Australians have the belief that everything in Europe is very close. Whilst this is not strictly true, the plethora of cheap airlines makes it cheap to travel across Europe.
I flew EasyJet (Based in UK) from Copenhagen. For a budget airline the service was pretty good, about one or two points above Virgin Blue.
I was met by my French guide, who also happens to be my French boyfriend at the Airport. First we went to Pigelle to have a look at the Moulin Rouge. This is probably not the only the red light district of Paris, but it is probably the biggest. There are heaps of neon lit brothels and restaurants trying to attract all the tourist that go to the Moulin Rouge. A show there costs about 90EURO which for that price I would expect Nicole Kidman to be singing and dancing there. Also it is all in French so those who don’t speak the language might not get much out of it.
What was more interesting was the Museum of Eroticism! Four floors of erotic art from around the world and throughout history. After I was done giggling at all the phalluses, it was actually very interesting to see how this universal act is represented around the world. Also it is a lot less expensive than most of the attractions in Pigelle.
The next morning we started of our day by spending 30 minutes in line for the Eiffel Tower. It opens at 9am, but with the usual French efficiency it opened up around 9:30, perhaps 9:45. That said, I would suggest that you always go early if you can because there might not be as much of a line, but there will definitely be less people at the summit so you won't be as crowded up there.
It is one of the biggest tourist attractions in the world, and tourists attract other things, such as pickpockets, touters and scammers. I kept all my valuables in the inside pocket of my jacket, so I didn’t have a problem; but whilst we were lining up to go to the Tower, we were constantly hassled by people selling miniature Eiffel Towers as souvenirs. I am not sure of the quality, but at 5 for one euro, they can’t be good. But only tourists buy souvenirs like that anyway, I am a traveller!
The Tower is an impressive structure up close and you get a really good view of the city. I think it is one of those things that you do because it is there, and now I can say I have been up the Eiffel Tower. But I wasn’t amazed by it.
Next we took the Metro to the two Arcs. The metro is the easiest way to get around, and also what gave me my most vivid impression of Parisians. At the entrance to the metro, there will often be beggars, some of them with disfigured limbs, and a lot of the time they don’t appear to be French. It seems like a lot of immigrants have to beg to get by. Often on the train there will be someone busking with an accordion or a violin.In Melbourne I never know whether or not it is appropriate to give to beggars and I am not sure here either. Everybody else ignores them, but they seem so much more pitiful than the homeless people in Australia. Perhaps Australia takes better care of its homeless population, I don't know.
We walked along the Avenue Champs- Elysees to the Lourve where we spent most of the afternoon. The Lourve is HUGE! I could have spent two whole days examining the paintings in there. Because we only had a few hours we almost had to run past so many of the paintings just so we could take in all the highlights. This is the definite must see if you go to Paris. It contains so much of western history that even if you aren't into art, you will be able to find something to enjoy.
After the Louvre we went to Montmarte where one of my favourite movies is set; Amelie. Alas Montmartre isn't full of quiet and kooky young girls looking to fall in love, it is full of tourists, but it is beautiful anyway. We climbed the stairs and dodged through the buskers and scammers to go to the Sacre Cour. From there we watched the sunset across Paris and the lights on the Eiffel Tower.
After that it was time to go to the train station to catch the high speed train to Nancy.
My impression of Paris was quite mixed in the end. There are very beautiful parts of it, but it is bursting at the seams with people and their detrius; I think pollution and waste must be a major problem in Paris. In fact my throat was really sore from a day of breathing in so much cigarette smoke and pollution. And perhaps that is so overrun by tourists, it has lost a lot of its romantic allure for me.
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