Day 83 Paris
Tuesday February 26th.
One of the only complaints about the room is no internet – there is Wi-Fi but the fees are very expensive. I am going to have to break down and get connectivity soon – just not sure when.
We got up at 8am – Pam and I got ready and then woke the girls. Left them to get ready and work on schoolwork while she and I return the car.
As we emerge from the hotel we realize it is not only overcast but it is raining. Puts a damper on our mood.
On the walk to the car we both get a Starbucks coffee – just black brewed coffee – I am in heaven and our mood improves. We arrive at the street where we left the car and there are 2 ladies, one on each side of the street – writing tickets – we hurry to our car relieved to see nothing on the window. We hope in and pull away – I glance at the clock – 9:03 am – had we been even 30 seconds later we would have had an expensive parking ticket. Our mood improves even more.
Traffic is very heavy – it takes us 20 minutes to find a gas station to fill the car then off to the Hertz place. I will not describe the next 2 hours – the Hertz Rental Place is 99 R. de Rivoli – somewhere near the Louvre – only a few blocks from our Hotel. We stop for directions many times – drive in circles, through tunnels all in all a miserable 2 hours – when we finally find the place it is in the Mall – under the Louvre. Pam turns n the keys – the gas tank is no longer full – she and I are both frustrated and exhausted – she says the clerk was very apologetic and listened to her story. He said the map we had from the Hertz office at the train station was old. We try to shake it off. We did get to see the Eiffel tower in the distance and the mall we were in has the upside down Pyramid under the Louvre. I am glad we got the coffee before this fiasco!
We pick up museum passes for Pam and me – 4 good for 4 days. The museum in Paris let anyone under 18 in for free.
We walk back to the Hotel and pick up the girls.
We decide to catch one of the open tour buses – we walk a few blocks and wait outside Norte Dame! When the bus arrives the payment computer is not working so we get to ride for now without paying.
We drive around the area – see the Champs de Eleysse, Arc de Triumph, the Museum D'Orsay and the Eiffel tower. We get off near the Hotel de Invalids – grab lunch and walk to the Museum Rodin.
What an amazing museum. Absolutely spectacular- as we are perusing the garden the skies out of nowhere open up and it starts absolutely pouring rain. Everyone runs to the shelter of the house. Poor Allysha got caught clear in one corner and is soaked.
Although we did not finish the tour of the garden and the sculptures it contains we did get to see The Thinker, The Gates of Hell and a couple other pieces. I very much enjoyed the exhibit showing how these bronze sculptures are made.
From here we walk to the Museum d'Orsay – for some reason we are under the impression it stays open until 9:30 pm – it actually closes at 6pm so we only got to see one level. This museum – even just the first floor – is amazing – Manet, Monet, Degas – a scale model of the Opera house. I was excited about hitting the 5th floor but there was no time.
By now Aria who was not feeling good really needs to get back to the room – she is very nauseas. We walk back – through the courtyard of the Louvre where we see the 3 glass pyramids. Allysha is looking for the Rose line marker. We hurry back to the room for poor Arias sake.
I am not feeling very well – my knee and ankle are hurting.
Pam visits a few other hotels looking for a cheaper place – she returns nervous as she finds everything is full. She heads downstairs to see if we can stay here a few more nights. They do a lot of work on a computer and then say yes – that is a relief – I just hope it is true and we did not take someone else's room.
Pam brings back a couple salads for Aria and me and her and Allysha head off to dinner. They end up having Chinese food in the Latin Quarter – it sounds good.
