ewt

I would love to keep this short, and I will do my best. I know no one wants to read a 10 page trip summary, however, since people from this site were my primary resource in selecting my final itinerary, I would love to provide some insight about what I liked and thank everyone for making my birthday trip as great as it could have been!

LONDON- I arrived in London on a Friday morning after being extremely lucky on my overnight flight on Delta. You see, I was on a 767 which means the seats are in a 2-3-2 configuration by row. I ended up next to a window with no one in the seat next to me! Now I know someone was supposed be there because I had checked the seating chart in advance, but they must have taken an alternate flight. Bonus for me! I had extra legroom and room to take my stuff out. That didn¡¦t really help me that much with the sleeping thing though. I set my watch forward to London time, but I think I was too excited to get a really solid night¡¦s sleep. I did get a few hours on and off, so it wasn¡¦t so bad. I don¡¦t remember exactly what dinner and breakfast was, but I know both were fine. Plus, I had had an early dinner at Wolfgang Puck¡¦s in the Cincinnati airport, so I was fairly full by the time I got on the plane anyways.

Back to my arrival. I arrived at Gatwick, went through customs much more quickly than I anticipated (I thought at that time of the morning a lot of flights would be getting in and there would be some backup). I then nervously went to the ATM to get cash and it worked! First sigh of relief! Even though everyone said they did it that way, I was still concerned it might not work. I then found my friend and we headed to her place in Streatham for breakfast and a shower before continuing on for the day.

First on the agenda was getting a pass for the Tube/bus. The woman we consulted suggested it would be cheaper to get an unlimited pass everyday and she was right, I think. It cost 5.20GPB a day, I believe. I was staying for 4 days, so this worked out. This may not be cheaper for everyone, however, if you are staying in Central London.

After this, we took the bus and tube in to Covent Garden, where we had fish and chips and a cider at Nag¡¦s Head (and I was carded by someone who turned out to be American! She also carded a British girl she thought was with me, and the British girl was HORRIFIED. It was hilarious). We then walked around a bit, and then took the tube to see the Thames, the London Eye (which I really didn¡¦t feel like I needed to pay to go on when it goes SO SLOW), Big Ben, Houses of Parliament, and Westminster Abbey. It really is breathtaking seeing them after seeing pictures all these years. The architecture is just amazing.

We got in line to see Westminster Abbey and got in fairly quickly. I know many of you have been there, but again, its just gorgeous. Its also more congested than I thought it would be in some ways. So many tombs in small spaces. I think of all the parts I saw, I most enjoyed seeing were the tombs of Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth I (buried in the same tomb!) and the area for the Order of the Bath.

From there we walked up to see Downing St (from a distance, of course) and then saw the changing of the Queen¡¦s Life Guard. We then walked to Trafalgar Sq. and then took the tube to Knightbridge to see Harrod¡¦s (this was a bit off my itinerary, but it ended up being a good call later on). The food halls were just tremendous! We also walked downstairs to see the Dodi and Diana tribute which was one of the cheesiest things I had ever seen. What¡¦s more, they talked about donating to a charity in honor of them, meanwhile, they have a ring locked in the case that would probably fund the charity for years to come! What a joke! Anyway, we ended up getting food from the food hall for dinner. My friend had never tried Krispy Kremes, so after avoiding them for over a year, I actually had one in London of all places (imagine how bizarre this is since I now live in NC).

I enjoyed seeing the area around Harrod¡¦s. It was obvious that some of the houses in the neighborhood reflected a wealthy side of London, and their facades were quite beautiful. I¡¦m sure they are all ¡§too rich for my blood,¡¨ but its nice to dream, right?

That night back at my friend¡¦s place, we watched a little TV until I got way too tired and retired to bed. This was probably 9:30 or 10pm- much earlier than I have go to bed here, obviously. But, I think I really did well that day in beating the jet lag.

Day 2- On Day 2, we bought another Tube card and then headed for the V&A. I had originally planned to go to the British Museum (I wanted to see the Rosetta Stone), but on the plane, I reconsidered and decided on the V&A. I thought the museum was great. I loved how interactive they made it with all the quizzes, things to touch, try on, etc. What a great place for adults and kids. I¡¦m very into fashion, so the fashion exhibit was of great interest to me. The Raphael Cartoons also served as foreshadowing for my trip to Rome.

Speaking of fashion, I must digress. Two things I noted about London by this point in my trip there. 1) People there are very fashionable. Its not necessarily fashion I would wear all the time, but I think nearly everyone I met had SOME kind of style. Even businessmen took chances by wearing a pinstripe suit with a purple shirt or tie. It just seemed liked comparatively, people in the U.S. are more likely to wear clothes so they can say they have something on, while people there see clothes as art or self-expression. This isn¡¦t true across the board, obviously, but even when I think of NY, I don¡¦t think people are as uniformly daring. You read the fashion magazines and people in the U.S. wonder who would wear the items featured on the catwalk. When I go there, I realize there are a lot of people wearing them. Most popular or noticeable items were probably slouchy boots, asymmetrical skirts and bright shirts for men. But, everyone was different.
By the way, the other thing I noticed is that the Tube is a lot quieter than any other subway system I had been on in a major city in the U.S.

Digression complete. From the V&A, we walked to Hyde Park, where I saw the Albert Memorial, and then headed over to Kensington Palace. We walked around the garden, and then headed to the Orangrey for tea. It was so great! Definitely worth it, particularly if you don¡¦t want to spend a ton on tea, but would like to have it in a nice atmosphere. I ended up having a curry chicken salad for lunch (I didn¡¦t really want the finger sandwiches¡K), and the had scones and clotted cream along with the tea. It was an untraditional tea, but great nonetheless.

From there, we went to the Kensington Palace gift shop, which I thought was hilarious because they were selling Charles and Camilla commemorative items. We then walked into Kensington (?) and shopped around for a bit.

That night I had tickets to the Ceremony of the Keys, but ended up canceling because it was the only time I could meet up with another friend from college for dinner and drinks. She took us to a great Indian place in Covent Garden area (even the naan was terrific!). Afterwards, we went to a bar in Covent Garden called, B@1. If anyone is looking for a fun bar to go out, meet people, and even dance and not look like an idiot, this is your place. We had SUCH a good time! The only problem is, bars close really early, so the night seemed cut off. However, the bartenders are fun (free drinks!), people randomly dance and sing, and the bartenders often ask for crowd participation (feel free not to though). My friend also told me that as London bars go, the drinks are pretty cheap. So, good place to feel included, even if you are a visitor.

Day 3- We decided to go to the Changing of the Guard, which was great since I had missed the Ceremony of the Keys. TONS of people were there (as expected) and it was the first really, really nice day since I had arrived (the other days were classic grey or rainy). I did manage to get up fairly close though. The queen was in, and the band was clearly ready to play (for much longer than I thought they would). Biggest surprise? The played a medley of Billy Joel hits. I was seriously floored. I mean, if they were going to play pop tunes, it seems like they would play Elton John or something over playing an American (and VERY NY) artist. It was really amusing.

After some lunch from Pret a Manger, we got on the Original Bus Tour to go around the city. While I think it was worthwhile for getting to see parts of the city you wouldn¡¦t have seen and seeing how the city connects, I don¡¦t know that the guide was the best. There were a lot of interesting monuments along the way that she never commented on. In other news, it ended up being really cold on the bus, so I was bundled up for much of the time.

We got off later in Leicester Sq. and shopped for a bit. I then went to Fortnum and Mason to pick up some teas, and then we were off to the Tower Hill Tube stop. We had to take a ride in a black cab ride from another station to get there because it was of some tube issues. I was really excited to take my first black cab- I know how cheesy this is. Anyway, we met up with the tour guides from Original London Walks for the Jack the Ripper tour. I loved our guide and I loved the tour. Definitely worth it. I won¡¦t spoil it for anyone by providing too much detail, but this is some great entertainment for a low cost in London.

Day 4- I went on my own to the Churchill War Rooms/Museum, and I highly recommend it. I think its just interesting to see how other countries viewed WWII, particularly if you are from North America. While I was there, I also got my first flapjack, which was quite good.

I haven¡¦t mentioned food much, and its probably because I don¡¦t think I had any really outstanding meals while in London. All the food I had was fine, but I never wanted to spend the money knowing the exchange rate, etc. on fancier meals when I knew I had Paris and Rome coming up. Just a side note.

After the War Rooms, I met my friend at the Tower of London, where we took a Yeoman Warder¡¦s tour. I adored our tour guide and thought it was good fun all around. Seeing the crown jewels was interesting, but I think the highlight of that area was the enormous punch bowl in one of the cases. Does anyone else remember it?

After the Tower of London, we headed to the West End area to look for tickets to a show. Prior to my arrival, we didn¡¦t think we would be able to get Mary Poppins tickets for under 50 GBP, if at all. However, we got really lucky and found some for 27.50 at the second place we went to! We had seats in the center balcony. Although some may rather have better seats, it was more than I expected at the price (we definitely weren¡¦t highest up in the balcony) and the show was so fantastic. I¡¦m really not into seeing Disney films or whatever, but I love musicals and I thought they did a great job with this one. The sets were fantastic, the cast had excellent voices, and the dance numbers were fun. They also stuck more to the book, which made it a ¡§new¡¨ story in some ways for people who were only familiar with the movie version.

That night I found out my friend had secretly bought me cupcakes from Harrod¡¦s, so we celebrated my birthday in style with some fantastic treats with excellent fondant icing. I highly recommend themƒº

Off to Paris- On the 5th day, I was off to Paris. My Eurostar was leaving at 8:12 am, and my friend called me a private car. Cost: and UNBELIEVABLE 13.50 GBP- and this was coming from Streatham. I don¡¦t remember the name of the company, but I¡¦ll get it for you in case anyone wants to do the same in the future.

Paris is next, but give me a few hours

elle

&lt;<i>&quot;Most popular or noticeable items were probably slouchy boots, asymmetrical skirts and bright shirts for men.&quot;</i>&gt;

All at the same time? My husband would never wear his asymmetrical skirt with his slouchy boots.

(Sorry, couldn't resist ).

Very nice report so far! Looking forward to the rest.

ewt

haha... yeah, i didn't write that so clearly. sorry! i was trying to type too much too fast.

ewt

PARIS- I was only going to have a short stay in Paris, but this was one part of my trip I was really excited about. I had slept for the entire train ride (London took it out of me), and arrived at Paris Nord wondering what I’d done. Part of it was the fatigue, but hearing all the announcements in French made me wonder if I was going to be able to get by for a few days on my own there. After spending a long while looking for an ATM, I went to the Tobac downstairs to get a phone card, then stood in line for my carnet of Metro tickets. I want to mention that the Metro was the only place where my credit card wouldn’t work. It was bizarre. I tried a machine and later the person, but always had to use cash. Anyway, don’t be surprised if this happens to you.

After getting the tickets, I attempted to go through the gates, but of course, my suitcase got stuck. This is so typical of me! So, while I tried to pull it out, several French people came and helped pry open the doors while I pushed it back. This required me to go back out of the gate I had just come in through and lose my first ticket. I went to try to explain to a RATP employee what w as going on, but realized that my past tense French was a little rusty. So I ended up asking, “Parlez-vous Anglais?” His response, “En France?!” I laughed and then just chocked it up to a lost ticket and asked him in French to help me get my luggage through- which he did.

I successfully got down onto the train only to be followed by a woman with a small dolly that was apparently hiding some musical equipment. I was hoping to blend in with the crowd, but by the time she got out her mic, started her backbeat, and started belting some old French tunes, I realized this wasn’t going to happen. She was literally right next to me. My attempts to try not to laugh left me with a smile on my face, and I am convinced this encouraged her to keep going.

I finally arrived at St. Michel. As I came up from the underground, I felt like the wind had been knocked out of me. This was Paris. The smells, the buildings, the people, the essence… this is what I had come for. I was in love and I had only been there for a few seconds. This also turned a switch for me, I think because I would say my French came back much more quickly. I asked a taxi driver for directions and miracle or miracles, I actually understood his reply. I was also excited because he seemed so nice.

I walked what seemed like a great distance, to arrive at Hotel Les Degres de Notre Dame. The place was a delight. Although there was some laundry in the hallway, the staff was extremely friendly and helped me carry my now heavy 22” suitcase up the stairs to my very tiny room. For the person who had asked me about the 70E single, it is quite small. However, it was also clean and sufficient for my purposes. It was decorated in yellow, had a small TV above the armoire, and had a lovely little balcony filled with plants (not for going out on). At night when I slept, I felt like I was in a little cocoon.

After getting settled, I was going to head straight for the Musee d’Orsay. However, I realized I needed to walk and take it in. I walked past Notre Dame to Ile de St. Louis and got some caramel ice cream at an outlet that sold Berthillion. I then walked west on what I guess was Rue de la Monnaie because I eventually hit Samaritaine. Before I did, however, I sampled an awesome croissant from a random patisserie and then for good measure, got a crepe avec beurre and sucre from a streetside vendor. I also stopped in a few stores along the way. Seriously, by this point, I loved everything I saw. I just wanted to walk and walk. And I did. Until I got to the d’Orsay. Haha. I never intended to walk that far, but I did.

By the time I arrived at the museum, there was only about 2 hours before closing. So, I took out my Let’s Go guide and decided to see the highlights and then follow the guide they provide to see anything else the museum docents felt was important.

I have to say that despite knowing what the museum contains, it truly strikes you that all this art is actually in one place. I made the most of my time there and I was pleased with the result. I know a lot of people wouldn’t do it this way, but that was the price I paid when I decided to walk before going there.

Upon leaving, I realized it was now pouring rain. Even though I had packed an umbrella, in my excitement, I left it at the hotel. So, I bought a new one from some men selling them outside (I know, I know!) and then decided to get on the train to see the Opera Garnier.

I had tried to get tickets long ago to see Cendrillion, but it was sold out. I was now hoping to snag a ticket for that evening since I had read on Fodor’s that sometimes they release extras on the night of the show. After going through the line, I found out that the tickets were only a completely obstructed view. Although, it would have been nice to say I went to a show at the Opera Garnier, I decided to just look around the lobby and move along. I was hungry anyways.

Outside I walked around (because I had discovered that I left my long list of things to do in Paris at home apparently) and ran into Galleries Layfayette, an amazing structure with a fantastic stained glass ceiling. Also shocking was that they were having a sale on some items at the end of April. After considering a number of purses, I left with nothing, but decided to head to dinner.

Upon arriving at Le Petit Bofingner, I was pleased with the prix fixe menu posted outside, so I decided to stay. A gentleman at the door quickly realized I was English-speaking and asking if I wanted smoking or non-smoking. I said non and when I was lead to my table, I felt like I had gone from France back to America. Almost everyone except the people at maybe 2 tables were English-speaking. However, there was an older French man at the table next to me, and he ends up becoming a focal point of my evening.

As for the food, the menu that night consisted of an entr&eacute;e of foie gras, a plat of duck with mushrooms and something I can’t remember, and vanilla bourbon cr&egrave;me brulee for dessert. It was all delicious and very filling. Incidentally, I loved that so many people said “Bon Appetit! “ to me when my food arrived.

Two things happened at dinner though. The first was that the gentleman next to me struck up a little bit of conversation. He only spoke French, so it was fun seeing how much I remembered from high school and college. However, as he is finishing his meal, he starts feeling around and looking everywhere. He then tells me he can’t find his wallet.. I start looking around and then suggest that he may have left it in his house. He tells me no, he’s sure he did not. This goes on until the manager comes around and tells me in English that the man tried this back in Dec and probably thought they wouldn’t remember him. He goes on to say that once is a mistake, but he won’t be fooled twice. The elderly man begins to ask me if I can pay for his dinner. The manager then tells me to ignore him and not to feel guilty. He then apologizes profusely if my dinner is being affected by this gentleman. The whole thing ended when 3 police showed up and eventually escorted him out. I felt so guilty, but then realized the probably does this to restaurants all over town. It was an adventure for sure.

The other thing that happened at dinner was that my waiter, who obviously would rather speak English than French with me, struck up conversation with me about the U.S. He was looking to move to NYC because a friend of his was there and working as a waiter at a French restaurant. He wanted to know if I had any advice about how to find a roommate there because his friend already had too many roommates. I suggested Craig’s List. Later he told me that if I wanted to go out the next night, he and his friends were planning to go to a jazz club. I really thought it would be fun and perhaps I was a little na&iuml;ve, but I gave him my number and he gave me his. I was looking forward to going out with some French people, and jazz sounded fun.

I went back to the hotel that night and fell asleep, only to be woken up around 1am. It was the waiter who had agreed to called me the next day about the plans. He was speaking in French when he first called and I was quite drowsy, so I didn’t understand what he was saying at first. But, it finally became clear who he was. Essentially, he revealed that tomorrow night was more of a date and his friends didn’t sound like they were coming. Also, he told me he wanted to know if he could be my French boyfriend, told me I was pretty, etc, etc. It was straight out of a stereotypical French movie- and not in a good way. There was no way I would go out with him alone as a single woman in an unknown city. I told him I would call him the next day. Of course, I didn’t . Meanwhile, I was worried that he might turn out to be a stalker type. By the next day, I had waved off my fears because he hadn’t left any messages and I was gone most of the day. I also knew he was working until late, so I wasn’t too concerned. The funny thing about this is that I would have never been so na&iuml;ve in the U.S., but I totally bought it here.

All in all, my first day in Paris was adventure. I will find that on day 2, I still haven’t completely learned my lesson though…

elle

Wow, a con artist, a waiter-turned-suitor (and hopefully, not stalker). . . this is a real page-turner (er, monitor scroller).

Glad you kept your guard up. . .