Первый день в Париже First day in Paris

At night, there were a couple of short sanitary stops on the highway between Berlin and Paris - at 1-45 and at 4-00, it rained periodically. And 115 km from Paris from 7-30 to 8-40 there was a long morning stop (at the "Assevillers motorway rest area") to clean up and have breakfast - I ate yesterday's Berlin burger and drank bus tea. In principle, I realized that for me a night bus ride is not scary at all. My seat on the bus could be pulled out into the aisle and tilted like on an airplane. I had two inflatable pillows: one small rectangular (under the back), and the second in the form of a horseshoe - on the neck. I've slept enough.

Having left the bus stop, we were handed out maps, as usual, and had a brief briefing, and then they turned on a documentary about Paris.

We drove into Paris from the north at about 10-00, before that we had passed under the runways of the airport. Sh. d. Goll.

At 10-20 we arrived in the Montmartre area on Boulevard Rochechouart. The weather in Paris was sunny and quite warm.

The tour was scheduled to start at 11:00. We explored a free street toilet kiosk, we looked at souvenirs, reached the foot of the slope where the Sacré -Coeur Basilica is located, we climbed a little higher, took pictures and even had time to ride on the carousel!

At 11-00, our group ascent to the Basilica began, ending with a visit to it (unfortunately, photography and video shooting inside is prohibited). The Basilica offers a great view of Paris.

Next, we went on a tour of Montmartre. We bypassed from the bottom of the Reservoir and climbed up the street. Mont Cenis on a small square. Then we moved along the street. Norwen, past Place Tertre. All this time the guide was talking about artists, about Cossacks, about "bistro" and "toilet". Having reached almost the end of Norven Street, below in the square we saw "A Man Passing Through a Wall". We turned left, and, passing by the old Rade Mill, approached Dalida's house, located in the bend of Orsham Street. Along the same street we went down to Place Emile Goudeau. Then we continued down Rue des 3 Freres, past Amelie's house. At the end of the tour we went to see the Moulin Rouge cabaret.

At 12-35 we boarded the bus and went to a perfume and cosmetics store, not far from the Louvre. Then they were going to take those who wished to the dining room "Self-Service" on the street. Rivoli 206, and then the plan was the Louvre. Instead, I had planned an individual walking tour around the Louvre, and, having arrived at the store, I separated from the group at 12-50.

I first looked at the Opé ra Garnier, then turned onto st. Pe and reached the Vendome column, which is on the Place Vendome. On st. Capucine reached the Boulevard de la Madeleine, and along it to the Madeleine Church. Down the street Piano, past the famous cafe Maxim's went to Place de la Concorde with fountains and the Luxor obelisk. From the square I entered the Tuileries Park, where gray ducks were swimming in an octagonal pond, and some Russian was feeding fish already well-fed before him with a bun. Park me seemed rustic, under the feet of unpleasantly dusty fine screenings. Passing by a round pond with a fountain, where birds unknown to me swam, past the Carousel Arch, I came to the glass pyramid of the Louvre.

By 2:10 pm, I went to the Self-Service dining room (at 2:15 pm those who go to the Louvre gathered here), asked the opinion of those who had dined - many did not like it.

And then I went down with everyone to the Louvre, everyone went to the museum, and I went to the food court for lunch. Walking along the counters, I didn’t choose anything for myself and took a queue at the usual McDonald’s.

Having a snack, I walked around the Louvre a little more, and then, going out to the street. Rivoli, past the Comé die Francaise and the pretty metro entrance, went to the Palais Royal, walked around the park a bit, walked around the courtyard with striped columns of different heights and went out to the square. On the square, some poor artist was drawing a huge picture with crayons on the asphalt, ="height: 600px; width: 800px" /> there were bicycle taxis, and four cops on roller skates were watching.

Then I decided to see what is behind the Louvre.

Passing by the Protestant Church of the Louvre Oratory, I went out to look at the Church of Saint-Germain-l'Auxerrois, and then I went into the square courtyard of the Louvre.

The group was given 2 hours to inspect the Louvre, at 16-30 a meeting was scheduled near McDonald's. I had another 20 minutes for a quiet walk along the abundance of souvenir shops.

Having plunged into the bus, we went to check into the IBIS Paris Porte d’Orleans 3 * hotel, in the south of Paris, in Montrouge. At 17-45 they settled.

The room was small, cramped, there was a TV and a hair dryer, the window overlooked a quiet courtyard. The door to the bathroom jammed and creaked a little (it creaked also from the neighbors). In the bathroom, air was forced through the ventilation, and on the grate there was a dried tampon-flavoring. But there was free Wi-Fi, you just had to go through the browser to register.

At 18-45 appointed departure to the Montparnasse tower. We gathered in the lobby and went on foot to the Porte d'Orleans station - the final 4th purple line.

At the station, the guide showed us how to use the ticket machines, then we drove 6 short stops and at 19-30 we got off at the Montparnasse Bienvenue station. Guide highlighted we had an hour for dinner and offered to gather at 20-30 at the entrance to the skyscraper to see the twinkling Eiffel Tower at 21-00. We walked a little in search of food, and then we liked the Montparnasse cafe, where there was a free table and a Russian menu. For a campaign of 6 people, we decided to order 6 varieties of 7E mussels and two bottles of wine. After drinking some wine while waiting for the mussels, we realized that it was better to postpone the visit to Montparnasse for an hour later, and at 20-30 I ran to the meeting point for tickets.

When they brought us a saucepan with mussels, at first we thought that all 6 options were folded into one. But then they brought the second saucepan, the third,... the sixth... In principle, the main volume in the saucepan, of course, was occupied by shells.

And we began to open them and take out a small contents with a fork. We spent 111E on six people, plus we left some little things for tea.

At 21-40 we entered the skyscraper, in 30 seconds we went up to the 43rd floor, at that time the inscriptions “X1”, “X2”, “X3” appeared on the screen, our ears were blocked, and in the remaining 12 seconds - up to the 56th floor. After checking the tickets, they offered to take a professional photo against a gray background, so that later they could mount a frame with a view of Paris instead. We refused and climbed the stairs to a large, wooden-clad observation deck. It was already dark, the streets of the city were shining below, but most of all, of course, we were interested in the Eiffel Tower. At first we took pictures through the glass, and then we found and occupied a place with an opening and a view of the tower. At first, the spotlight just rotated on the tower, and then at 22-00 it sparkled beautifully.

Of course, in the dark, many objects were not visible, but many sights were highlighted. We spent some time looking for something familiar and at 22-15 we went downstairs. In the elevator, we first rode for 12 seconds from the 56th to the 43rd floor, and then went down to 0 in 30 seconds, at that time the inscriptions “X3”, “X2”, “X1” appeared on the screen. At 22-30 we took the metro to the hotel, then we walked and at 23-00 we arrived at the hotel.