ZED67

A couple of days in Paris with a friend, then another couple alone. We went for a training held at the company's office near Bastille, he flying in from Budapest while I coming by Megabus from London. It was fun.

About 10-15 times cheaper than the Eurostar, the Megabus ride from London to Paris and back was quite enjoyable. Far from as fast as the fast train, nevertheless, the journey was not too long and there was a nice ferry ride in the middle (between Dover and Calais) when you could get out, have a drink, some food or cigarette. 

I was lucky to catch a bit of a snow in Paris, and lucky to catch my flight home before so much snow fell that all flights were cancelled. 

I wasn't sure that I will catch my train as due to a little snowfall traffic from Portsmouth to London was worse than ever. I've made it, and even ended up waiting at St Pancras Station. After a delay, again due to the snow, we were indeed in Paris in what seemed like no time.

A return ticket from Portsmouth to Saint-Malo cost less than a one-way ticket, and cost around the same as a return ticket to the Isle of Wight. The only catch was that you were allowed to stay only one night, so I ended up buying a one-way ticket back from France. It was still very much worth it.

Originally posted on November 26, 2010 Mont Saint-Michel, the “Merveille de l’Occident” (Wonder of the West) owes to its original setting and its fine architecture its ranking as one of the major monuments for visitors to France. Around a kilometre in circumference, this rocky islet rises to a height of 80 metres and is linked to the Bay by unfloodable causway built in 1879. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Originally posted on November 28, 2010 Saint-Malo is usually thought of as a summer destination, since its long sandy beaches offer a pleasant holiday, but I believe any time of the year is good. While in summer the beaches are a big draw, off season it is much quieter and less touristy. In winter there are only few locals on the beaches and the restaurants and cafes in the old town are also more relaxed. Even if it rains the sun often appears and the dipped angle of the sun and the clouds paint a dramatic background. An awesome sight is when the high tide rolls in hitting the city’s wall hard and sprinkling the streets. In summer, be prepared for crowds – in winter, be prepared for rain. 

On the morning of the last day, before my flight to London, I went for a short walk around my hotel in the Bastille area. If I didn't, I wouldn't have this photo of this cute graffiti.

On the third day I continued exploring new areas and discovering new hotels, starting at the Arc de Triomphe and then visiting areas such as Ternes, Parc Monceau, the Champs-Élysées, La Concorde, Madeleine, Saint-Lazare, Opera Garnier, Tuileries gardens, Les Halles and Le Marais, finishing in the Bastille area.

On the second day of my visit to Paris I discovered more districts, attractions and hotels. Having started at Île-de-France, the day was spent on the Left Bank exploring the areas of St-Michel, Latin Quarter, Montparnasse, Saint-Germain, Invalides, Champ de Mars and Grenelle, finally finishing at the Trocadéro Gardens at night.

I only remembered Paris vaguely after so much time, but I recalled an incident in Gare du Nord. An alcoholic homeless woman womited on her own lap as she was sitting on the ground, but she did nothing, as nothing happened. In this sense Paris didn't change, you still find quite a characters around Gare du Nord! This time I saw a drunk man angrily gesticulating in the face of two elegant women sitting in a restaurant, only a glass between them, then he turned around and started urinating straight down into the Metro exit where Japanese (or other Asian) tourists were too scared to come up. Otherwise Paris is really great, even this area is not that bad despite some of the clochards, and I had a fantastic time. Starting from around the Bastille, I explored the areas of Gare de Lyon, Oberkampf, République, Garde du Nord, Pigalle and Montmartre. But apart from sightseeing, I was also on a mission to see a long list of mid-range Paris hotels.