Europe, Day II
Monday morning we weren’t so discombobulated we didn’t get right out of bed and plunge right into the heart of the tourist district. First the Eiffel Tower (an American at the very top spoke into his cellphone to whoever: “I can’t believe it’s September 11th and I’m at the top of the Eiffel Tower!”), then a march parallel to the Seine, down the Champs de Elysees all the way to the Arch de Triomphe where we ignorantly speculated on its relevance.
From there, the four of us decided to split up a while. Dad and Ann went sightseeing while Wistar and I went for a long walk toward the Louvre. Along the way we stopped at a department store so I could buy a dark polka dot shirt in a vain attempt to fit in. Further down the street we stopped in a park to nap for twenty minutes. My legs were killing me after not walking around a large city in quite some time. It was only basic training for the next eight days of sightseeing.
Soon we made it over to Notre Dame, back across the river, and to whichever part of the Latin Quarter hosts the monument to St. Michel. Across from it, we parked ourselves at an outdoor cafe to drink fruit juice and wine while filling out a stack of the lamest postcards we could find.
In the evening, we hiked up to the Basilica of the Sacré Cœur in order to access the little arcade of restaurants just behind it. I couldn’t initially tell if it was a legitimately non-touristy corner, but I know our waiter was wearing stripes and a little hat, and I think someone put him up to it. Oh well, it felt authentic at the time. I had the poisson (fish) special and we all enjoyed our food and vast, tented outdoor seating. Come to think of it, there were some caricature artists doing portraits nearby for 10EU each. I guess we weren’t entirely out of the tourist web.
Another day gone and we’d received impeccably friendly and helpful treatment. Twice in the metro someone either offered to help us when we looked lost or offered to swipe their ticket when ours didn’t work. Compared to NYC, Boston or Philly, we’re talking a traveler’s paradise
Popularity: 1% [?]