2010:Europe Trip - Revision history

Mark: /* 16 July */

2010-08-15T01:44:52Z

16 July

← Older revision		Revision as of 01:44, 15 August 2010
Line 68:		Line 68:

	==16 July==		==16 July==
	Today began in the Hostel with a fairly nice breakfast. There were a lot of nice breads to choose from as well as bacon, eggs, cereal, yoghurt etc. After breakfast we got on the coach to be dropped off in the city for a free day to explore. On the way into the city we drove past the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moulin_Rouge Moulin Rouge] as well as the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilique_du_Sacr%C3%A9-C%C5%93ur,_Paris Basilique du Sacré-Cœur] (where we had the option to leave the bus but only a couple of people did) and finally stopped at the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mus%C3%A9e_du_Louvre Louvre] where everyone departed the bus. Our main mission was to get to the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mona_Lisa Mona Lisa] as quickly as possible! We went in through one of the side entrances and got a ticket from a ticket machine. We then walked underground to below the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louvre_Pyramid Louvre Pyramid] and entered the wing containing the Mona Lisa. On the way to the Mona Lisa, we passed through a section of status including [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winged_Victory_of_Samothrace Winged Victory of Samothrace] which I didn't really take the time to appreciate and have to go back one day to see. It was fairly easy to get to the Mona Lisa and the crowd wasn't too bad. After seeing the Mona Lisa we walked through more of the paintings section. A group of us had arranged to meet outside the pyramid at quarter past 11 so we had time to wonder around some of the rest of the louvre including the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venus_de_milo Venus de milo] and some of the Egyptian artefacts. After the Louvre we walked to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Notre_Dame_de_Paris Notre Dame]. We joined a long line going around the side of Notre Dame. While the group waited in line, I ducked out to get a crêpe from a café with a crêperie outside, just across the road. It was so good that I convinced many of the group to later get one (most got two) at lunch. After a while we started to worry that we were in the line to go up the bell tower and not the church itself. A couple of people went to check and found the line to just get into the church. We switched lines and the other line, while very long, moved extremely quickly. Inside the church we saw the impressive stain glass windows and styles of architecture. We left Notre Dame and found some lunch (when some people got crêpes) and ate around the back of Notre Dame in a lovely little park. After lunch we went to the nearest metro station to take a train to the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arc_de_Triomphe Arc de Triomphe]. We had a bit of trouble reading the map as the names didn't match up between maps, we ended up getting off at the wrong stop but then got back on the next train and managed to find our way to the Arc. From the station we could stay underground and come out of the exit right at the Arc de Triomphe. After looking around the arc for a while, we didn't go up, we went back into the tunnel and came out next to the end of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Champs-%C3%89lys%C3%A9es Champs-Élysées]. We walked down the Champs-Élysées (seeing stereotypically French waiters with striped shirts) and a lots of expensive fashion outlets. We also saw a bit of French road rage with one can waiting to turn left at a light onto the Champs-Élysées while the man in the car behind mysteriously started yelling in French and honking madly. Near the end of the Champs-Élysées we crossed over the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seine Seine] to the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Les_Invalides Les Invalides]. When we apprached the front of Les Invalides we saw one of the bike tour groups go past. After the Louvre there was the option for paying for a bike tour around the city but that would have meant not going into the attractions. Later we found out that the bike tour had also witnessed some road rage where there had been an accident between a motorcyclist and a car driver. Apparently the motorcyclist was much larger than the driver of the car and when they both got out, next to their vehicles there had been a rather one sided fist fight where the car driver hadn't stood a chance against a big biker with a helmet on. We walked up to the entrance of Les Invalides (on a very rough path) and walked through the courtyard with a statue of Napoleon looking down and cannons all around (Cour d'Honneur). There were also relief's of horses fighting around the walls. At the back we paid to go in to see the tomb of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Napoleon_Bonaparte Napoleon Bonaparte]. The roof of the tomb outside was impressively covered in gold and inside, the main feature was the sarcophagus of Napoleon with family members and other war heroes also in the building. After seeing Napoleons tomb we went across the road to the [http://www.rodinmuseum.org/ Rodin museum]. We just paid to go into the gardens which had [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Thinker the Thinker] statue. Coincidentally if we had paid to go into the gardens before going to see the tomb, we could have got a discount on going to see Napoleons tomb. After walking around the statues in the gardens we walked down the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Champ_de_Mars,_Paris Champ de Mars] towards the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eiffel_Tower Eiffel Tower] under which we had a picnic dinner. Half way down the park I saw a piece of tiled art of a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Invaders space invader] character. I had seen one on one of the arched openings to the Louvre the night before too as well as one on one of the statues. I suspect they were street installations by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invader_%28artist%29 Invader]. We met near the roundabout in the middle and exchanged stories before we had our buffet style picnic. After dinner the portion of the group that was going to see a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabaret Cabaret] show went onto the coach bus to get changed. We packed up and got on the bus and left. I got off at the first stop which was for everyone who had chosen the option of going on a cruise on the Seine. The boats were quite large and slow. There was commentary but we sat on the top deck and it was barely audible over the talking. It ended up being more of a social cruise with lots of yelling under bridges and waving at Parisians on the banks. We even passed a 30th birthday party taking place on one of the banks. The cruise went down around Notre Dame and back up to the Eiffel Tower and it was just getting dark as we got back. We all got on the coach which was waiting for us (the cabaret group took a different coach back later on) and drove back to the hostel. When we got back to the hostel, some of us stayed behind to help the driver offload the fold out stools we had been sitting on for our picnic under the Eiffel Tower. We all got a few arm-fulls of chairs and walked around the bus. On the other side of the bus we heard screaming and the driver yelled "Come help, they are stealing her bag!" we were a bit stunned and ran back around the bus, just in time to see two mopeds driving off into the distance and the girl who was the last one to pick up chairs in hysterics. Apparently they grabbed her bag while it was still on and tore it from her. Her bag had her passport, wallet, camera and other valuables. A security guard from the hostel came out to see what happened and some people went in to phone the police. We finished carrying the chairs and tables back to the restaurant where we ate dinner the night before and went to have a drink at the bar next door. When we got back to the hostel, there were some people ready to take the girl down to the police station to give a statement. There was nothing more to do so we went up to bed.		Today began in the Hostel with a fairly nice breakfast. There were a lot of nice breads to choose from as well as bacon, eggs, cereal, yoghurt etc. After breakfast we got on the coach to be dropped off in the city for a free day to explore. On the way into the city we drove past the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moulin_Rouge Moulin Rouge] as well as the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilique_du_Sacr%C3%A9-C%C5%93ur,_Paris Basilique du Sacré-Cœur] (where we had the option to leave the bus but only a couple of people did) and finally stopped at the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mus%C3%A9e_du_Louvre Louvre] where everyone departed the bus. Our main mission was to get to the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mona_Lisa Mona Lisa] as quickly as possible! We went in through one of the side entrances and got a ticket from a ticket machine. We then walked underground to below the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louvre_Pyramid Louvre Pyramid] and entered the wing containing the Mona Lisa. On the way to the Mona Lisa, we passed through a section of status including [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winged_Victory_of_Samothrace Winged Victory of Samothrace] which I didn't really take the time to appreciate and have to go back one day to see. It was fairly easy to get to the Mona Lisa and the crowd wasn't too bad. After seeing the Mona Lisa we walked through more of the paintings section. A group of us had arranged to meet outside the pyramid at quarter past 11 so we had time to wonder around some of the rest of the louvre including the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venus_de_milo Venus de milo] and some of the Egyptian artefacts. After the Louvre we walked to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Notre_Dame_de_Paris Notre Dame]. We joined a long line going around the side of Notre Dame. While the group waited in line, I ducked out to get a crêpe from a café with a crêperie outside, just across the road. It was so good that I convinced many of the group to later get one (most got two) at lunch. After a while we started to worry that we were in the line to go up the bell tower and not the church itself. A couple of people went to check and found the line to just get into the church. We switched lines and the other line, while very long, moved extremely quickly. Inside the church we saw the impressive stain glass windows and styles of architecture. We left Notre Dame and found some lunch (when some people got crêpes) and ate around the back of Notre Dame in a lovely little park. After lunch we went to the nearest metro station to take a train to the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arc_de_Triomphe Arc de Triomphe]. We had a bit of trouble reading the map as the names didn't match up between maps, we ended up getting off at the wrong stop but then got back on the next train and managed to find our way to the Arc. From the station we could stay underground and come out of the exit right at the Arc de Triomphe. From the Arc de Triomphe we were able to see the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grande_Arche Grande Arche] which I thought was quite impressive (even if it doesn't line up). After looking around the arc for a while, we didn't go up, we went back into the tunnel and came out next to the end of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Champs-%C3%89lys%C3%A9es Champs-Élysées]. We walked down the Champs-Élysées (seeing stereotypically French waiters with striped shirts) and a lots of expensive fashion outlets. We also saw a bit of French road rage with one can waiting to turn left at a light onto the Champs-Élysées while the man in the car behind mysteriously started yelling in French and honking madly. Near the end of the Champs-Élysées we crossed over the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seine Seine] to the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Les_Invalides Les Invalides]. When we apprached the front of Les Invalides we saw one of the bike tour groups go past. After the Louvre there was the option for paying for a bike tour around the city but that would have meant not going into the attractions. Later we found out that the bike tour had also witnessed some road rage where there had been an accident between a motorcyclist and a car driver. Apparently the motorcyclist was much larger than the driver of the car and when they both got out, next to their vehicles there had been a rather one sided fist fight where the car driver hadn't stood a chance against a big biker with a helmet on. We walked up to the entrance of Les Invalides (on a very rough path) and walked through the courtyard with a statue of Napoleon looking down and cannons all around (Cour d'Honneur). There were also relief's of horses fighting around the walls. At the back we paid to go in to see the tomb of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Napoleon_Bonaparte Napoleon Bonaparte]. The roof of the tomb outside was impressively covered in gold and inside, the main feature was the sarcophagus of Napoleon with family members and other war heroes also in the building. After seeing Napoleons tomb we went across the road to the [http://www.rodinmuseum.org/ Rodin museum]. We just paid to go into the gardens which had [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Thinker the Thinker] statue. Coincidentally if we had paid to go into the gardens before going to see the tomb, we could have got a discount on going to see Napoleons tomb. After walking around the statues in the gardens we walked down the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Champ_de_Mars,_Paris Champ de Mars] towards the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eiffel_Tower Eiffel Tower] under which we had a picnic dinner. Half way down the park I saw a piece of tiled art of a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Invaders space invader] character. I had seen one on one of the arched openings to the Louvre the night before too as well as one on one of the statues. I suspect they were street installations by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invader_%28artist%29 Invader]. We met near the roundabout in the middle and exchanged stories before we had our buffet style picnic. After dinner the portion of the group that was going to see a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabaret Cabaret] show went onto the coach bus to get changed. We packed up and got on the bus and left. I got off at the first stop which was for everyone who had chosen the option of going on a cruise on the Seine. The boats were quite large and slow. There was commentary but we sat on the top deck and it was barely audible over the talking. It ended up being more of a social cruise with lots of yelling under bridges and waving at Parisians on the banks. We even passed a 30th birthday party taking place on one of the banks. The cruise went down around Notre Dame and back up to the Eiffel Tower and it was just getting dark as we got back. We all got on the coach which was waiting for us (the cabaret group took a different coach back later on) and drove back to the hostel. When we got back to the hostel, some of us stayed behind to help the driver offload the fold out stools we had been sitting on for our picnic under the Eiffel Tower. We all got a few arm-fulls of chairs and walked around the bus. On the other side of the bus we heard screaming and the driver yelled "Come help, they are stealing her bag!" we were a bit stunned and ran back around the bus, just in time to see two mopeds driving off into the distance and the girl who was the last one to pick up chairs in hysterics. Apparently they grabbed her bag while it was still on and tore it from her. Her bag had her passport, wallet, camera and other valuables. A security guard from the hostel came out to see what happened and some people went in to phone the police. We finished carrying the chairs and tables back to the restaurant where we ate dinner the night before and went to have a drink at the bar next door. When we got back to the hostel, there were some people ready to take the girl down to the police station to give a statement. There was nothing more to do so we went up to bed.

	==17 July==		==17 July==

Mark: /* 17 July */

2010-08-15T00:34:59Z

17 July

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:34, 15 August 2010
Line 71:		Line 71:

	==17 July==		==17 July==
			We had the same breakfast again today

	==18 July==		==18 July==
	==19 July==		==19 July==

Mark: /* 16 July */

2010-08-15T00:32:55Z

16 July

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:32, 15 August 2010
Line 68:		Line 68:

	==16 July==		==16 July==
	Today began in the Hostel with a fairly nice breakfast. There were a lot of nice breads to choose from as well as bacon, eggs, cereal, yoghurt etc. After breakfast we got on the coach to be dropped off in the city for a free day to explore. On the way into the city we drove past the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moulin_Rouge Moulin Rouge] as well as the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilique_du_Sacr%C3%A9-C%C5%93ur,_Paris Basilique du Sacré-Cœur] (where we had the option to leave the bus but only a couple of people did) and finally stopped at the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mus%C3%A9e_du_Louvre Louvre] where everyone departed the bus. Our main mission was to get to the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mona_Lisa Mona Lisa] as quickly as possible! We went in through one of the side entrances and got a ticket from a ticket machine. We then walked underground to below the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louvre_Pyramid Louvre Pyramid] and entered the wing containing the Mona Lisa. On the way to the Mona Lisa, we passed through a section of status including [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winged_Victory_of_Samothrace Winged Victory of Samothrace] which I didn't really take the time to appreciate and have to go back one day to see. It was fairly easy to get to the Mona Lisa and the crowd wasn't too bad. After seeing the Mona Lisa we walked through more of the paintings section. A group of us had arranged to meet outside the pyramid at quarter past 11 so we had time to wonder around some of the rest of the louvre including the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venus_de_milo Venus de milo] and some of the Egyptian artefacts. After the Louvre we walked to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Notre_Dame_de_Paris Notre Dame]. We joined a long line going around the side of Notre Dame. While the group waited in line, I ducked out to get a crêpe from a café with a crêperie outside, just across the road. It was so good that I convinced many of the group to later get one (most got two) at lunch. After a while we started to worry that we were in the line to go up the bell tower and not the church itself. A couple of people went to check and found the line to just get into the church. We switched lines and the other line, while very long, moved extremely quickly. Inside the church we saw the impressive stain glass windows and styles of architecture. We left Notre Dame and found some lunch (when some people got crêpes) and ate around the back of Notre Dame in a lovely little park. After lunch we went to the nearest metro station to take a train to the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arc_de_Triomphe Arc de Triomphe]. We had a bit of trouble reading the map as the names didn't match up between maps, we ended up getting off at the wrong stop but then got back on the next train and managed to find our way to the Arc. From the station we could stay underground and come out of the exit right at the Arc de Triomphe. After looking around the arc for a while, we didn't go up, we went back into the tunnel and came out next to the end of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Champs-%C3%89lys%C3%A9es Champs-Élysées]. We walked down the Champs-Élysées (seeing stereotypically French waiters with striped shirts) and a lots of expensive fashion outlets. We also saw a bit of French road rage with one can waiting to turn left at a light onto the Champs-Élysées while the man in the car behind mysteriously started yelling in French and honking madly. Near the end of the Champs-Élysées we crossed over the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seine Seine] to the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Les_Invalides Les Invalides]. When we apprached the front of Les Invalides we saw one of the bike tour groups go past. After the Louvre there was the option for paying for a bike tour around the city but that would have meant not going into the attractions. Later we found out that the bike tour had also witnessed some road rage where there had been an accident between a motorcyclist and a car driver. Apparently the motorcyclist was much larger than the driver of the car and when they both got out, next to their vehicles there had been a rather one sided fist fight where the car driver hadn't stood a chance against a big biker with a helmet on. We walked up to the entrance of Les Invalides (on a very rough path) and walked through the courtyard with a statue of Napoleon looking down and cannons all around (Cour d'Honneur). There were also relief's of horses fighting around the walls. At the back we paid to go in to see the tomb of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Napoleon_Bonaparte Napoleon Bonaparte]. The roof of the tomb outside was impressively covered in gold and inside, the main feature was the sarcophagus of Napoleon with family members and other war heroes also in the building. After seeing Napoleons tomb we went across the road to the [http://www.rodinmuseum.org/ Rodin museum]. We just paid to go into the gardens which had [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Thinker the Thinker] statue. Coincidentally if we had paid to go into the gardens before going to see the tomb, we could have got a discount on going to see Napoleons tomb. After walking around the statues in the gardens we walked down the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Champ_de_Mars,_Paris Champ de Mars] towards the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eiffel_Tower Eiffel Tower] under which we had a picnic dinner. Half way down the park I saw a piece of tiled art of a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Invaders space invader] character. I had seen one on one of the arched openings to the Louvre the night before too as well as one on one of the statues. I suspect they were street installations by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invader_%28artist%29 Invader]. We met near the roundabout in the middle and exchanged stories before we had our buffet style picnic. After dinner the portion of the group that was going to see a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabaret Cabaret] show went onto the coach bus to get changed. We packed up and got on the bus and left. I got off at the first stop which was for everyone who had chosen the option of going on a cruise on the Seine. The boats were quite large and slow. There was commentary but we sat on the top deck and it was barely audible over the talking. It ended up being more of a social cruise with lots of yelling under bridges and waving at Parisians on the banks. We even passed a 30th birthday party taking place on one of the banks. The cruise went down around Notre Dame and back up to the Eiffel Tower and it was just getting dark as we got back. We all got on the coach which was waiting for us (the cabaret group took a different coach back later on) and drove back to the hostel. When we got back to the hostel, some of us stayed behind to help the driver offload the fold out stools we had been sitting on for our picnic under the Eiffel Tower. We all got a few arm-fulls of chairs and walked around the bus. On the other side of the bus we heard screaming and the driver yelled "Come help, they are stealing her bag!" we were a bit stunned and ran back around the bus, just in time to see two mopeds driving off into the distance and the girl who was the last one to pick up chairs in hysterics. Apparently they grabbed her bag while it was still on and tore it from her. Her bag had her passport, wallet, camera and other valuables. A security guard from the hostel came out to see what happened and some people went in to phone the police. We finished carrying the chairs and tables back to the restaurant where we ate dinner the night before and went to have a drink at the bar next door.		Today began in the Hostel with a fairly nice breakfast. There were a lot of nice breads to choose from as well as bacon, eggs, cereal, yoghurt etc. After breakfast we got on the coach to be dropped off in the city for a free day to explore. On the way into the city we drove past the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moulin_Rouge Moulin Rouge] as well as the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilique_du_Sacr%C3%A9-C%C5%93ur,_Paris Basilique du Sacré-Cœur] (where we had the option to leave the bus but only a couple of people did) and finally stopped at the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mus%C3%A9e_du_Louvre Louvre] where everyone departed the bus. Our main mission was to get to the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mona_Lisa Mona Lisa] as quickly as possible! We went in through one of the side entrances and got a ticket from a ticket machine. We then walked underground to below the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louvre_Pyramid Louvre Pyramid] and entered the wing containing the Mona Lisa. On the way to the Mona Lisa, we passed through a section of status including [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winged_Victory_of_Samothrace Winged Victory of Samothrace] which I didn't really take the time to appreciate and have to go back one day to see. It was fairly easy to get to the Mona Lisa and the crowd wasn't too bad. After seeing the Mona Lisa we walked through more of the paintings section. A group of us had arranged to meet outside the pyramid at quarter past 11 so we had time to wonder around some of the rest of the louvre including the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venus_de_milo Venus de milo] and some of the Egyptian artefacts. After the Louvre we walked to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Notre_Dame_de_Paris Notre Dame]. We joined a long line going around the side of Notre Dame. While the group waited in line, I ducked out to get a crêpe from a café with a crêperie outside, just across the road. It was so good that I convinced many of the group to later get one (most got two) at lunch. After a while we started to worry that we were in the line to go up the bell tower and not the church itself. A couple of people went to check and found the line to just get into the church. We switched lines and the other line, while very long, moved extremely quickly. Inside the church we saw the impressive stain glass windows and styles of architecture. We left Notre Dame and found some lunch (when some people got crêpes) and ate around the back of Notre Dame in a lovely little park. After lunch we went to the nearest metro station to take a train to the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arc_de_Triomphe Arc de Triomphe]. We had a bit of trouble reading the map as the names didn't match up between maps, we ended up getting off at the wrong stop but then got back on the next train and managed to find our way to the Arc. From the station we could stay underground and come out of the exit right at the Arc de Triomphe. After looking around the arc for a while, we didn't go up, we went back into the tunnel and came out next to the end of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Champs-%C3%89lys%C3%A9es Champs-Élysées]. We walked down the Champs-Élysées (seeing stereotypically French waiters with striped shirts) and a lots of expensive fashion outlets. We also saw a bit of French road rage with one can waiting to turn left at a light onto the Champs-Élysées while the man in the car behind mysteriously started yelling in French and honking madly. Near the end of the Champs-Élysées we crossed over the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seine Seine] to the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Les_Invalides Les Invalides]. When we apprached the front of Les Invalides we saw one of the bike tour groups go past. After the Louvre there was the option for paying for a bike tour around the city but that would have meant not going into the attractions. Later we found out that the bike tour had also witnessed some road rage where there had been an accident between a motorcyclist and a car driver. Apparently the motorcyclist was much larger than the driver of the car and when they both got out, next to their vehicles there had been a rather one sided fist fight where the car driver hadn't stood a chance against a big biker with a helmet on. We walked up to the entrance of Les Invalides (on a very rough path) and walked through the courtyard with a statue of Napoleon looking down and cannons all around (Cour d'Honneur). There were also relief's of horses fighting around the walls. At the back we paid to go in to see the tomb of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Napoleon_Bonaparte Napoleon Bonaparte]. The roof of the tomb outside was impressively covered in gold and inside, the main feature was the sarcophagus of Napoleon with family members and other war heroes also in the building. After seeing Napoleons tomb we went across the road to the [http://www.rodinmuseum.org/ Rodin museum]. We just paid to go into the gardens which had [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Thinker the Thinker] statue. Coincidentally if we had paid to go into the gardens before going to see the tomb, we could have got a discount on going to see Napoleons tomb. After walking around the statues in the gardens we walked down the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Champ_de_Mars,_Paris Champ de Mars] towards the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eiffel_Tower Eiffel Tower] under which we had a picnic dinner. Half way down the park I saw a piece of tiled art of a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Invaders space invader] character. I had seen one on one of the arched openings to the Louvre the night before too as well as one on one of the statues. I suspect they were street installations by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invader_%28artist%29 Invader]. We met near the roundabout in the middle and exchanged stories before we had our buffet style picnic. After dinner the portion of the group that was going to see a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabaret Cabaret] show went onto the coach bus to get changed. We packed up and got on the bus and left. I got off at the first stop which was for everyone who had chosen the option of going on a cruise on the Seine. The boats were quite large and slow. There was commentary but we sat on the top deck and it was barely audible over the talking. It ended up being more of a social cruise with lots of yelling under bridges and waving at Parisians on the banks. We even passed a 30th birthday party taking place on one of the banks. The cruise went down around Notre Dame and back up to the Eiffel Tower and it was just getting dark as we got back. We all got on the coach which was waiting for us (the cabaret group took a different coach back later on) and drove back to the hostel. When we got back to the hostel, some of us stayed behind to help the driver offload the fold out stools we had been sitting on for our picnic under the Eiffel Tower. We all got a few arm-fulls of chairs and walked around the bus. On the other side of the bus we heard screaming and the driver yelled "Come help, they are stealing her bag!" we were a bit stunned and ran back around the bus, just in time to see two mopeds driving off into the distance and the girl who was the last one to pick up chairs in hysterics. Apparently they grabbed her bag while it was still on and tore it from her. Her bag had her passport, wallet, camera and other valuables. A security guard from the hostel came out to see what happened and some people went in to phone the police. We finished carrying the chairs and tables back to the restaurant where we ate dinner the night before and went to have a drink at the bar next door. When we got back to the hostel, there were some people ready to take the girl down to the police station to give a statement. There was nothing more to do so we went up to bed.

	==17 July==		==17 July==

Mark: /* 16 July */

2010-08-15T00:27:56Z

16 July

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:27, 15 August 2010
Line 68:		Line 68:

	==16 July==		==16 July==
	Today began in the Hostel with a fairly nice breakfast. There were a lot of nice breads to choose from as well as bacon, eggs, cereal, yoghurt etc. After breakfast we got on the coach to be dropped off in the city for a free day to explore. On the way into the city we drove past the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moulin_Rouge Moulin Rouge] as well as the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilique_du_Sacr%C3%A9-C%C5%93ur,_Paris Basilique du Sacré-Cœur] (where we had the option to leave the bus but only a couple of people did) and finally stopped at the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mus%C3%A9e_du_Louvre Louvre] where everyone departed the bus. Our main mission was to get to the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mona_Lisa Mona Lisa] as quickly as possible! We went in through one of the side entrances and got a ticket from a ticket machine. We then walked underground to below the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louvre_Pyramid Louvre Pyramid] and entered the wing containing the Mona Lisa. On the way to the Mona Lisa, we passed through a section of status including [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winged_Victory_of_Samothrace Winged Victory of Samothrace] which I didn't really take the time to appreciate and have to go back one day to see. It was fairly easy to get to the Mona Lisa and the crowd wasn't too bad. After seeing the Mona Lisa we walked through more of the paintings section. A group of us had arranged to meet outside the pyramid at quarter past 11 so we had time to wonder around some of the rest of the louvre including the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venus_de_milo Venus de milo] and some of the Egyptian artefacts. After the Louvre we walked to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Notre_Dame_de_Paris Notre Dame]. We joined a long line going around the side of Notre Dame. While the group waited in line, I ducked out to get a crêpe from a café with a crêperie outside, just across the road. It was so good that I convinced many of the group to later get one (most got two) at lunch. After a while we started to worry that we were in the line to go up the bell tower and not the church itself. A couple of people went to check and found the line to just get into the church. We switched lines and the other line, while very long, moved extremely quickly. Inside the church we saw the impressive stain glass windows and styles of architecture. We left Notre Dame and found some lunch (when some people got crêpes) and ate around the back of Notre Dame in a lovely little park. After lunch we went to the nearest metro station to take a train to the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arc_de_Triomphe Arc de Triomphe]. We had a bit of trouble reading the map as the names didn't match up between maps, we ended up getting off at the wrong stop but then got back on the next train and managed to find our way to the Arc. From the station we could stay underground and come out of the exit right at the Arc de Triomphe. After looking around the arc for a while, we didn't go up, we went back into the tunnel and came out next to the end of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Champs-%C3%89lys%C3%A9es Champs-Élysées]. We walked down the Champs-Élysées (seeing stereotypically French waiters with striped shirts) and a lots of expensive fashion outlets. We also saw a bit of French road rage with one can waiting to turn left at a light onto the Champs-Élysées while the man in the car behind mysteriously started yelling in French and honking madly. Near the end of the Champs-Élysées we crossed over the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seine Seine] to the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Les_Invalides Les Invalides]. When we apprached the front of Les Invalides we saw one of the bike tour groups go past. After the Louvre there was the option for paying for a bike tour around the city but that would have meant not going into the attractions. Later we found out that the bike tour had also witnessed some road rage where there had been an accident between a motorcyclist and a car driver. Apparently the motorcyclist was much larger than the driver of the car and when they both got out, next to their vehicles there had been a rather one sided fist fight where the car driver hadn't stood a chance against a big biker with a helmet on. We walked up to the entrance of Les Invalides (on a very rough path) and walked through the courtyard with a statue of Napoleon looking down and cannons all around (Cour d'Honneur). There were also relief's of horses fighting around the walls. At the back we paid to go in to see the tomb of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Napoleon_Bonaparte Napoleon Bonaparte]. The roof of the tomb outside was impressively covered in gold and inside, the main feature was the sarcophagus of Napoleon with family members and other war heroes also in the building. After seeing Napoleons tomb we went across the road to the [http://www.rodinmuseum.org/ Rodin museum]. We just paid to go into the gardens which had [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Thinker the Thinker] statue. Coincidentally if we had paid to go into the gardens before going to see the tomb, we could have got a discount on going to see Napoleons tomb. After walking around the statues in the gardens we walked down the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Champ_de_Mars,_Paris Champ de Mars] towards the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eiffel_Tower Eiffel Tower] under which we had a picnic dinner. Half way down the park I saw a piece of tiled art of a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Invaders space invader] character. I had seen one on one of the arched openings to the Louvre the night before too as well as one on one of the statues. I suspect they were street installations by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invader_%28artist%29 Invader].		Today began in the Hostel with a fairly nice breakfast. There were a lot of nice breads to choose from as well as bacon, eggs, cereal, yoghurt etc. After breakfast we got on the coach to be dropped off in the city for a free day to explore. On the way into the city we drove past the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moulin_Rouge Moulin Rouge] as well as the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilique_du_Sacr%C3%A9-C%C5%93ur,_Paris Basilique du Sacré-Cœur] (where we had the option to leave the bus but only a couple of people did) and finally stopped at the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mus%C3%A9e_du_Louvre Louvre] where everyone departed the bus. Our main mission was to get to the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mona_Lisa Mona Lisa] as quickly as possible! We went in through one of the side entrances and got a ticket from a ticket machine. We then walked underground to below the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louvre_Pyramid Louvre Pyramid] and entered the wing containing the Mona Lisa. On the way to the Mona Lisa, we passed through a section of status including [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winged_Victory_of_Samothrace Winged Victory of Samothrace] which I didn't really take the time to appreciate and have to go back one day to see. It was fairly easy to get to the Mona Lisa and the crowd wasn't too bad. After seeing the Mona Lisa we walked through more of the paintings section. A group of us had arranged to meet outside the pyramid at quarter past 11 so we had time to wonder around some of the rest of the louvre including the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venus_de_milo Venus de milo] and some of the Egyptian artefacts. After the Louvre we walked to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Notre_Dame_de_Paris Notre Dame]. We joined a long line going around the side of Notre Dame. While the group waited in line, I ducked out to get a crêpe from a café with a crêperie outside, just across the road. It was so good that I convinced many of the group to later get one (most got two) at lunch. After a while we started to worry that we were in the line to go up the bell tower and not the church itself. A couple of people went to check and found the line to just get into the church. We switched lines and the other line, while very long, moved extremely quickly. Inside the church we saw the impressive stain glass windows and styles of architecture. We left Notre Dame and found some lunch (when some people got crêpes) and ate around the back of Notre Dame in a lovely little park. After lunch we went to the nearest metro station to take a train to the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arc_de_Triomphe Arc de Triomphe]. We had a bit of trouble reading the map as the names didn't match up between maps, we ended up getting off at the wrong stop but then got back on the next train and managed to find our way to the Arc. From the station we could stay underground and come out of the exit right at the Arc de Triomphe. After looking around the arc for a while, we didn't go up, we went back into the tunnel and came out next to the end of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Champs-%C3%89lys%C3%A9es Champs-Élysées]. We walked down the Champs-Élysées (seeing stereotypically French waiters with striped shirts) and a lots of expensive fashion outlets. We also saw a bit of French road rage with one can waiting to turn left at a light onto the Champs-Élysées while the man in the car behind mysteriously started yelling in French and honking madly. Near the end of the Champs-Élysées we crossed over the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seine Seine] to the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Les_Invalides Les Invalides]. When we apprached the front of Les Invalides we saw one of the bike tour groups go past. After the Louvre there was the option for paying for a bike tour around the city but that would have meant not going into the attractions. Later we found out that the bike tour had also witnessed some road rage where there had been an accident between a motorcyclist and a car driver. Apparently the motorcyclist was much larger than the driver of the car and when they both got out, next to their vehicles there had been a rather one sided fist fight where the car driver hadn't stood a chance against a big biker with a helmet on. We walked up to the entrance of Les Invalides (on a very rough path) and walked through the courtyard with a statue of Napoleon looking down and cannons all around (Cour d'Honneur). There were also relief's of horses fighting around the walls. At the back we paid to go in to see the tomb of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Napoleon_Bonaparte Napoleon Bonaparte]. The roof of the tomb outside was impressively covered in gold and inside, the main feature was the sarcophagus of Napoleon with family members and other war heroes also in the building. After seeing Napoleons tomb we went across the road to the [http://www.rodinmuseum.org/ Rodin museum]. We just paid to go into the gardens which had [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Thinker the Thinker] statue. Coincidentally if we had paid to go into the gardens before going to see the tomb, we could have got a discount on going to see Napoleons tomb. After walking around the statues in the gardens we walked down the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Champ_de_Mars,_Paris Champ de Mars] towards the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eiffel_Tower Eiffel Tower] under which we had a picnic dinner. Half way down the park I saw a piece of tiled art of a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Invaders space invader] character. I had seen one on one of the arched openings to the Louvre the night before too as well as one on one of the statues. I suspect they were street installations by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invader_%28artist%29 Invader]. We met near the roundabout in the middle and exchanged stories before we had our buffet style picnic. After dinner the portion of the group that was going to see a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabaret Cabaret] show went onto the coach bus to get changed. We packed up and got on the bus and left. I got off at the first stop which was for everyone who had chosen the option of going on a cruise on the Seine. The boats were quite large and slow. There was commentary but we sat on the top deck and it was barely audible over the talking. It ended up being more of a social cruise with lots of yelling under bridges and waving at Parisians on the banks. We even passed a 30th birthday party taking place on one of the banks. The cruise went down around Notre Dame and back up to the Eiffel Tower and it was just getting dark as we got back. We all got on the coach which was waiting for us (the cabaret group took a different coach back later on) and drove back to the hostel. When we got back to the hostel, some of us stayed behind to help the driver offload the fold out stools we had been sitting on for our picnic under the Eiffel Tower. We all got a few arm-fulls of chairs and walked around the bus. On the other side of the bus we heard screaming and the driver yelled "Come help, they are stealing her bag!" we were a bit stunned and ran back around the bus, just in time to see two mopeds driving off into the distance and the girl who was the last one to pick up chairs in hysterics. Apparently they grabbed her bag while it was still on and tore it from her. Her bag had her passport, wallet, camera and other valuables. A security guard from the hostel came out to see what happened and some people went in to phone the police. We finished carrying the chairs and tables back to the restaurant where we ate dinner the night before and went to have a drink at the bar next door.

	==17 July==		==17 July==

Mark: /* 16 July */

2010-08-15T00:04:52Z

16 July

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:04, 15 August 2010
Line 68:		Line 68:

	==16 July==		==16 July==
	Today began in the Hostel with a fairly nice breakfast. There were a lot of nice breads to choose from as well as bacon, eggs, cereal, yoghurt etc. After breakfast we got on the coach to be dropped off in the city for a free day to explore. On the way into the city we drove past the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moulin_Rouge Moulin Rouge] as well as the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilique_du_Sacr%C3%A9-C%C5%93ur,_Paris Basilique du Sacré-Cœur] (where we had the option to leave the bus but only a couple of people did) and finally stopped at the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mus%C3%A9e_du_Louvre Louvre] where everyone departed the bus. Our main mission was to get to the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mona_Lisa Mona Lisa] as quickly as possible! We went in through one of the side entrances and got a ticket from a ticket machine. We then walked underground to below the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louvre_Pyramid Louvre Pyramid] and entered the wing containing the Mona Lisa. On the way to the Mona Lisa, we passed through a section of status including [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winged_Victory_of_Samothrace Winged Victory of Samothrace] which I didn't really take the time to appreciate and have to go back one day to see. It was fairly easy to get to the Mona Lisa and the crowd wasn't too bad. After seeing the Mona Lisa we walked through more of the paintings section. A group of us had arranged to meet outside the pyramid at quarter past 11 so we had time to wonder around some of the rest of the louvre including the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venus_de_milo Venus de milo] and some of the Egyptian artefacts. After the Louvre we walked to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Notre_Dame_de_Paris Notre Dame]. We joined a long line going around the side of Notre Dame. While the group waited in line, I ducked out to get a crêpe from a café with a crêperie outside, just across the road. It was so good that I convinced many of the group to later get one (most got two) at lunch. After a while we started to worry that we were in the line to go up the bell tower and not the church itself. A couple of people went to check and found the line to just get into the church. We switched lines and the other line, while very long, moved extremely quickly. Inside the church we saw the impressive stain glass windows and styles of architecture. We left Notre Dame and found some lunch (when some people got crêpes) and ate around the back of Notre Dame in a lovely little park. After lunch we went to the nearest metro station to take a train to the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arc_de_Triomphe Arc de Triomphe]. We had a bit of trouble reading the map as the names didn't match up between maps, we ended up getting off at the wrong stop but then got back on the next train and managed to find our way to the Arc. From the station we could stay underground and come out of the exit right at the Arc de Triomphe. After looking around the arc for a while, we didn't go up, we went back into the tunnel and came out next to the end of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Champs-%C3%89lys%C3%A9es Champs-Élysées]. We walked down the Champs-Élysées (seeing stereotypically French waiters with striped shirts) and a lots of expensive fashion outlets. We also saw a bit of French road rage with one can waiting to turn left at a light onto the Champs-Élysées while the man in the car behind mysteriously started yelling in French and honking madly. Near the end of the Champs-Élysées we crossed over the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seine Seine] to the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Les_Invalides Les Invalides]. When we apprached the front of Les Invalides we saw one of the bike tour groups go past. After the Louvre there was the option for paying for a bike tour around the city but that would have meant not going into the attractions. Later we found out that the bike tour had also witnessed some road rage where there had been an accident between a motorcyclist and a car driver. Apparently the motorcyclist was much larger than the driver of the car and when they both got out, next to their vehicles there had been a rather one sided fist fight where the car driver hadn't stood a chance against a big biker with a helmet on.		Today began in the Hostel with a fairly nice breakfast. There were a lot of nice breads to choose from as well as bacon, eggs, cereal, yoghurt etc. After breakfast we got on the coach to be dropped off in the city for a free day to explore. On the way into the city we drove past the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moulin_Rouge Moulin Rouge] as well as the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilique_du_Sacr%C3%A9-C%C5%93ur,_Paris Basilique du Sacré-Cœur] (where we had the option to leave the bus but only a couple of people did) and finally stopped at the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mus%C3%A9e_du_Louvre Louvre] where everyone departed the bus. Our main mission was to get to the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mona_Lisa Mona Lisa] as quickly as possible! We went in through one of the side entrances and got a ticket from a ticket machine. We then walked underground to below the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louvre_Pyramid Louvre Pyramid] and entered the wing containing the Mona Lisa. On the way to the Mona Lisa, we passed through a section of status including [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winged_Victory_of_Samothrace Winged Victory of Samothrace] which I didn't really take the time to appreciate and have to go back one day to see. It was fairly easy to get to the Mona Lisa and the crowd wasn't too bad. After seeing the Mona Lisa we walked through more of the paintings section. A group of us had arranged to meet outside the pyramid at quarter past 11 so we had time to wonder around some of the rest of the louvre including the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venus_de_milo Venus de milo] and some of the Egyptian artefacts. After the Louvre we walked to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Notre_Dame_de_Paris Notre Dame]. We joined a long line going around the side of Notre Dame. While the group waited in line, I ducked out to get a crêpe from a café with a crêperie outside, just across the road. It was so good that I convinced many of the group to later get one (most got two) at lunch. After a while we started to worry that we were in the line to go up the bell tower and not the church itself. A couple of people went to check and found the line to just get into the church. We switched lines and the other line, while very long, moved extremely quickly. Inside the church we saw the impressive stain glass windows and styles of architecture. We left Notre Dame and found some lunch (when some people got crêpes) and ate around the back of Notre Dame in a lovely little park. After lunch we went to the nearest metro station to take a train to the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arc_de_Triomphe Arc de Triomphe]. We had a bit of trouble reading the map as the names didn't match up between maps, we ended up getting off at the wrong stop but then got back on the next train and managed to find our way to the Arc. From the station we could stay underground and come out of the exit right at the Arc de Triomphe. After looking around the arc for a while, we didn't go up, we went back into the tunnel and came out next to the end of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Champs-%C3%89lys%C3%A9es Champs-Élysées]. We walked down the Champs-Élysées (seeing stereotypically French waiters with striped shirts) and a lots of expensive fashion outlets. We also saw a bit of French road rage with one can waiting to turn left at a light onto the Champs-Élysées while the man in the car behind mysteriously started yelling in French and honking madly. Near the end of the Champs-Élysées we crossed over the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seine Seine] to the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Les_Invalides Les Invalides]. When we apprached the front of Les Invalides we saw one of the bike tour groups go past. After the Louvre there was the option for paying for a bike tour around the city but that would have meant not going into the attractions. Later we found out that the bike tour had also witnessed some road rage where there had been an accident between a motorcyclist and a car driver. Apparently the motorcyclist was much larger than the driver of the car and when they both got out, next to their vehicles there had been a rather one sided fist fight where the car driver hadn't stood a chance against a big biker with a helmet on. We walked up to the entrance of Les Invalides (on a very rough path) and walked through the courtyard with a statue of Napoleon looking down and cannons all around (Cour d'Honneur). There were also relief's of horses fighting around the walls. At the back we paid to go in to see the tomb of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Napoleon_Bonaparte Napoleon Bonaparte]. The roof of the tomb outside was impressively covered in gold and inside, the main feature was the sarcophagus of Napoleon with family members and other war heroes also in the building. After seeing Napoleons tomb we went across the road to the [http://www.rodinmuseum.org/ Rodin museum]. We just paid to go into the gardens which had [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Thinker the Thinker] statue. Coincidentally if we had paid to go into the gardens before going to see the tomb, we could have got a discount on going to see Napoleons tomb. After walking around the statues in the gardens we walked down the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Champ_de_Mars,_Paris Champ de Mars] towards the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eiffel_Tower Eiffel Tower] under which we had a picnic dinner. Half way down the park I saw a piece of tiled art of a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Invaders space invader] character. I had seen one on one of the arched openings to the Louvre the night before too as well as one on one of the statues. I suspect they were street installations by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invader_%28artist%29 Invader].

	==17 July==		==17 July==

Mark: /* 16 July */

2010-08-14T23:39:08Z

16 July

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:39, 14 August 2010
Line 68:		Line 68:

	==16 July==		==16 July==
	Today began in the Hostel with a fairly nice breakfast. There were a lot of nice breads to choose from as well as bacon, eggs, cereal, yoghurt etc. After breakfast we got on the coach to be dropped off in the city for a free day to explore. On the way into the city we drove past the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moulin_Rouge Moulin Rouge] as well as the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilique_du_Sacr%C3%A9-C%C5%93ur,_Paris Basilique du Sacré-Cœur] (where we had the option to leave the bus but only a couple of people did) and finally stopped at the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mus%C3%A9e_du_Louvre Louvre] where everyone departed the bus. Our main mission was to get to the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mona_Lisa Mona Lisa] as quickly as possible! We went in through one of the side entrances and got a ticket from a ticket machine. We then walked underground to below the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louvre_Pyramid Louvre Pyramid] and entered the wing containing the Mona Lisa. On the way to the Mona Lisa, we passed through a section of status including [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winged_Victory_of_Samothrace Winged Victory of Samothrace] which I didn't really take the time to appreciate and have to go back one day to see. It was fairly easy to get to the Mona Lisa and the crowd wasn't too bad. After seeing the Mona Lisa we walked through more of the paintings section. A group of us had arranged to meet outside the pyramid at quarter past 11 so we had time to wonder around some of the rest of the louvre including the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venus_de_milo Venus de milo] and some of the Egyptian artefacts. After the Louvre we walked to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Notre_Dame_de_Paris Notre Dame]. We joined a long line going around the side of Notre Dame. While the group waited in line, I ducked out to get a crêpe from a café with a crêperie outside, just across the road. It was so good that I convinced many of the group to later get one (most got two) at lunch. After a while we started to worry that we were in the line to go up the bell tower and not the church itself. A couple of people went to check and found the line to just get into the church. We switched lines and the other line, while very long, moved extremely quickly. Inside the church we saw the impressive stain glass windows and styles of architecture. We left Notre Dame and found some lunch (when some people got crêpes) and ate around the back of Notre Dame in a lovely little park. After lunch we went to the nearest metro station to take a train to the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arc_de_Triomphe Arc de Triomphe]. We had a bit of trouble reading the map as the names didn't match up between maps, we ended up getting off at the wrong stop but then got back on the next train and managed to find our way to the Arc. From the station we could stay underground and come out of the exit right at the Arc de Triomphe. After looking around the arc for a while, we didn't go up, we went back into the tunnel and came out next to the end of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Champs-%C3%89lys%C3%A9es Champs-Élysées]. We walked down the Champs-Élysées (seeing stereotypically French waiters with striped shirts) and a lots of expensive fashion outlets. We also saw a bit of French road rage with one can waiting to turn left at a light onto the Champs-Élysées while the man in the car behind mysteriously started yelling in French and honking madly.		Today began in the Hostel with a fairly nice breakfast. There were a lot of nice breads to choose from as well as bacon, eggs, cereal, yoghurt etc. After breakfast we got on the coach to be dropped off in the city for a free day to explore. On the way into the city we drove past the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moulin_Rouge Moulin Rouge] as well as the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilique_du_Sacr%C3%A9-C%C5%93ur,_Paris Basilique du Sacré-Cœur] (where we had the option to leave the bus but only a couple of people did) and finally stopped at the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mus%C3%A9e_du_Louvre Louvre] where everyone departed the bus. Our main mission was to get to the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mona_Lisa Mona Lisa] as quickly as possible! We went in through one of the side entrances and got a ticket from a ticket machine. We then walked underground to below the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louvre_Pyramid Louvre Pyramid] and entered the wing containing the Mona Lisa. On the way to the Mona Lisa, we passed through a section of status including [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winged_Victory_of_Samothrace Winged Victory of Samothrace] which I didn't really take the time to appreciate and have to go back one day to see. It was fairly easy to get to the Mona Lisa and the crowd wasn't too bad. After seeing the Mona Lisa we walked through more of the paintings section. A group of us had arranged to meet outside the pyramid at quarter past 11 so we had time to wonder around some of the rest of the louvre including the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venus_de_milo Venus de milo] and some of the Egyptian artefacts. After the Louvre we walked to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Notre_Dame_de_Paris Notre Dame]. We joined a long line going around the side of Notre Dame. While the group waited in line, I ducked out to get a crêpe from a café with a crêperie outside, just across the road. It was so good that I convinced many of the group to later get one (most got two) at lunch. After a while we started to worry that we were in the line to go up the bell tower and not the church itself. A couple of people went to check and found the line to just get into the church. We switched lines and the other line, while very long, moved extremely quickly. Inside the church we saw the impressive stain glass windows and styles of architecture. We left Notre Dame and found some lunch (when some people got crêpes) and ate around the back of Notre Dame in a lovely little park. After lunch we went to the nearest metro station to take a train to the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arc_de_Triomphe Arc de Triomphe]. We had a bit of trouble reading the map as the names didn't match up between maps, we ended up getting off at the wrong stop but then got back on the next train and managed to find our way to the Arc. From the station we could stay underground and come out of the exit right at the Arc de Triomphe. After looking around the arc for a while, we didn't go up, we went back into the tunnel and came out next to the end of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Champs-%C3%89lys%C3%A9es Champs-Élysées]. We walked down the Champs-Élysées (seeing stereotypically French waiters with striped shirts) and a lots of expensive fashion outlets. We also saw a bit of French road rage with one can waiting to turn left at a light onto the Champs-Élysées while the man in the car behind mysteriously started yelling in French and honking madly. Near the end of the Champs-Élysées we crossed over the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seine Seine] to the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Les_Invalides Les Invalides]. When we apprached the front of Les Invalides we saw one of the bike tour groups go past. After the Louvre there was the option for paying for a bike tour around the city but that would have meant not going into the attractions. Later we found out that the bike tour had also witnessed some road rage where there had been an accident between a motorcyclist and a car driver. Apparently the motorcyclist was much larger than the driver of the car and when they both got out, next to their vehicles there had been a rather one sided fist fight where the car driver hadn't stood a chance against a big biker with a helmet on.

	==17 July==		==17 July==

Mark: /* 16 July */

2010-08-14T23:33:11Z

16 July

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:33, 14 August 2010
Line 68:		Line 68:

	==16 July==		==16 July==
	Today began in the Hostel with a fairly nice breakfast. There were a lot of nice breads to choose from as well as bacon, eggs, cereal, yoghurt etc. After breakfast we got on the coach to be dropped off in the city for a free day to explore. On the way into the city we drove past the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moulin_Rouge Moulin Rouge] as well as the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilique_du_Sacr%C3%A9-C%C5%93ur,_Paris Basilique du Sacré-Cœur] (where we had the option to leave the bus but only a couple of people did) and finally stopped at the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mus%C3%A9e_du_Louvre Louvre] where everyone departed the bus. Our main mission was to get to the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mona_Lisa Mona Lisa] as quickly as possible! We went in through one of the side entrances and got a ticket from a ticket machine. We then walked underground to below the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louvre_Pyramid Louvre Pyramid] and entered the wing containing the Mona Lisa. On the way to the Mona Lisa, we passed through a section of status including [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winged_Victory_of_Samothrace Winged Victory of Samothrace] which I didn't really take the time to appreciate and have to go back one day to see. It was fairly easy to get to the Mona Lisa and the crowd wasn't too bad. After seeing the Mona Lisa we walked through more of the paintings section. A group of us had arranged to meet outside the pyramid at quarter past 11 so we had time to wonder around some of the rest of the louvre including the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venus_de_milo Venus de milo] and some of the Egyptian artefacts. After the Louvre we walked to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Notre_Dame_de_Paris Notre Dame]. We joined a long line going around the side of Notre Dame. While the group waited in line, I ducked out to get a crêpe from a café with a crêperie outside, just across the road. It was so good that I convinced many of the group to later get one (most got two) at lunch. After a while we started to worry that we were in the line to go up the bell tower and not the church itself. A couple of people went to check and found the line to just get into the church. We switched lines and the other line, while very long, moved extremely quickly. Inside the church we saw the impressive stain glass windows and styles of architecture. We left Notre Dame and found some lunch (when some people got crêpes) and ate around the back of Notre Dame in a lovely little park. After lunch we went to the nearest metro station to take a train to the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arc_de_Triomphe Arc de Triomphe].		Today began in the Hostel with a fairly nice breakfast. There were a lot of nice breads to choose from as well as bacon, eggs, cereal, yoghurt etc. After breakfast we got on the coach to be dropped off in the city for a free day to explore. On the way into the city we drove past the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moulin_Rouge Moulin Rouge] as well as the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilique_du_Sacr%C3%A9-C%C5%93ur,_Paris Basilique du Sacré-Cœur] (where we had the option to leave the bus but only a couple of people did) and finally stopped at the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mus%C3%A9e_du_Louvre Louvre] where everyone departed the bus. Our main mission was to get to the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mona_Lisa Mona Lisa] as quickly as possible! We went in through one of the side entrances and got a ticket from a ticket machine. We then walked underground to below the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louvre_Pyramid Louvre Pyramid] and entered the wing containing the Mona Lisa. On the way to the Mona Lisa, we passed through a section of status including [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winged_Victory_of_Samothrace Winged Victory of Samothrace] which I didn't really take the time to appreciate and have to go back one day to see. It was fairly easy to get to the Mona Lisa and the crowd wasn't too bad. After seeing the Mona Lisa we walked through more of the paintings section. A group of us had arranged to meet outside the pyramid at quarter past 11 so we had time to wonder around some of the rest of the louvre including the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venus_de_milo Venus de milo] and some of the Egyptian artefacts. After the Louvre we walked to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Notre_Dame_de_Paris Notre Dame]. We joined a long line going around the side of Notre Dame. While the group waited in line, I ducked out to get a crêpe from a café with a crêperie outside, just across the road. It was so good that I convinced many of the group to later get one (most got two) at lunch. After a while we started to worry that we were in the line to go up the bell tower and not the church itself. A couple of people went to check and found the line to just get into the church. We switched lines and the other line, while very long, moved extremely quickly. Inside the church we saw the impressive stain glass windows and styles of architecture. We left Notre Dame and found some lunch (when some people got crêpes) and ate around the back of Notre Dame in a lovely little park. After lunch we went to the nearest metro station to take a train to the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arc_de_Triomphe Arc de Triomphe]. We had a bit of trouble reading the map as the names didn't match up between maps, we ended up getting off at the wrong stop but then got back on the next train and managed to find our way to the Arc. From the station we could stay underground and come out of the exit right at the Arc de Triomphe. After looking around the arc for a while, we didn't go up, we went back into the tunnel and came out next to the end of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Champs-%C3%89lys%C3%A9es Champs-Élysées]. We walked down the Champs-Élysées (seeing stereotypically French waiters with striped shirts) and a lots of expensive fashion outlets. We also saw a bit of French road rage with one can waiting to turn left at a light onto the Champs-Élysées while the man in the car behind mysteriously started yelling in French and honking madly.

	==17 July==		==17 July==

Mark: /* 16 July */

2010-08-14T23:12:15Z

16 July

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:12, 14 August 2010
Line 68:		Line 68:

	==16 July==		==16 July==
	Today began in the Hostel with a fairly nice breakfast. There were a lot of nice breads to choose from as well as bacon, eggs, cereal, yoghurt etc. After breakfast we got on the coach to be dropped off in the city for a free day to explore. On the way into the city we drove past the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moulin_Rouge Moulin Rouge] as well as the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilique_du_Sacr%C3%A9-C%C5%93ur,_Paris Basilique du Sacré-Cœur] (where we had the option to leave the bus but only a couple of people did) and finally stopped at the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mus%C3%A9e_du_Louvre Louvre] where everyone departed the bus. Our main mission was to get to the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mona_Lisa Mona Lisa] as quickly as possible! We went in through one of the side entrances and got a ticket from a ticket machine. We then walked underground to below the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louvre_Pyramid Louvre Pyramid] and entered the wing containing the Mona Lisa. On the way to the Mona Lisa, we passed through a section of status including [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winged_Victory_of_Samothrace Winged Victory of Samothrace] which I didn't really take the time to appreciate and have to go back one day to see. It was fairly easy to get to the Mona Lisa and the crowd wasn't too bad. After seeing the Mona Lisa we walked through more of the paintings section. A group of us had arranged to meet outside the pyramid at quarter past 11 so we had time to wonder around some of the rest of the louvre including the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venus_de_milo Venus de milo] and some of the Egyptian artefacts. After the Louvre we walked to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Notre_Dame_de_Paris Notre Dame]. We joined a long line going around the side of Notre Dame. While the group waited in line, I ducked out to get a crêpe from a café with a crêperie outside, just across the road. It was so good that I convinced many of the group to later get one (most got two) at lunch. After a while we started to worry that we were in the line to go up the bell tower and not the church itself. A couple of people went to check and found the line to just get into the church. We switched lines and the other line, while very long, moved extremely quickly. Inside the church we saw the impressive stain glass windows and styles of architecture. We left Notre Dame and found some lunch (when some people got crêpes).		Today began in the Hostel with a fairly nice breakfast. There were a lot of nice breads to choose from as well as bacon, eggs, cereal, yoghurt etc. After breakfast we got on the coach to be dropped off in the city for a free day to explore. On the way into the city we drove past the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moulin_Rouge Moulin Rouge] as well as the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilique_du_Sacr%C3%A9-C%C5%93ur,_Paris Basilique du Sacré-Cœur] (where we had the option to leave the bus but only a couple of people did) and finally stopped at the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mus%C3%A9e_du_Louvre Louvre] where everyone departed the bus. Our main mission was to get to the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mona_Lisa Mona Lisa] as quickly as possible! We went in through one of the side entrances and got a ticket from a ticket machine. We then walked underground to below the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louvre_Pyramid Louvre Pyramid] and entered the wing containing the Mona Lisa. On the way to the Mona Lisa, we passed through a section of status including [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winged_Victory_of_Samothrace Winged Victory of Samothrace] which I didn't really take the time to appreciate and have to go back one day to see. It was fairly easy to get to the Mona Lisa and the crowd wasn't too bad. After seeing the Mona Lisa we walked through more of the paintings section. A group of us had arranged to meet outside the pyramid at quarter past 11 so we had time to wonder around some of the rest of the louvre including the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venus_de_milo Venus de milo] and some of the Egyptian artefacts. After the Louvre we walked to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Notre_Dame_de_Paris Notre Dame]. We joined a long line going around the side of Notre Dame. While the group waited in line, I ducked out to get a crêpe from a café with a crêperie outside, just across the road. It was so good that I convinced many of the group to later get one (most got two) at lunch. After a while we started to worry that we were in the line to go up the bell tower and not the church itself. A couple of people went to check and found the line to just get into the church. We switched lines and the other line, while very long, moved extremely quickly. Inside the church we saw the impressive stain glass windows and styles of architecture. We left Notre Dame and found some lunch (when some people got crêpes) and ate around the back of Notre Dame in a lovely little park. After lunch we went to the nearest metro station to take a train to the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arc_de_Triomphe Arc de Triomphe].

	==17 July==		==17 July==

Mark: /* 16 July */

2010-08-14T23:02:27Z

16 July

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:02, 14 August 2010
Line 68:		Line 68:

	==16 July==		==16 July==
	Today began in the Hostel with a fairly nice breakfast. There were a lot of nice breads to choose from as well as bacon, eggs, cereal, yoghurt etc. After breakfast we got on the coach to be dropped off in the city for a free day to explore. On the way into the city we drove past the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moulin_Rouge Moulin Rouge] as well as the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilique_du_Sacr%C3%A9-C%C5%93ur,_Paris Basilique du Sacré-Cœur] (where we had the option to leave the bus but only a couple of people did) and finally stopped at the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mus%C3%A9e_du_Louvre Louvre] where everyone departed the bus. Our main mission was to get to the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mona_Lisa Mona Lisa] as quickly as possible! We went in through one of the side entrances and got a ticket from a ticket machine. We then walked underground to below the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louvre_Pyramid Louvre Pyramid] and entered the wing containing the Mona Lisa. On the way to the Mona Lisa, we passed through a section of status including [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winged_Victory_of_Samothrace Winged Victory of Samothrace] which I didn't really take the time to appreciate and have to go back one day to see. It was fairly easy to get to the Mona Lisa and the crowd wasn't too bad. After seeing the Mona Lisa we walked through more of the paintings section. A group of us had arranged to meet outside the pyramid at quarter past 11 so we had time to wonder around some of the rest of the louvre including the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venus_de_milo Venus de milo] and some of the Egyptian artefacts. After the Louvre we walked to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Notre_Dame_de_Paris Notre Dame]. We joined a long line going around the side of Notre Dame. While the group waited in line, I ducked out to get a crêpe from a café just across the road. It was so good that I convinced many of the group to later get one (most got two) at lunch. After a while we started to worry that we were in the line to go up the bell tower and not the church itself. A couple of people went to check and found the line to just get into the church. We switched lines and the other line, while very long, moved extremely quickly. Inside the church we saw the impressive stain glass windows and styles of architecture. We left Notre Dame and found some lunch (when some people got crêpes).		Today began in the Hostel with a fairly nice breakfast. There were a lot of nice breads to choose from as well as bacon, eggs, cereal, yoghurt etc. After breakfast we got on the coach to be dropped off in the city for a free day to explore. On the way into the city we drove past the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moulin_Rouge Moulin Rouge] as well as the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilique_du_Sacr%C3%A9-C%C5%93ur,_Paris Basilique du Sacré-Cœur] (where we had the option to leave the bus but only a couple of people did) and finally stopped at the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mus%C3%A9e_du_Louvre Louvre] where everyone departed the bus. Our main mission was to get to the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mona_Lisa Mona Lisa] as quickly as possible! We went in through one of the side entrances and got a ticket from a ticket machine. We then walked underground to below the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louvre_Pyramid Louvre Pyramid] and entered the wing containing the Mona Lisa. On the way to the Mona Lisa, we passed through a section of status including [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winged_Victory_of_Samothrace Winged Victory of Samothrace] which I didn't really take the time to appreciate and have to go back one day to see. It was fairly easy to get to the Mona Lisa and the crowd wasn't too bad. After seeing the Mona Lisa we walked through more of the paintings section. A group of us had arranged to meet outside the pyramid at quarter past 11 so we had time to wonder around some of the rest of the louvre including the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venus_de_milo Venus de milo] and some of the Egyptian artefacts. After the Louvre we walked to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Notre_Dame_de_Paris Notre Dame]. We joined a long line going around the side of Notre Dame. While the group waited in line, I ducked out to get a crêpe from a café with a crêperie outside, just across the road. It was so good that I convinced many of the group to later get one (most got two) at lunch. After a while we started to worry that we were in the line to go up the bell tower and not the church itself. A couple of people went to check and found the line to just get into the church. We switched lines and the other line, while very long, moved extremely quickly. Inside the church we saw the impressive stain glass windows and styles of architecture. We left Notre Dame and found some lunch (when some people got crêpes).

	==17 July==		==17 July==

Mark: /* 16 July */

2010-08-14T22:59:19Z

16 July

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:59, 14 August 2010
Line 68:		Line 68:

	==16 July==		==16 July==
	Today began in the Hostel with a fairly nice breakfast. There were a lot of nice breads to choose from as well as bacon, eggs, cereal, yoghurt etc. After breakfast we got on the coach to be dropped off in the city for a free day to explore. On the way into the city we drove past the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moulin_Rouge Moulin Rouge] as well as the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilique_du_Sacr%C3%A9-C%C5%93ur,_Paris Basilique du Sacré-Cœur] (where we had the option to leave the bus but only a couple of people did) and finally stopped at the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mus%C3%A9e_du_Louvre Louvre] where everyone departed the bus. Our main mission was to get to the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mona_Lisa Mona Lisa] as quickly as possible! We went in through one of the side entrances and got a ticket from a ticket machine. We then walked underground to below the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louvre_Pyramid Louvre Pyramid] and entered the wing containing the Mona Lisa. On the way to the Mona Lisa, we passed through a section of status including [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winged_Victory_of_Samothrace Winged Victory of Samothrace] which I didn't really take the time to appreciate and have to go back one day to see. It was fairly easy to get to the Mona Lisa and the crowd wasn't too bad. After seeing the Mona Lisa we walked through more of the paintings section. A group of us had arranged to meet outside the pyramid at quarter past 11 so we had time to wonder around some of the rest of the louvre including the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venus_de_milo Venus de milo] and some of the Egyptian artefacts.		Today began in the Hostel with a fairly nice breakfast. There were a lot of nice breads to choose from as well as bacon, eggs, cereal, yoghurt etc. After breakfast we got on the coach to be dropped off in the city for a free day to explore. On the way into the city we drove past the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moulin_Rouge Moulin Rouge] as well as the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basilique_du_Sacr%C3%A9-C%C5%93ur,_Paris Basilique du Sacré-Cœur] (where we had the option to leave the bus but only a couple of people did) and finally stopped at the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mus%C3%A9e_du_Louvre Louvre] where everyone departed the bus. Our main mission was to get to the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mona_Lisa Mona Lisa] as quickly as possible! We went in through one of the side entrances and got a ticket from a ticket machine. We then walked underground to below the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louvre_Pyramid Louvre Pyramid] and entered the wing containing the Mona Lisa. On the way to the Mona Lisa, we passed through a section of status including [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winged_Victory_of_Samothrace Winged Victory of Samothrace] which I didn't really take the time to appreciate and have to go back one day to see. It was fairly easy to get to the Mona Lisa and the crowd wasn't too bad. After seeing the Mona Lisa we walked through more of the paintings section. A group of us had arranged to meet outside the pyramid at quarter past 11 so we had time to wonder around some of the rest of the louvre including the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venus_de_milo Venus de milo] and some of the Egyptian artefacts. After the Louvre we walked to [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Notre_Dame_de_Paris Notre Dame]. We joined a long line going around the side of Notre Dame. While the group waited in line, I ducked out to get a crêpe from a café just across the road. It was so good that I convinced many of the group to later get one (most got two) at lunch. After a while we started to worry that we were in the line to go up the bell tower and not the church itself. A couple of people went to check and found the line to just get into the church. We switched lines and the other line, while very long, moved extremely quickly. Inside the church we saw the impressive stain glass windows and styles of architecture. We left Notre Dame and found some lunch (when some people got crêpes).

	==17 July==		==17 July==