2005 Paris
Paris: the city of lights in May... before it became a cesspool. The subway (Metro) was handy, except for the smell of BART. We stayed just below Sacré-Cœur. And just roamed about. Loved the food, hated the prices. We had some travel drama with our friend we let tag along, and we got out just before a strike shut down the airport.
Paris: impressive city. The people were nicer than we'd been lead to believe: just try to speak French and be polite, and they weren't bad at all.
Eiffel Tower: we went there, and hung out. But didn't go up. Traffic was crazy and aggressive, it's like Boston with better sounding swear words.
Louvre: big, impressive, but in some ways, too much art. High-class hoarders with questionable hygiene.
We hunched around Notre-Dame: big, impressive, touristy.
Sainte-Chapelle was far better than Notre-Dame, and a little off the beaten path.
I couldn't understand why this doesn't get more attention. The stained glass and history was better.
Arch de capitulation: I'm lucky I didn't end up in the catacombs.
We stayed right beneath Sacre Coeur Basillica: a lot of steps, but a great view of the city.
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