Las Vegas Lights : Paris Day 5 & Rome Day 1

After our little jaunt into Germany, we returned to Nancy, packed up all of our belongings, and hopped on a train to return to Paris. While this was originally scheduled more for flight convenience rather than a need for more sightseeing, the cold weather and jet-lag we encountered the first few days prevented us from seeing everything. After checking in at the hotel, we hopped back on the Métro to see l’Arc de Triomphe. We decided not to do spend lots of money and wait in a terribly long line to reach the top (for THIS attraction – see below), but there were plenty of inscriptions, reliefs, and tombs to see below. The balmy weather lifted our spirits as we strolled down the famous Champs-Élysées. It didn’t quite feel like the Elysian Fields of Greek mythology – we saw lots of McDos and Quick’s interspersed between Mercedes stores and luxury shopping centers. We popped into Starbucks for some cappuccinos before buying some souvenirs. After a quick nap at the hotel, we went out again to see la Tour Eiffel. It looked amazing atop the grassy field, but as we descended the steps from the museums, all we could see was the long lines of people. Since it was the dream of a family member (who shall remain anonymous) to go up in the Eiffel tour, we stood in line for over five hours. Les beaux temps quickly gave way to cold and darkness, yet we held our places. After a quick ride up, we spent roughly 15 minutes on the second level (5 of those were spent trying to warm up in the gift shop). Tired and cold, we stopped at a French café near the hotel. We mistakenly sat in the “bar” area and ordered some drinks before moving over to the restaurant area and eating some delicious sandwiches.

Le lendemain, we got up to take the first metro out to Porte Maillot on the other side of the city. We took the shuttle bus to Beauvais Airport (conveniently located over an hour away from Paris) to catch our RyanAir flight to Rome. Check-in was quite simple, but waiting in the common salle d’attente was an experience. As planes pulled up for boarding, a throng of humanity stampeded towards the appropriate gate. Our flight was 15 minutes late, but we managed to land in Rome five minutes early. Perhaps RyanAir is able to subsidize its time-saving maneuvers with proceeds from its in-flight sales: smokeless cigarettes, various liquors, perfume for the gentleman who realized that he didn’t bring his wife anything back from Paris. Campino Airport isn’t bigger than Beauvais and we took another bus into Rome after forking over more money for tourist passes. If Paris looked like glittering New York, Rome resembled a seedy Vegas which reveled in its lusty past. The humid air weighed on us as we trudged to our hotel (thankfully located only a few blocks away from the main metro station). After a quick check-in to our single room (queen bed for the ‘rents, twin bed for me, made-up couch for sister), we went to lunch at a pizzeria. Latin countries like France, Spain, and Italy are known more for their sites than for their service and Rome was no exception. The National Museum had a great collection of sculptures and mosaics, but part of the fun was watching foreign tourists try to touch the naked statues and set off the alarms. That night, we went on a walking tour suggested by Rick Steves which was also marked by numerous signs. This meant that a) one could easily follow the path and b) everyone did. My favorite sights were the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish steps – the churches were beautiful but not particularly unique. On the next edition of Traveling A La Française: Rome Days 2 and 3.