Paris

The next morning I woke up extremely early to catch my flight to Charles de Gaulle in Paris. When I arrived, I picked up my baggage and didn't even get checked at customs, which I thought was strange. It was as if it was optional or something. I purchased an RER ticket to get into Paris and easily managed my baggage on and off of this first train. I had left-over metro tickets from my trip to Paris in February 2012, so I used those to get to Anvers. Thankfully, I had help getting my baggage up and down the stairs. In total, 6 different men helped me carry my luggage throughout the metro system during my stay in Paris. From the Anvers station, finding Le Village Hostel on rue d'Orsel was a piece of cake!

The staff there was also super friendly. I wasn't able to check in officially until 16:00, so I stowed my baggage in their storage and went off to find lunch. Later in the day, I made my way to the Seine and walked along for a bit. I took some shots of the Eiffel Tower and sat on one of the benches in Champ de Mars to relax. I had a little tourism book about Paris and I learned that the name of Champ de Mars originates from its days as a field for military practice of the Royal Military Academy that sits across the park from the Eiffel Tower. Mars, the God of War, is therefore a fitting name.

 

On return to the hostel, I met Emily, a 35-year old art student from Hong Kong who was incredibly friendly. We decided to eat together in the hostel and I bought my dinner at the local grocery store. Afterward, we took a walk up behind the Basilique Notre-Dame (probably my favourite tourist destination in Paris) to the streets of Montmartre. There were street artists and outdoor restaurants dispersed along the cobblestone streets of the old village.

 

We returned to the hostel, and I ended up falling asleep almost immediately after preparing my things for the next morning.