1979 Paris (8/2-3/1979)

Thursday, August 2, 1979

About midnight we pulled into Hendaye, but no one in the compartment witnessed it. I woke up to find the train basically empty. Woke up Kathy who woke up our one fellow passenger. He was the one when he first boarded he asked something in Spanish. Kathy just said, “I didn't understand a word you said!” And he said in English, “Okay, can I just leave my stuff here while I get my other bag?” Seems he was German at that! We were the last ones in a long customs line. The group ahead of us were being loudly verbal with a cart piled high with luggage. We breezed through customs and there was a train waiting to take us to Paris. We walked the whole length of the train to find empty seats. Found them in the last car, a regular coach. It was full of Moroccans, so no opportunity to meet the French here! Didn't matter, we slept!

Arrived at the Gare d’Austerlitz/Austerlitz Station in Paris at 9:00. We checked the schedule for northbound trains, but there were none! A map showed us that Paris has over a half dozen train stations. We found out which one had trains bound north. Left the station, crossed the Seine River to walk along one of the banks.

Seine River Pont Marie

We were thinking about breakfast when we passed a pastry shop. Bought croissants and orange juice. Sat on a wall of the riverbank to break our nearly complete fast of at least 45 hours! We had to just sit for a while to digest our food. We had even gotten potato chips! We started off again, sort of in search of a hotel. We crossed the river again to what turned out to be an island, Île Saint-Louis. As we passed over the bridge we noticed a man treading water in the Seine. People started to gather as we got closer. Then we noticed on the level near the water, a girl was frantically wringing her hands. This guy was not taking a leisurely swim. Everyone was getting worried, and we were getting worried we might have to use our CPR. But along came a motorboat with a couple official looking guys who pulled out the fully-clothed drowning fellow. He was plopped in the bottom of the boat and fortunately it was obvious he was still breathing. Then a paddy wagon arrived, and maybe six policemen ran down to the lower level on the bank where the rescued man was brought. He was able to walk by himself. A fire/rescue truck arrived bringing a blanket, first aid kit, oxygen, and a huge flashlight, we assume the French instrument for checking pupillary reflexes! When the excitement died down, we continued our walk and ended up at Notre Dame. 

Notre Dame facade

Notre Dame with Kathy in silhouette

So we toured inside a bit. Elegant. Then we walked over another bridge to what turned out to be Rive Gauche/the Left Bank, with all the little, still closed, bookstand boxes along the wall. Only a couple were opened up. We arbitrarily turned down one street and found a 2-star hotel. It cost us 90 francs, breakfast included. We found out that’s a real good price for only a 1-star hotel, so we consider ourselves lucky. We got settled and washed up. Then we started being tourists. We walked along the Left Bank where more stalls had opened up selling mostly books, prints, postcards, and the like.

Book stalls along Rive Gauche/Left Bank

We saw only one artist at work. Then we crossed the river at the Musee du Louvre, and walked a long way around until we found the entrance.

Musee du Louvre

We wanted to at least see the “Mona Lisa” which we did. It was protected by a wall of thick glass and who knows what else! The famous lady did keep her eye on everyone, it’s true! Really neat! We saw lots of paintings, many sculptures, and the personal collection of Picasso, although nothing by him. We didn't find the modern art, but later learned it takes three months to see everything at the Louvre, so we are satisfied with what we did see.
After leaving the Louvre, we walked toward Avenue Champs Elysees through extensive gardens. It had a couple pools where kids were sailing their toy boats.

Jardin des Tuileries
Toy sailboats

Place de la Concorde

Then we walked along the wide avenue in search of, what else, but McDonald’s! We found it and ordered the usual American fare, but had to eat it sitting on the stone border of a plot of bushes and flowers. No sit-down facilities at French McDonald’s! While we ate, three separate times one of the seven or so cops wandering around stopped someone and asked for ID papers, seeming to make a big fuss over the whole thing. After lunch we explored a shopping “mall,” then walked to l’Arc de Triomphe/Arch of Triumph,

Avenue Champs Elysees

Arc de Triomphe

then towards the Tour Eiffel/Eiffel Tower.

Tour Eiffel

Kathy wasn't feeling so well and my back was aching. Our feet had been in the same socks and shoes for two days. So we were glad to join others soaking their feet in the pool in front of a palace. Kids waded in the pool, standing on the many chairs submersed in it.

Soaking tired tootsies

After a rest we crossed the Seine to the Eiffel Tower. We took the elevator up as far as one could go.

Tour Eiffel ticket

The very top is now closed to the public. Paris suddenly looked much bigger, a real city stretching as far as the eye could see.

View from the Eiffel Tower towards Sacre Coeur

View from the Eiffel Tower towards Notre Dame

View from the Eiffel Tower straight down

View from the Eiffel Tower towards Tour Maine-Montparnasse

Paris seems to be a modern city, not typical of European cities we have been to previously. Up near the top, we bought expensive water (guess it had to be flown in!). Only the elevator at the east pillar was operating. The upper compartment was for those who wanted to go directly to the ground, and the lower one was for getting off at mid-level. There was no line for the lower compartment so Kathy and I boarded there. At the mid-level no one bothered getting off, so we went directly to the ground anyway.

Kathy and I took a boat tour along the Seine which left from the base of the Eiffel Tower. The guide spoke French and English, and gave a little description of each bridge and various buildings along the way. We saw where Pompidou died and where Marie Antoinette was held prisoner. After an hour trip it was 21:00 and we decided to head home stopping at a grocery store to get munchies for dinner. We did not find an open grocery store, but being next to McDonald’s, we bought dinner there. We started our long trek back to the hotel. Kathy kept me highly entertained singing songs and she tried to get me to sing also. Not meant for human ears, my singing! Had to make a couple rest stops along the way because Kathy’s stomach would act funny, or my back was killing me. Passed through the bustling night life of the Latin Quarter near our hotel. Finally arrived at the hotel where we were greeted by a thoroughly drunk French woman who was inching sideways down the stairs. She was babbling in French, but upon seeing us she asked in slurred English if we had a room. Yes, we did, so it was “all right” with her! We halfheartedly ate, then plopped immediately into bed.

Friday, August 3, 1979

Woke up early to find the headache and back pain was gone. Wrote postcards. Kathy was awakened by the phone. Room Service was calling us! We got breakfast in our room, tea and rolls with butter and jam. I ran out to buy shampoo and somehow made myself understood. We washed our respective hairs, and washed up well. Finally at 12:00 we were ready to leave. We found a subway portal and made our way to the Gare du Nord/North Station, taking the Metro including a transfer. Arrived at the station, verified it was the correct one and then checked our luggage in a rare empty locker that actually had a key. We went window shopping along Rue Lafayette and somehow it was decided that I should get my hair cut! We found a salon and made an appointment for two hours later. We went to a huge department store, Galeries Lafayette, and explored, finding things very expensive and not finding things to our taste.

Galeries Lafayette

The only thing we bought there was lunch at a stand-up counter. Then we returned to the salon. I had the total treatment; shampoo, cut and style, blow dry and even hair spray. It looks quite nice. I won’t touch it for days now…

Tamiko's haircut

We headed for the train station wanting to find a grocery store to stock up on goodies. We bought water, peaches, and then ran into our third McDonald’s in Paris. We decided to get an early dinner.

McDonald's down the street

We ate in a little park along Rue Lafayette which was full of Arabic-speaking people, and a curious black policeman. Returned to the train station to find all the baggage areas cordoned off by policemen. Kathy eavesdropped in French and learned that six bombs were left. More excitement. By the time we found restrooms, used them and returned, the lockers were apparently cleared of bombs. We rescued our luggage and found a train to Brussels.

Map of Paris

Next: Brussels.