Champs-Élysées and the Arc de Triomphe

Protest march near the BHV store

Champs-Élysées

Arc de Triomphe

I worked until about 3:00pm today, so got a pretty late start to the afternoon. I took off for Hotel de Ville -- the basic metro stop for almost anywhere I want to go in the Marais district. Once I get to a metro stop and come up out of the ground, I seem to lose all sense of direction and often go the wrong way albeit on the right street. So I just turn around and go the other way once I figure it out. Sometimes this takes a few blocks, sometimes less. (I stand around on street corners gazing at maps fairly frequently.) I needed to go down to this area today to find an internet cafe because I had a couple of documents I wanted to print out – one for work and another was my things-to-do-while-I'm-in-Paris-for-a-month list which seems to get longer as my time here gets shorter. I also printed out a list of all of the north/south and east/west terminals of the metro lines since that is how one decides which metro line to take. But it’s taken me so long to find a way to get this printed, that I now almost have them memorized. Haven't taken the wrong direction yet, and getting from Republique to Bastille I could do in my sleep. Line 1 is the Bastille stop and many of the areas I want to travel to are on that line.

After the internet cafe, I realized the BHV store was right across the street, so of course I had to again tour the kitchen section there. The French have wonderful kitchen utensils and supplies and I could browse forever. I did have a purpose today though – a tea strainer for the wonderful Rooibos tea I purchased the other day. Now I can have a cup of tea while working at my computer. By the way, there’s a great website (or blog?) about the Mariage Frères tea if anyone is interested. Here’s the link – I found it fascinating: http://www.lasplash.com/publish/FoodAndBeverage/cat_index_paris_food/Mariage_Fr_res_-_The_Best_Tea_in_the_World.php

Just as I left the BHV, I heard yet more music and loud yelling, and, yes, you guessed it, another protest march! My goodness, it’s no wonder the French want less working hours – they don’t have time to work. These marches aren’t just a few people – there are sometimes hundreds marching through the streets. Just as I heard them coming down the street the police came roaring up on their motorcycles, making me think this was not a planned protest, and that these people do not have to get a “permit” to protest in the streets as large gatherings need do in the US.

Next it was back on the metro for a quick trip down to the Champs-Élysées. Got off about half-way down the Champs and then walked to the Arc de Triomphe. Since once has to cross the Champs at this point to get to the Arch, I satisfied myself with a couple of touristy photos and put off climbing to the top of the Arch for another day. Rush hour on the Champs-Élysées is not something anyone should have to experience. Crazy French drivers! Need I say more?

Now it was off to home at rush-hour on the Paris metro. An amazing feat in itself! Just when you think no one else could possibly get on the train, it stops and 20 more people push their way in. [Makes me wonder if they ever tried anything like that stunt in the US where they tried to see how many people could can get into a phone booth?] I keep telling myself to learn to take the RER or the bus, and the Navigo card is purportedly good for both as well as the metro, but I have still to test that theory. I finally made it back to my own cozy little neighborhood and felt like I’d been visiting the “big city” all afternoon! I stopped at my little market for groceries and dinner and went around the corner, through the courtyard, and up the stairs to my cozy little home in the Marais.

Bonne nuit – bedtime here in Paris