We are getting pretty tired walking everywhere even with the mighty Metro helping us to get around. Last night we walked to a local brasserie - we both had steak, chips, and salad - and met a a French guy and a couple ofAmericans who have lived here for 4 years. Dad had left the map back at the apartment and even though we had only gone a few streets away, we managed to get totally lost on the way but eventually found our apartment. The thing about Paris is many of the main streets are on a grid but most of the smaller streets curve every which way. You think you're going in a straight line and then all of a sudden you end up nowhere near where you thought you'd be. Today, Monday 30th March 2010, we went to Sacre Coeur, a famous church in Montmartre, which is on top of the only hill in Paris. We walked up 207 steps - I counted them! - to the entrance to the church which has a huge dome. We toured the inside and then paid 5 Euros each to walk up another 300 steps to the top of the dome. Dad said that we have to pay them to get a heart attack! The view from outside the church was amazing but the view from the top of the dome was awesome! Our ticket was meant to include a tour of the crypt as well but the crypt was closed unfortunately. We had lunch in Montmartre at a tiny Italian restaurant called Gastronomie Italienne - I had spaghetti alla carbonara, which was good and Dad had penne aux legumes but Dad said his pasta was undercooked. From there, we headed to the touristy Champs-Elysees to see the Arc Of Triumph built at Napoleon's orders in 1809 to celebrate the triumphs of the Republican army. France's World War One unknown soldier is also buried here in front of an eternal flame. Then, as we walked back down the Champs, it started to rain, and hard! Every time we go near The Champs-Elysees it starts to rain - maybe the weather is warning us to stay away from this tourist area. It continued to rain really hard so we ducked into a FNAC and bought some CDs and had a hot chocolate! We were going to see The Rodin Museum but the rain kept falling hard trapping us so there's always tomorrow.
Hello! You will be so fit by the time you get back that you probably won't need to go to football training for a month! At least walking around works off all that fabulous food you've been eating...every time I read your blog I get hungry! I hope you enjoy the Rodin Museum...I loved it. And Sacre Coeur is just around the corner from where I stayed last time I was in Paris. But I didn't climb to the top because it was 1 November and everything was closed for All Saints Day (the day after Halloween). Lots of love, Mum XXXXXXXXX PS You've probably already looked up the footy scores but just in case you've been too busy, Collingwood won its first match. Very exciting game (at least that's what people at work said...I didn't watch it, of course!)
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