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This was my least planned, and thus least accomplished day in Paris. I was woken up relatively late (past 8, that is) by a call from my sister and following a brief chat, got ready to go out. I decided to join another Paris Walks tour and the only offering for this particular day was the Montmartre area. Although I'd already been with Laurent, I decided to give it another whirl - see it in daytime and perhaps learn a bit more about the area.
I grabbed a pain au chocolat from the patissierie next door to the hotel and headed towards the Abbesses metro stop. A word of advice regarding this station. Be in superb athletic shape or take the elevator up. Not that I'd know anything about that *gasp*.
I arrived to find a rather huge group assembled around another Brit, whose name I don't recall. He was entertaining, but not nearly as fun as *swoon* Jonathan. The size of the group also interfered with an ability to build a rapport with him, or within the group, really. Overall, I'd rank this particular tour a "meh". I don't know if it's because I'd already seen some of the place, or because the group dynamic was so different than the previous tour, or what - but I just kind of wanted to get it over with, actually.
Here are some of the sights though...
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After wandering through the streets (followed most of the time by a rather pathetic looking street cat), we said goodbye to nameless guide and I wandered around the basilica a little. I only noticed the no photography sign on the door after I left... To my defense, I never photograph with a flash, so I wasn't doing any damage to the ancient artifacts or anything.
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The remainder of my day was spent wandering fairly aimlessly. I headed to Georges V street in search of the Hermes store, in an attempt to pick up a perfume sample Heewig had requested. I walked into the store and stood around for a bit, watching people spend thousands of euros on Christmas gifts and feeling like a right pauper looking for a freebie. I was thrilled to learn that I would have to repeat the experience because only the main store on St. Honore Faubourg street carries the particular scent I was after. On the way there I stopped at a bistro and had yet another ham and cheese sammich. Sigh. This vacation was such a culinary wasteland, which is clear indication that I'm an idiot.
After lunch I headed to the correct store, only to be sneered at by the saleswoman, as they don't give out samples. Cheap bastards. Foiled again, I walked into Sephora on Champs Elysees to get a palette for my sister, but in keeping with the theme, was foiled yet again by a sell out. I headed over to Bd. Haussmann to another store and emerged victorious.
As I was walking towards a metro to head back to the hotel I ran smack into a Starbucks. I was thisclose to actually ordering but had to stop myself. This was Paris, goddamit. I didn't come here to buy American shit, yo! That, and they didn't have a gingerbread latte. From there I just headed back to the hotel and crashed until the next day. The time? Five PM. I sure was living up the nightlife in Paris on this trip.
Posted by raptorgirl at February 4, 2006 12:38 PM