Sitting in Wamego, Kansas, two weeks ago, taking a day trip to Paris sounded like a great idea. Getting to St. Pancras station by 6:45 a.m. didn't seem like a big deal. How hard could it be?
Then, we found out that Priya is not driving during the week before her wedding, the nightly singing parties last until after 10, the early morning tube at Hendon Central (our local tube stop) is mixed up in the early morning hours so getting the St. Pancras was going to be a headache and we were beat from the day long tour of London.
But, we are committed world travelers so Priya booked a cab to come for us at 5:00. Oh yes, you read that right, FIVE O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING. We woke at 4:30 and waited for the cab. We arrived at the station with plenty of time to spare so we had a cup of tea and a muffin.
I had booked first class tickets on the Eurostar and we were glad that I did. The service was great. We had breakfast - I had ham and cheese, yogurt, croissant and a roll, Kimba had an omelet with salmon, along with a croissant and yogurt. She also had hot chocolate which was unreal. It was basically melted chocolate, very thick and rich, which could be sweetened with sugar and lightened with milk. If you like dark chocolate (Mom!) you would love this.
The train ride was about 2.5 hours long. We were in the Chunnel for only 20 minutes. KIMBA TAKES OVER: Upon arrival, we emerged in Garde du nor (sp?), the big metropolitan Paris train station around 10 a.m. and joined the Golden Tour, which included an all-day, jump-on-jump-off bus tour around all the big sights. It's hard to describe the moment of impact when you find yourself squarely in the heart of Paris. The towering, old buildings dripping with black ironwork, the majestic statuary, even the artistry of street lights and planters is breathtaking.
Although the skies were ominous, we enjoined an open air ride along the Champs Elysses (sp?), sauntering along in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower, skimming over bridges that spanned the Seine River, buzzing past palaces that are centuries older than America, and hearing that jeering, distinctive sound of the gendarme cars as they sped past -- very, very French. Sarah couldn't help but imagine her dad as a young American G.I. strolling these very streets in wonder.
When the anticipated rains finally hit, we were forced to take shelter in The Louvre. THE LOUVRE. Tough gig, eh? Apparently, all of Paris had the same great idea. Nevertheless, we quickly sought out The Louvre top hits -- the enigmatic Mona Lisa, the headless Venus de Milo (who may or may not have been meant to represent Aphrodite, or maybe a local Sea Goddess, no one really knows), the Wingless Victory, some Big Ass oil paintings of old dead people, and lots of statues of men without pants on -- which made us all snicker and point like the 13-year-old girls we are at heart. (Husbands were remembered fondly...)
Unfortunately, thousands of rain-dampened visitors turned that venerated attraction into a 12-Euro sauna. Half-naked marble people and steamy humans. Not a good combination. We exited into the cool mist. We left it all behind to lunch with Quasimodo. (Husbands were fondly remembered...)
The rains were picking up as we dodged into the Quasimodo Bistro, about a block away from the |Notre Dame Cathedral. It was a warm, welcome refuge. Sarah chose a Croque Monsieur sandwich (Kansas translation: toasted ham and cheese topped with melted cheese and (gasp) her first warm chocolate crepe. Kimber fell into a steaming bowl of French onion soup. Did we HAVE to slip back out in the rain? Yes. Notre Dame was only a block away.
What an enchanting refuge. Sliding into that soft darkness, with miles of flickering candles and the haunting tones of occasional organ chords and spontaneous religious observations. The cathedral seems 8 miles long, studded with brilliant stained glass and rich religious icons. But it's hard to sit on those straight-backed, straw-seated chairs and not be struck by the strange juxtaposition of solemn house of worship and flat-out tourist attraction. Somehow, they make it work. Sarah was moved to steal a candle for Curtis' mother, but cooler heads prevailed and she deposited the required euros... Another soul saved!
We wandered about and saw the massive and impressive Justice Building, strolled by St. Chapelle Cathedral (which was under a big renovation) and hopped over to the Left Bank to get a taste of the winding, narrow Latin Quarter. More rain? Just an excuse to pop into another Bistro for hot chocolate and (can you guess?) another chocolate crepe! We ordered one, but our rather attractive waiter took pity on us and brought us two! (Husbands. were fondly remembered...) Sarah very thoughtfully told him "Gracias"....
More rain encouraged an early departure. We unraveled the mysteries of The Metro and took a steamy, rush-hour ride back to the train station.
SAYRA BACK: We had to wait a little bit for the Eurostar, but once we boarded, we agreed that it had been a great, grand, glorious day in Paris. Funny story - for our meal, we had chicken curry. And, after eating Indian food all week, it was bland! BLAND! We had champagne on the train which encouraged the naps that we each took.
We made our way back to Hendon Central on the tube, arriving about 10 p.m. Priya's dad picked us up from the station and delivered us back to the house. The singing was done and we greeted guests on the sidewalk. We were both so tired and were looking forward to taking a shower and heading to bed. But, Kavita had other ideas....
When we got to Mahsee's (that means "mother's sister") - which is where we are staying - Kavita brought out all the clothes for us to try on for the sanji (party on Saturday night) and the wedding. It was brilliant. We laughed and ooohed and aaahed. Finally, in the wee hours of the morning, we went to sleep.
Kimber wanted me to make sure that the alarm was NOT set.
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