Drip, drip, drop, it’s wet outside. What will I see today if it’s wet? Nothing that’s outside of a building or some other shelter. Did I bring the right footwear? Nope. I barely brought enough to layer and keep warm. Not terrible, especially since the Monoprix store is just around the corner and one alley over. A bit of a Target but much smaller, I dropped in to pick up two ankle socks (for double-socking which is so comfy), a long-sleeved tee, an aubergine (not the vegetable) wooley V-neck “pull,” and a cool grey cross-over sling bag. I’m ready to tackle my next outing.
Museums? It’s Monday and most are closed but the Louvre is open. But unless I’m the first one in the door, there’s no way I will stand in line. So my next best idea is one from Rick Steves, the wise-one of all travel European: Get on the #69 bus. Paris has the most awesome city transport system. The Metro is the underground and those 9 or 10 or 11 lines criss-cross beneath the city and come every 5 to 10 minutes. The bus system weaves visitors and residents on the streets and by picking just the right line, you can have the best seat in the house for 1.70 Euros, at the back, right side, sitting up high to get a clear view of the surroundings. I bought a week’s pass for 21 Euros and today I got my money’s worth. From the east end where I’m staying, I travelled for 60 minutes one-way to the west end of Paris where I saw, for the first time, the famous Pyramid in the Louvre courtyard, embassy after embassy from around the world, the Orsay Museum, chic & trendy boutiques and stores, the Hotel des Invalides where Napoleon rests, the green and grassy Parc du Champs de Mars, and finally, at the route’s end, the Eiffel Tower. I exited the bus, popped open my umbrella, and snapped a few pics of the tower. It was tricky balancing the umbrella, operating my phone, and seeing through tears to frame my memory. With shelter from the park trees, I stayed a while to take it all in.
My return trip was just as easy since the bus stop was nearby. But instead of sitting through the afternoon stand-still of traffic in the downtown area, I took the #69 to the Chatelet stop, exited, then hoofed it down to the Metro for the #1 line. I knew the Metro would save me time and sanity, the sooner to peel off my damp socks. Tomorrow, another wet one, I think I need to be at the Orsay early to beat the crowds and enjoy an indoor day of Impressionist art and art and more art.
#69 Bus, the DIY cross-city tour bus
My tarte de pommes treat for the bus ride
Tour Eiffel – October 5, 2015
Headed towards the Chatelet Metro, a central station