling single mom would be doing that 18 years later. Bet if someone told you that then you would have laughed !!! Congrats…hopefully there will be posts on her as she goes through college
[Reply]
Single Ma Reply:
July 9th, 2010 at 11:13 am
18 years ago, I would have never thought this was possible.
[Reply]
i cant believe people got the nerve to suggest you are not where you say you are.. hmmmm haters keep hatin………
It is so exciting to see your posts. I am inspired by you Single Ma.Smile because you have touched a life!!
ENJOY THIS TIME WITH BG!!! you BOTH are on to new chapters soon.
[Reply]
Single Ma Reply:
July 9th, 2010 at 11:13 am
:-)
[Reply]
Ditto on what Bernadette said!
[Reply]
Single Ma, I LOVE that you are posting your Paris pictures! It’s a encouraging to see how if people manage their money well, they can do things they always wanted to. How cool you get to celebrate your daughters graduation like this. You’ve worked hard for it! Maybe one day I’ll get out from under my student loan debt and my hubbie who speaks fluent French will take me to Paris one day.
[Reply]
Single Ma Reply:
July 9th, 2010 at 11:14 am
I’m a strong believer in doing what you HAVE to do so you can do what you WANT to do…without guilt or regret. Your time will come.
[Reply]
My mother and sister were pickpocketed in Notre Dame – I wonder if the thieves went to confession afterwards? LOL!
What a wonderful trip – can’t wait to see and read more!
[Reply]
Single Ma Reply:
July 9th, 2010 at 11:14 am
That’s a shame. Funny enough, we were approached 2x at Notre Dame.
[Reply]
Glad your having such a FAB time in Paris!! and I LOVE those shoes!!!
[Reply]
Single Ma Reply:
July 9th, 2010 at 11:15 am
Aren’t they HAWT?!?! Luv them!
[Reply]
They wouldn’t let you take pictures in the D’Orsay? Really? We took all kinds of pictures in there! I think the rule is no pictures with Flash! I guess you will have to come back & take pictures! :)
[Reply]
Single Ma Reply:
July 9th, 2010 at 11:17 am
Nope, no cameras were allowed – not just flash – no cameras. There were signs (images and text) everywhere. There were hundreds of us in the museum, only 2 people were taking pics and they got caught. Many museums allowed pics w/o flash, but d’Orsay wasn’t one of them.
[Reply]
I was curious about the conversation you had with the clerk about water. Did she speak English or did you speak enough French to get an understanding?
[Reply]
Single Ma Reply:
July 9th, 2010 at 11:18 am
She spoke English…broken and slow, but enough for me to decipher what she was saying.
[Reply]
Sounds like you gals are having a blast in Paris. Definitely create a hardcopy scrapbook for your vacation photos to keep at home and share around the holidays. Be safe and enjoy!
PS: I LOVE the shoes!
[Reply]
Single Ma Reply:
July 9th, 2010 at 11:19 am
That’s exactly what I want to do, create a scrapbook to protect these memories. Is there a specific brand you recommend?
[Reply]
Thanks for sharing your Paris trip and I’m glad to hear you and your Baby Girl are enjoying the trip……..
[Reply]
Single Ma Reply:
July 9th, 2010 at 11:20 am
We had a blast!
[Reply]
Actually tap water in france is safe to drink. If you ask for “une carafe d’eau”, they’ll bring a pitcher. But in general, mineral water from the grocery store is as cheap as 20 cents for a big bottle so I don’t drink tap water outside of restaurants.
Looks like you guys are having an amazing vacation, keep up the good job!
[Reply]
Single Ma Reply:
July 9th, 2010 at 11:20 am
If you say so. I’m only sharing what I was told by someone who lives in France.
[Reply]
I can’t believe some people actually doubt that you’re in Paris. Your tips are helping me to plan my own trip, they are awesome. I’m actually gonna have to write some of these tips down so I don’t forget them when I go.
[Reply]
We didn’t have a chance to climb the steps at Notre Dame or the Arc de Triumphe while I was there. Those are 2 things I would like to do on my next trip to Paris.
The gypsies (scammers) were everywhere!
I totally agree about Paris being a trashy city. I found it to be much moreso unclean than London.
So gald y’all had a wonderful time!
[Reply]
Am now playing serious catchup on all of your recent blogs! Why would people worry about you being in Paris or not? Sounds like they are seriously sippin’ on the haterade.
I guess it’s because you share so much of yourself while maintaining a “secret identity” that they expect you to reveal/show everything. I notice that sense of entitlement from readers on various blogs.
[Reply]