Paris..............Day two

Monday October 17, 2011

Upon getting up this morning, the first thing I did was take a five minute walk to Galeries Lafayette.  Galeries Lafayette is one of the largest department stores in Paris and sells everything you can possibly imagine.  I was here with Gail last year, and absolutely loved the gourmet food department, so that is where I went first. There was a little kiosk among all the goodies, that had coffee, etc., so I had my morning coffee and a croissant here.  Next I just browsed and browsed.  I did not buy anything, because of the dam airline weight limitations and crazy fees, and I think I am pushing that limit right now. There were huge numbers of Asian people spending a lot of money buying very high end products, such as Rolex watches, Cartier jewelry, Louis Vuitton items, etc. It is very interesting how the world economy has changed in the past 35 years, and it is quite evident just by looking at many of the tourists and who is spending a lot of money. After visiting various departments in their three buildings, I was off for a “Rick Steves'” Historic Paris Walk.  Rick Steves' puts out many travel books, but also has a series of podcasts that include walking tours in many cities, as well as museum tours. I had the podcast on my iPod Touch, so I was all set.  The tour started at the Cathedral of Notre Dame, so I took the metro to that location.  The “tour” took about three hours to complete and explained many interesting and historical things along the way. It concentrated in the area near the Cathedral Notre Dame and the Left Bank of the Seine River. Once my “tour” was over, I walked to the Marais district of Paris for a late lunch. I ate a chicken falafel where Gail and I had one last year, and then began to walk back to the hotel for some rest.  When in a city such as Paris, I always prefer to walk rather than take the metro, because I see so much more while walking.  I love looking at all the stores, cafes, various automobiles, motorcycles, etc., that are not the norm in the United States.  These are the things I always enjoy so much about traveling.  I finally reached my hotel, rested up for a bit and then took the metro to the Montmartre to see the Basilica Sacre Coeur.  This is the highest point in Paris and you can see the entire city from the Montmartre.  Additionally, seeing the Basilica Sacre Coeur all lit up at night is a treat.  I walked around the Montmartre a bit and then took the metro back to the hotel for some well-needed sleep.