Paris

Day 165 to 171

8th to 13th October 2017

The last stop but what a journey.

Dublin to London by overnight bus – 12 hours in London – London to Paris on overnight bus. Arrived at the bus station at the unfavourable time of 6.30am and our accommodation at 7. Check in? 2.30pm. Dropped bags and walked and walked around a very quiet Paris.

Wandering around in the mist of the morning is magical even if it was blurred from lack of sleep.

The love for this city has been celebrated in print throughout history. Does it deserve it? Yes, it probably does. It is the epitome of style and culture. From the very well dressed men and women walking down the street with their stylish caps and scarves tied jauntily around their necks, worn in a way that only the French can, to the women of the night that stand in the doorways of the closed shops with an aire of self importance as they chat to the passers by. So Irma la Douce.

Paris is not just the Eiffel tower or the Arc de Triuph. It is the streets behind the streets that make this city so interesting. This time the only iconic building we visited was Sacre Couer with the magnificent view of the tower. Besides all the tourist places, it is lovely to  spend the time meandering, people watching, whether it be the tourists or the  Parisienne life. The French certainly hold the trophy for panache and that has never changed.

Unfortunately, scamming is rife and probably more concentrated in Paris than in any other city during our travels. Trick is to look French!

A visit to The Pere-Lachaise Graveyard is a must see. It is a beautiful space full of hauntingly magnificent colours as the leaves change for Autumn they are illuminated by the grey background.

Everywhere is a grave of someone awesome, Modigliani, Oscar Wilde, Edith Piaf and even Jim Morrison – some huge  and some surprisingly understated.

Montmartre is lovely although the paintings and souvenirs do not reflect this areas history. It would be hard to find something unique here. The aura still carries through from the past but the repetition masks it a bit.

Flea markets are great and showcase the culture of a place. Used clothing, bags  and shoes  tell stories of the times past and are great fun to roam through.

Paris is expensive and always has been. It couldn’t be any different as it is expected and could possibly be disappointing if it cheapened its disposition.

In saying that, Reims is ridiculously expensive and exudes an arrogance that it doesn’t really deserve. It has changed since the Appellation Controlee made it exclusive. It was a ghost town this October but the tastings were still by appointment, at least 20 Euros and no choice to not go through the caves. See one and then  buy a bottle of a small makers label (still expensive) and have a picnic in the park.

Our accommodation was on the Rue de Saint-Denis. A wonderful eclectic street full of bars, restaurants,  peep shows and street walkers. The bar below is attended by a very flamboyant barman in a kilt and  was abuzz every night, the sounds of the street being  great entertainment.

And so, to the end of this amazing journey.

A  realisation  from this experience is that everywhere, people are amazing. It is sad  that the politics of a country influences the potential traveller to the detriment of the countries’ people. Ignorance and ill-informed prejudices teint the travellers options. Of course there are incidents and not everyone is friendly but overall human nature is glorious.

As for the people we met along the way, you know who you are. These will be friendships that will last  for the rest of our lives.

“Never forget that time passes so quickly you don’t even notice it until it begins to show. So, use the good china, go on the trip, eat the cake, watch the late movie, read your favorite book and take a chance in life”.

A stopover in Abu Dhabi and then these two travelling bags return to their respective homes and families and set in moton a plan for the next trip of a lifetime.

The thing is, anyone that wants to be a travelling bag, can be. We travelled on a budget and had amazing experiences. The budget was $100AU a day. The figures are being computed and the results will be published.

Did we travel ourselves young? We have the Youth Hostel membership to prove it!

It was great sharing our adventure with you and please feel free to ask any questions..