OK so look here's the deal...
I was signed up for the Rick Steves Prague trip in October but something came up and I had to cancel that trip. Because of their generous cancellation policy I was able to rebook for the Paris trip in December and it
was SPECTACULAR! This is my 3rd ETBD Tour. I still keep in close contact with my 2005 tour buds, I visit
with my tour friends in Colorado and Virginia when I find myself there, AND in Dec 2005 I traveled to Rome
and in July 2006 I traveled to Helsinki and Russia with my Rick Steves BOE roommate, Maria, from 2005-I was SO ready for another memorable experience and I was not disappointed.
I wanted to use my frequent flyer tickets ssooo... I had to make some compromises booking so late. I flew into London Gatwick, jumped the Gatwick Express and tooled around London for a few hours and then caught the eurostar to Paris at the Waterloo Station.
The Eurostar zipped me through Southern England, under The English Channel and over to Paris. I believe I slept through most of the trip and then the adventure began...... I picked the metro up at the Gard du Nord (renovated quite nicely) and headed toward the Rue Cler. I've been to the area several times but hate to say I am navigationally challenged and usually get turned around. This time the directions were so spot on that I actually made it to the hotel on the first try.
Enter the friendly Hotel de Loundres Eiffel....our home base for the week.
My group was on an expedition through the city that I missed because I got in late, so I set out to the Eiffel Tower where they had some entertainment going on including a cirque like team of performers and thanks to Rolinka thinking ahead and leaving me a note and easy directions, I found them at 7 pm in Philips down the street. I returned to the hotel and reviewed a little history of France to be ready for the historic walk.
I want to take a moment to say that although I have been to Paris about 6 times before for relatively short stays, this was by far my best most informative and memorable experience. I can now say I've visited Montmartre and the Marais for real. Rolinka's excitement for Paris was infectious and our group intellectually stimulating. I did alot of independent exploring in this safe welcoming city and it was just what I needed to recharge my batteries and God knows I needed turbo-boosters,it was a rough year in the practice of family law arena.
Welcome fellow travelers!
My name is Kathleen McGillick... and I'm a Georgia resident with a serious New York accent.
I particularly enjoyed and recommend these musts for everyone:
The Marais, is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Paris. Many 17th century mansions that once housed the noblest families in Paris are still to be seen in this quiet and ungentrified neighborhood. The center of the Marais is a lively neighborhood with a strong alternative lifestyle scene as well as lots of trendy bars, shops, and restaurants. The rue des Rosiers is a centerpiece of Jewish lifestyle in Paris and the Ile St. Louis and the Ile de la Cité are the oldest parts of Paris.
The fabled Latin Quarter, this neighborhood takes its name from the Sorbonne, where Latin was the common tongue for
all students during the Middle Ages. The neighborhood has the feel of a small village and students mix freely with professionals in its winding streets. The rue Mouffetard is a primary artery where shops, international restaurants and
student bars and cafés are found.
St. Germain is inextricably linked to the historic center of French intellectualism as Medieval Europe's center of
education when Latin was still the Lingua Franca. It was also the left bank's answer to the painter's haven of Montmartre. It
has undergone gentrification and is now newly chic. Upscale boutiques, art galleries, and restaurants can be found throughout this district.
Montmartre, an artsy residential neighborhood has a small village feel and lots of tourists.
Belleville and the Père-Lachaise cemetery which are outlying residential areas are becoming yuppified.
