Day 5 Tues Aug 9 The end
We slept in (til9) and packed and ordered one breakfast for the balcony before checking out. Feeling smug I have packed my Paris map because we know our way to Notre Dame.
Well all the Chablis highlights and attitude did not help what came next. Those of you who know Paris will be shaking your heads trying to figure out how we got so confused.
We went to the escalator out on Cite where the RER sign is, expecting the stairs down to be right there. We didn%26#39;t see them. We had walked all the way around the square so we did not pass the stairs and we thought maybe you have to go to the station across the river--so we walked there and it was closed. I asked directions and was told its in front of the Cathedral so we walked back. Now don%26#39;t laugh, but at the police entrance facing the RER sign I asked again and tried to explain that we just can%26#39;t seem to figure out how to get down into the station. We crossed the street and walked by the stairs AGAIN to the end of the block and asked for direction AGAIN. By this time we were getting frustrated or thinking that we were in a Twilight Zone episode where some Americans can%26#39;t leave Paris. So we stop at the entrance to the RER with our back to the stairs ( yes Literally if we had stepped back we would have fallen down the stairs) and ask again. Fortunately we are told to turn around and step down the entrance.
We had an express to CDG and were on our way.
In Paris when we said that we had no baggage we did not have to stand in line and the flight was on time.
For those of you who have read my ramblings I hope my experiences as a Paris newby helps. I want to go back when the city is more alive but I appreciated the Paris with training wheels that August offers. I loved the city and the people. I don%26#39;t understand what happens that some people get treated rudle, except that there are nice Parisians and rude Parisians just as there are nice Americans (fill in any country) and rude as well.
The key is planning without holding to an itinerary . We had not intended to see everything we did see. We got up and out early!!! We had a hotel in a good location. I did my homework and studied the map of Paris, the metero and the RER before I went. I don%26#39;t speak French but I tried to learn as much as possible before we left. I am quiet, polite and dress appropriately(not expensive, just neat clean and unobtrusive).
I am a tourist, I don%26#39;t pretend to be a chummy native, and as a tourist I travel to learn about the people and where they live. I am an American, not better than everyone else, it just describes where I live and who I am.
AND...I am in love with Paris.
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Absolutely beautiful!! You made me really miss Paris with those last few paragraphs... glad you had such a wonderful trip!
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Mountainmare, we%26#39;re going to Paris for the first time in early November. Your travelogue was valuable -- and an enjoyable read. I%26#39;m glad you had a great time in Paris. Thanks.
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mountainmare
We were just in Paris in July and we will be celebrating our 30th Anniversary in December. We had a wonderful time, found great little restaurants just like you did, and just wandered around. Makes me want to go back soon. Happy Anniversary.
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if it makes you feel any better I almost fell DOWN those stairs and I wasn%26#39;t even looking for them. they%26#39;re not very obviously marked. But once I saw them and realized they were there, I felt like I should have known. :)
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mountainmare- great report - your joy of being in Paris came through loud and clear!
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I wanted to ask you about your carry-on. Did the airline your flew with give you a weight limit? If it did, were you over with your 20lb bags and how did they handle that? Just curious I%26#39;m not sure how closely Airlines worry about the weight of a carryon. Thank you for the great reports!!
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Nice reports. Thanks for sharing.
.... And it DEFINITELY pays to do the homework without overplanning though.
Bravo, good job!
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Dear Mountainmare and Dennis
Thank you for your trip reports - they were a delight.
Please please go back to Paris so we can get some more reports from you. Maybe for your 40th! or even better why not the 36th.
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Thanks for the lovely report! I was very intrigued with the description of your hotel balcony and so I googled the Hotel Caron deBeaumarchais to have alook. VERY pretty. Does it look as good for real as it does in the photos?
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So Glad you came to realize just how great Paris is! The best part is going back again and again! Now that I%26#39;ve seen the major sites, museums, etc., (and the minor ones!) now its nice just to explore the %26#39;hood where your hotel is, graze at cafes, watch the world go by and really soak up the French joie de vie!
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