Published on Wednesday 15th of October 2014 by Valerie

Voyage a Paris

Early morning on the 9th of October and we all gathered at Glasgow International airport, full of anticipation if somewhat still glazzy eyed from the early rise. Luckily, it was only a short flight to Paris and not long before we could enjoy a well earned French lunch while sitting at the terrasse of a French café. Everyone took the time to settle in their French apartment before the evening entertainment: A dinner-cruise on the river Seine which we were all looking forward to.

The aptly named ‘Le Calife’ (so called because of its calife-like prow) welcomed us on board and we were quickly sat at our table with a breathtaking view of Paris at night surrounding us. After an aperitif, a chat and ordering the food, we were swiftly on our way. The food was delicious and the ever-changing view incredible. Of course, they do time it in such a way that you pass by the Eiffel Tower when it is scintillating in all its glory (on the hour, every hour at night time). This is an experience not to be missed if you go to Paris. Of course, Le Calife isn’t the only company to do dinner-cruises and there are plenty of other ships offering menus to suit different taste. These can be expensive though, ranging from 30 Euros to 99 Euros per person. It is worth looking around and taking advantage of special offers you might find on the net.

No trip ever goes without a hitch and ours came the very next day when we gathered at lunch time for our planned (or maybe not so well planned!) visit of the catacombs. We knew there would be a queue but we under-estimated the length of it. Upon assessing the line of people stretching round the street corner and the time it took them to move a few steps forward, we decided to give it a miss. A word of warning: If you’re planning on visiting the catacombs in Paris, do turn up very early or be prepared to queue for a long time. So we gave up on the catacombs and decided to do our own things. Some of us headed out to the Notre-Dame cathedral but no-one in our party was up for the challenge when it came to the 387 narrow steps to the top. We took the easy option of going inside for a quick visit, enjoying a nice coffee and pondering at the star-shape compass on the ‘parvis’ (the ground in front of the cathedral) which marks the point 0 in kilometers, that is to say, the point from which all kilometers from and to Paris are calculated. One of our members even took the time to impress us with his photographic talents after taking a picture that turned the cathedral into something closer to the Tower of Pisa! A nice hint for our choice of Italian food for dinner that night…

Day off on Saturday. Some people took the opportunity to visit Les Invalides, le Palais de Versailles or the Eiffel Tower. Unfortunately, the view from the Eiffel Tower was a bit obscured by the clouds. But Paris being the city of Love, it more than made up for the dull weather when a young man dropped to one knee at the top of the tower and asked his girlfriend to marry him. She said yes to the delight of her family and passers by. We all gathered in the evening to talk about our adventures of the day and enjoyed a meal at a creperie on ile Saint-Louis followed by a stroll along the bank of the river.

The last two days were spent with a walk in the historic Marais area of Paris on Sunday and a guided tour of Montmartre on Monday for a bit of culture and a fair amount of free time for leisure and shopping. There are a lot of guided tours of different areas of Paris. They are often organised by people who live in a specific area and are passionate about it. They are fairly easy to find on the net and you can chose your guide based on personality, experience and other criteria. Some tours occur on a regular basis and cost around 10 to 12 Euros to join.

Paris is a beautiful city to visit but beware, it can be expensive. Holiday rentals are a good alternative to hotels as they will work out cheaper and allows you to cook your own food instead of eating out every day. Most areas of Paris will hold a market on a specific day and there are always small supermarkets not far away for a bit of food shopping. It is well worth bringing a packed lunch with you if you’re out for the day. Of course, rental prices will vary depending on where you stay in Paris but remember that the transport system is very efficient and between the metro or RER you are never very far away from the centre. Like many big cities, the cost of sitting at a café will vary depending on the area. Avoid the Champs Elysees for that! However, don’t hesitate to treat yourself from time to time. It’s fun!