hehehe. Im sure i found this irritating at the time but my word is this all a bit hilarious!
Back to Paris sightseeing we boarded the metro and headed for a docking point for the Hop on Hop Off Ferry- We still had half a day available for our use and so we decided to relax on the full length journey for some photo opportunities and then make our way to the Lourve.
One thing i found really interesting in paris is the amount on homeless person's in the city. Before living in London i had never seen so many persons sleeping on the street (the netherlands has a really fantastic system that had almost eliminated the problem) so i found it really fascinating and also confronting to see the shanties made up on the flood banks on the Seine. Or tents simply pitched under bridges, in rundown buldings and as many other imaginable things.
Shanty below street level of the Seine, you can just see the water line in the bottom right hand corner of the photo, flood danger indeed!
It just makes me so sad to know that some people out there have no other option than to live on the streets, i remember feeling really melancholy after seeing the homeless persons in need, but im always so grateful for what i have because of it...
Moving back towards the brighter side of the story Joanna and I soon figured out that the Lourve was closed for the day, unfortunate but we made the mostof the set back by jumping back on the ferry and heading towards Notre Dame! We met a lovely old man on the ferry who proceeded to give us a signed photograph of him doing the splits... He was 70 odd years and apparently quite a celebrity... he was so kind and very vocal about his talents that i couldnt help but fall in love with his confidence and promise him to check him out on facebook.
Then the beautiful cathedral came into view and all conversations ended with our mouths hanging open in awe...
We hurried on over to the Notre Dame taking great care to cover our bare shoulders ready to enter the church, once inside the church i was simply amazed at how beautiful it was (and how much it felt like i was in the disney movie- The Hunchback of Notre Dame)
The only real shame was that it was so crowded, but most tourist spots are. And so joanna and I managed to walk around and snap photos inside the cool cathedral before planning our next move.
The stained glass windows and huge arched ceilings were so beautiful to behold!
As we were leaving the cathedral we noticed a sign directing people to the meeting spot for climbing the bell towers, Joanna and I needed no pushing as we sprinted toward the entrance, we were however slowed by a line the length of the east australian coast!
We made ourselves comfortable as possible and began to wait for our turn up the bell towers. we saw lots of interesting things happening, like the army special forces blazing past with semi automatic weapons flying about and cars and sirens- that was a tad disconcerting haha. But after iceream and lots of water we were finally admitted into the building ready to go on up the stairs...
This cheeky little gargoyle has obviously been cast mid feast- wonder if he will ever get to finish his meal?
Joanna and I tried our best to wander slowly through the walk way- this was no problem for me as i was mostly intent to sigh and stare at the vista before me- imagining the hunchback of notre dame coming to be friend me haha. But before to long we moved on towards the bell tower- something i have been looking forward to for a long long time!
some more gorgeous photos of notre dame...
We began to climb the wooden platform upto the bell chamber and i suddenly got goosebumps all over me, i could hear the echoes of everyones distorted voices coming from inside the huge bells above, if there werent so many tourists about it would have been beautiful to have a conversation inside the room. Romance as only the french can create haha.
When i saw the bells for the first time i thought they were so beautiful. All of them were huge and it must have sounded amazing to hear them ringing and clanging all at once. I was so awed that i lay my hands on the closest one ( a big no no!) and could feel how smooth and firm and cold the bells were, even on such a sweltering day.
im very glad that joanna had the presence of mind to snap some photos- as you can see in the right photo, i was clearly to mesmerised by the bells to do anything but stare haha. Must have had a brain frazzle from the heat, likely thing to happen in that ridiculous jumpsuit i was wearing. Bloody fashion.
After our exploring through Notre Dame was completed we set off towards Montmartre in search of the Sacre Coeur and Moulin Rouge. I had by this stage given up on my jumpsuit and changed outfit into a very short blue dress, which was a big hit on the steps towards the Sacre Coeur, So dont mind me in the photos, ive just had an outfit change.
I wish i had stopped to take more photos while we were lost in Montmartre trying to find the stairs to the Sacre Coeur, It had begun to rain and one of my most vivid memories of Europe is the feeling of running for shelter amongst the winding paris streets.
We managed to find the steps leading up towards the giant mountain top, not realising that the cable car was just hiding beyond the trees, and so, we walked. To the top of one of the highest point in all of paris, on a hot summers day, with dresses and backpacks haha. Defintely a less favourable memory, we did however see a bride and groom posing for wedding photos on the steps. Bonus! The french just ooze public romance haha.
Joanna and I posing for photos, I would have gladly jumped up onto the air vent- however as we can clearly see in the first photo my dress- being as short as it is- would have flown right over my head and off down the streets of paris... not a good look guys haha
what a fun way to end our 2nd day in paris.
We made ourselves comfortable as possible and began to wait for our turn up the bell towers. we saw lots of interesting things happening, like the army special forces blazing past with semi automatic weapons flying about and cars and sirens- that was a tad disconcerting haha. But after iceream and lots of water we were finally admitted into the building ready to go on up the stairs...
The very winding stairs and then the view we arrived at- you can see the Seine and the Eiffle Tower in the far background!
The climb was very steep and naturally winding as we were ascending what i thought was a turretted tower- The view was breath taking as we arrived on the viewing platform, and the Gargoyles were just like the animated ones in The Hunchback of Notre Dame- although unfortunately these gargoyles really were 'only made of stone'.
This cheeky little gargoyle has obviously been cast mid feast- wonder if he will ever get to finish his meal?
Joanna and I tried our best to wander slowly through the walk way- this was no problem for me as i was mostly intent to sigh and stare at the vista before me- imagining the hunchback of notre dame coming to be friend me haha. But before to long we moved on towards the bell tower- something i have been looking forward to for a long long time!
some more gorgeous photos of notre dame...
We began to climb the wooden platform upto the bell chamber and i suddenly got goosebumps all over me, i could hear the echoes of everyones distorted voices coming from inside the huge bells above, if there werent so many tourists about it would have been beautiful to have a conversation inside the room. Romance as only the french can create haha.
When i saw the bells for the first time i thought they were so beautiful. All of them were huge and it must have sounded amazing to hear them ringing and clanging all at once. I was so awed that i lay my hands on the closest one ( a big no no!) and could feel how smooth and firm and cold the bells were, even on such a sweltering day.
After our exploring through Notre Dame was completed we set off towards Montmartre in search of the Sacre Coeur and Moulin Rouge. I had by this stage given up on my jumpsuit and changed outfit into a very short blue dress, which was a big hit on the steps towards the Sacre Coeur, So dont mind me in the photos, ive just had an outfit change.
I wish i had stopped to take more photos while we were lost in Montmartre trying to find the stairs to the Sacre Coeur, It had begun to rain and one of my most vivid memories of Europe is the feeling of running for shelter amongst the winding paris streets.
We managed to find the steps leading up towards the giant mountain top, not realising that the cable car was just hiding beyond the trees, and so, we walked. To the top of one of the highest point in all of paris, on a hot summers day, with dresses and backpacks haha. Defintely a less favourable memory, we did however see a bride and groom posing for wedding photos on the steps. Bonus! The french just ooze public romance haha.
This is me posing quickly for a photo in front of the Sacre Coeur after a long and sweaty climb up the entire hill, not just the steps to the place of worship, but the whole kit and caboodle, We also stupidly took the stairs out of the metro- all 7 billion of them, now i understood the long line waiting patiently for the lift... haha.
(please note that the picture on the right belongs to the moderator of The Paris Blog- sourced by me from google.)
Unfortunately you cannot take photos inside the cathedral- which no one except us paid any adherance to, so Ive nothing to show there, however i can tell you that we were lucky enough to witness a small service inside and that the singing was simply beautiful- the light was streaming in through the many stained glass windows and the voices really were angelic. It was very peaceful to sit and be thankful for a few moments, I only wish some other tourists stopped to listen, they might have had more memories than photos after their holidays.
enjoying a break from the heat with out paris fans.
Once outside again Joanna and i took a rest on the stairs to watch the men build a skateboard ramp (the size of a small house) for some crazy bugger to skate down- now anyone who knows this steep hill can fathom the sheer drop and then speedy ascent to the end of the ramp. Kind of like all those crazy skating of the side of the great wall of china youtube vids we see. I wonder how sucsessful the skate was?
The view :)
We then decending the stairs in the cable car- very relaxing and not like our ascent at all haha. However, before i could warn Joanna of the crazy dudes at the bottom of the car we were accosted by two Gents who were very intent on making us string bracelets. I tried to warn Joanna, she wanted to chat, they gave a hand massage- which i refused and glared at them for, then the began twisting the string this way and that around our wrists whilst chatting about Holland and Australia and a party a few blocks away we were constantly being invited to. Then they wanted 5 pound for a string bracelet.I kept the i told you so locking inside my mouth, but refused to even fork out for the 'price of a coffee' reminding them i had never wanted the bracelet but was just here for moral support- and to watch the valubles when they began making one for me anyhow. Funnily enough I, the one who was very vocal about not wanting a bracelet or a finger massage was given the bracelet as a gift. It was in the end well made and a very funny story to add to our trip haha.
Ill skip the horrific grocery trip where joanna and i could not walk around picking up wine, cheese, ghurkins and crackers without accompanying marriage proposals. I was focused on getting out and about without looking like too much like a tourist sized piece of meat. Instead I shall speak of our lovely picnic infront of the Moulin Rouge....
This photo took an hour to upload >:( But its the moulin rouge, on a busy intersection- We sat on the metro air vent and ate our cheese and crackers- people looked at us like we were a bit weird... eating ghurkins and pickled onions with out fingers. turns out french people dont eat like peasants anymore.
We did however see some cool stuff while we were relaxing in the cool air here, we saw the show ponies being led into the building- baby shetlands i think they were, im sure there are dogs bigger than them haha. We also saw lots of people doing the marylin monroe on our air vent with the moulin rouge behind them. I must admit though i was excpecting a more baz lhurman looking site for the greatest dance spectacular in the world. I was sad not to see the elephant and a little freaked out by the 100 euros one would need to pay to watch the topless ladies dance. I think its something to attempt after making my vast fortune at the age of 25 haha.
Joanna and I posing for photos, I would have gladly jumped up onto the air vent- however as we can clearly see in the first photo my dress- being as short as it is- would have flown right over my head and off down the streets of paris... not a good look guys haha
what a fun way to end our 2nd day in paris.
