Thursday, July 31, 2008

Paris

It's All Been Done



We're back. From 3 weeks holiday. Oh wait, we're still on holiday! Right, how could I forget. Oh we don't.

A revelation has come to me whilst joining back up with my mum & sister in Paris a week after they left Switzerland and it is this: I should never, ever, really EVER travel alone.

This is the outcome of my attempted solo-travels:
Cyril takes me to the train station, I look at the time on my ticket to see which platform I need to be at. Hm, odd, my ticket says a different time from what's on the giant board. Oh... no. This is our ticket to Paris for 2 weeks from now! Cyril leaves me crying in the full train station to rush home to see if he can find them. No. Turns out the company failed to send me my tickets at all. I have some very choice words I'd like to say to TGV as they still have not reimbursed me plus they made me cry a lot, plus you know what, they're always late.
Moving along. I had to buy new tickets, I left the next day, UGH.

I'm not finished.
I drop my mum & sister off at the bus the day their plane leaves and the day I take the train home. Go back to the apartment, get my stuff, go to the bus stop myself. The bus doesn't seem to be coming any time this century (NOT an unusual occurrence in France) I better take the Métro. Not until I'm on the Métro do I realise I have to take 3 different lines and I only have 20 minutes until my train leaves. I should have given up there, but no, I ran. I RAN LIKE THE DICKENS all through the underground and through the train station, the contents of my backpack spewing onto the escalator at one point, fighting back tears (and entire bodily breakdown) the whole time... only to find my platform with no train beside it. I have not cried so openly in public since I was too young to care. Yes, sweaty and audibly sobbing in a train station at rush hour.
The rest is history, I got home eventually.
AWESOME WEEKEND.

Besides my Great Train Adventures it really was a lovely weekend. Let me show you.



Mum and Jocelyn (looking oh-so-impressed) inside the Louvre.


Heading for the Jardin des Tuileries.


Au soleil, sous la pluie, à midi ou à minuit,
il y a tout ce que vous voulez aux Champs-Elysées.


l'Arc de Triomphe.


Le Métro.


Walking around the 3rd arrondissement.


Mum found a friend.


Hôtel de Ville.


Cathédrale Notre Dame.
The line was insane to go in, so we opted out.


And went to another church instead. Sainte-Chapelle.


Joc lookin' pretty fly.




Eiffel Time!


Sisters and a sparkling metal tower.


Last thing we saw at night, first thing we saw in the morning.
Eiffel nerds? No comment.


Going up.


Up!
My lovely ladies in Paris.


Tourists.


Montmartre.


Vegetable stand from Amélie!




Stodola girls at Sacré-Coeur.




Ah... modernity at La Défence.


Dinner out in Paris. Poc is now addicted to crème brûlée.


Dinner shot!


Oh my.


OH MY.

That was Paris, June 20-23 (ish).
On my computer, ready to be revealed... ENGLAND!

I am back in Canada in 6 days, fyi. You can get excited now.

1 comment:

mapetiteamy said...

Thank you for your lovely comment.

What fabulous travels!

To answer your question...I've come across mens blogs, but I've failed to bookmark them. I would be inclined to try Style Bubble, she'll probably have some links.

As for Vancouver shopping spots...
a few off the top of my head are Jonathan and Olivia on Main St. (they have a lot of hip labels), Leone on West Haisting (they have designer stuff and great customer service), Used vintage on North Granville St., American Apperal across the street from Used - they always have great basics and of course don't forget the thift shops which are all over - just google map Salvation Army or Value Village.

Hope that helps!