Began the day by working a few hours, then the sunshine and blue sky were calling too loudly, so I ventured out into the real world again. Had to stop by the internet cafe to print out my concert ticket for Sainte Chapelle tomorrow night. One can order the ticket and pay online, and then, hopefully, skip the long lines to buy tickets in the evening. The closest internet cafe is about a mile away over near Centre Georges Pompidou and on my way there, I noticed that Paris now has a public bike-rental program which is becoming very popular in Europe. The company that runs this program is called Velib – the name is a contraction of velo (cycle) and liberte (freedom). In 2007 ten thousand bicycles were introduced to the city with 750 automated rental stations each with fifteen or more bikes/spaces. This number has since grown to approximately 20,000 bicycles with 1,450 stations. The program is not without its problems though. According to the BBC, over half the original fleet of specially made bicycles have disappeared, and are presumed stolen. At a cost of 400 euros each ($519) to replace them, it may not be profitable to continue the program in the future.
Once my 2 pages were finally printed -- amazing how long it can take to do the simplest tasks in French -- I decided it was time for lunch. There are plenty of places to eat around Pompidou Center, but it's also an area where tourists gather, and I quickly learned these areas are not the best place for food for several reasons. (1) They are more expensive than other areas of the city. (2) The food is not always the best quality. And (3) I really don't want to eat pizza, hamburgers and CocaCola while in Paris. Fortunately, I remembered a cute little outdoor cafe over by the Arts & Metiers metro station, named, appropriately enough, Café des Arts et Métiers. So I strolled over there for what turned out to be a wonderful Cobb salad for lunch complete with French bread of course. No matter what one orders for lunch, a basket of bread is automatically included.
My plan for the afternoon was to wander over to the rue de Sèvres -- one of the high fashion districts of Paris. As I entered one of several metros it took to arrive at my destination, I suddenly heard strains of Pachelbel's Canon drifting through the halls. Before long I came across the unlikely scene above – well, unlikely for anywhere except a metro in Paris. 
Rue de Sèvres is located over on the Left Bank of Paris. Recognized as one of the centers of haute couture in Paris, it plays host to a myriad of shops including Cacharel, Lacoste, Petit Bateau, Diane Von Furstenberg, Burberry, and Chloe to name a few. But my objective today was the Christian Louboutin shoe salon -- known for its sexy high heels with their trademark red leather soles. Who wouldn't want a pair, but at $500 and up -- mostly up -- it was not within today's budget. So, alas, I took a quick look around and then it was back home for tea.
À bientôt
No comments:
Post a Comment