Paris! ..........parte une
The Paris trip was totally a last minute decision... I was going back and forth with the decision to go until my mum told me it's a chance of a lifetime. That sealed the deal. It was particularly a difficult decision to make because it meant that I had to sacrifice something huge.. although it was also for something just as important to me... Well let that be my secret.
I only purchased the tickets the morning before I left for a midnite flight.. Right after work I rushed to get some warm apparel as it was autumn and got my stuff together.
Such excitement!
Everything was a blur from getting my luggage done, taking the cab and checking in.. As I finally took a breather and sat in the boarding lounge, it finally dawned on me that I would be travelling alone on a 12 hour flight to Paris.. and finding my way on my own with just a smattering of French (courtesy of a small print out of useful phrases in my jacket) and not at all generous amount of Euros to get by.
Well.. the flight itself wasn't too eventful ( for me at least). I bet the very good looking mat salleh sitting beside me doing his lecture notes ( i peeked!) must have either had a good laugh or kesian giler with me. I was so tired I fell asleep in the most embarassing manner. Like mother like daughter!
I slept mostly and managed to watch some inflight movies. I always checked the map indicating where we where flying.
After going thru the usual processes, then i asked around and got directions on the transport to get to the hotel. The moment I got out of the airport door, the chilly wind jolted me! oh oh.. i only had a sweater on. I pulled put out a jacket and proceeded to the platform. I was enjoying the ride watching the sunrise and saw that some trains there were double deckers! I changed train at Gare du Nord and proceeded towards Saint Lazare. I remember waiting at the Renault showroom for someone to get me and continue to the hotel. Since it was cold, the brisk walk was quite enjoyable.
Checked in and planned the rest of the trip. First destination was Louvre. Bought the hop on-off 3 day pass and sat in the open top. There were earphones for information on the places of interest.
As i stood at the corner on Champs-Elysees facing the Arc de Triomphe, I started smiling...
I AM IN PARIS! Yaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyyy
Louvre itself is a sight to behold.. and the artwork.. amazing! I was appreciating the great masters and their divine works. Of course I had to see her.. Monalisa.
Sorry. I wasn't very moved as I viewed it. There are so many others that took my breath away. The paintings, sculptures, so much history and artistry in this vast monument. I asked the guide how much time would I need to have a general appreciation of everything there.
Answer : 2 weeks.
The best I could do was purchase the book on the museum as a souvenir... Well worth it.
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