If you aren't familiar with riding trains in Europe, check
out Using Eurail.
Nice
The Hotel Interlaken in Nice (not to be confused with the city of Interlaken,
Switzerland) was supposed to be our worst accommodation of the trip, but it was very acceptable and extremely entertaining. The room was the only one we could find even months ahead, because the next day was the Grand Prix and the Cannes Film Festival was about to start too. The inflated prices brought a new clientele to this cheap hotel above a strip club and we felt right at home. The pink rooms were exactly as pictured on the internet. We headed out for dinner but were asked to leave our room key, which is common in Europe. On the street across from our hotel, a pizzeria had caught fire in the few minutes since our arrival and there were police and firemen everywhere. We could see firemen in the smoking building. As I took pictures, a woman with a young child tried to pick my empty coat pocket. We ate an enjoyable meal of trout, hamburger and pizza, all of which were very good. For $5 Euros the Interlaken Hotel also had wi-fi that even worked in our room. We phoned home to the family by computer and 3 calls cost 27 cents on Skype. There were lots of noises in the night at the hotel, but this
stop turned out to be a pleasant and entertaining experience.
Nice
Nice to Paris
This was supposed to be our day to visit Monte Carlo and we were glad to wander around Nice and its beaches instead, while the crowds at the train station tried to get to the Grand Prix. We found pain au chocolat and cafe lattes at the Chinese delicatessen nearby and walked to the beach. The beach at Nice was gravel, but it had lovely patches of turquoise waters. The weather was warm and peaceful. Tops were optional on the beach, even though we were right down town We also wandered through the Marchee des Fleur and also past all the restaurants in a row on a street nearby. In the late afternoon, we caught the TGV high speed train to Paris. We’d been told it was sold out and that we couldn’t go any earlier in the day, so we were surprised when we boarded that we were the only ones in our coach. The high speed stops at a number of towns along the Cote d’Azur including Cannes. The farther south we got, the more beautiful the landscape. By the time we got to Toulon our coach was full and from there, the train goes non-stop to Paris at a speed of about 300km per hour. I was totally disoriented by the direction of the sunset, as I finally realized that large sections of Europe were now to the west, which took some adjusting on the part of someone who has always thought that anywhere in Europe is east. We found our way to the correct metro station and easily found our hotel at the
Mercure in Place
d’Italie.
The
Mercure Paris Place
d’Italie was a pleasant hotel, similar to those in the United States and Canada. The location a half block off the centre of Place d’Italie was perfect. There were excellent and inexpensive pain au chocolat (soft bread filled with chocolat) and café au lait (a latte) at the Amandine each morning. After 11 they also made crepe sale (savory) and crepe sucre (sweet). We were frequent visitors. There were several restaurants nearby. The Café Margeride seemed to be the most popular and offered free wi-fi. Meals in France seem to run around 8 – 12 Euros. The Place d’Italie also has a large mall with a Carrefour grocery store, McDonalds, KFC etc. It’s amazing how much more you can buy if you purchase sandwiches and beer at the large grocery chains. The best part of Place d’Italie is the easy access to the rest of Paris on the
metro.
Metro tickets can be purchased with credit cards at machines throughout the subway. If your card won’t work, you’ll need to search for a location that will process it through an employee. You can buy single tickets, packs in multiples of ten or tickets for full days. The kiosks allow you to select a variety of languages, so it’s a straight forward process. We purchased a 2 day pass and put it to good use. It even worked on the funicular to Sacre Coeur. There’s a routine to follow in using the subway. First proceed to the large map and find your destination. Next slide your ticket into the machine and don’t forget to retrieve it if it’s reusable. Electronics today recognize the ticket regardless of how you insert it. The lines have different numbers and different colors. For each line you ride on, note the name of the last stop at the end of the line. You need to know this so you end up going the right direction when it comes time to decide which side of the track you will be on – the signs for the two end lines cause you to end up on the proper side. The last step is to wait about a minute and the train will be there. Some of the doors will only open if you pull a lever or push a button. Once you are on, keep watching for your exit. Most lines don’t do an announcement, but the stations are all clearly
labeled. Getting around Paris is very simple, fast and inexpensive.
The Louvre
We didn’t reserve tickets at the Louvre and it wasn’t a problem. We spent 3 hours there rushing past exhibits. We started in the Denon section with the Italian painters and covered off the Mona Lisa early on. I had heard the actual picture was very small, so I was over prepared for the size. The strange thing for me is the throngs of people who have all chosen this as the most important painting in the world to see. Very strange people watching. Next we covered off the Greek section, which was quite small, but is very popular for the Venus de Milo, a sculpture discovered by a farmer on the Greek isle of Milo. Next we breezed through the Egyptian antiquities. The number of sarcophagi ranging from wood, to various types of stone and then to large boxes was interesting. There were lots of large carvings, such as Ramses and small trinkets were on display too. Well worthwhile. Next we covered the Dutch painters and by then we were exhausted and proceeded to other sights in Paris.
Young students in the Louvre
Arc de Triumphe
The Arc is easily accessible by subway. The lower sections were being restored, but, with the painted sheet covering, you couldn’t tell in pictures that it wasn’t real. There is underground access to the base of the Arc, where you can see the eternal flame for the unknown soldier. You can also pay to climb to the top of the Arc.
The Arc de Triumphe
La Tour Eiffel
It took nearly an hour of line ups for tickets and two elevator rides to get to the top of the Eiffel
Tower. You can climb for free to the first of the 3 stages. Can’t image at busier times of year what it’s like for waiting. The ground level elevator ride starts at an angle, pauses to change angle and then goes straight up to the second stage. I found this the most difficult portion for fear of heights. You seem skyward bound and yet you know you aren’t 1/3 of the way yet. At the second stage stop you have open views where you are back about 10 feet from the edge with others below you up against the screens at the edge. I was panicky. A long wait facing inward to the crowds calmed me. The final ascent, though lengthy, was easier for me. At the top, it’s screened in and I had less difficulty than at the stage below. I was thrilled that I made it.
The Eiffel Tower
View of Sacre Coeur from the Eiffel Tower
Notre Dame
We started our second day by heading on the metro to Notre Dame. There is no charge to enter the church. Pictures are allowed, but flash is not supposed to be used. The stained glass was gorgeous. Patrons are seated in prayer, as tourists wander around them in a great circle. The cubicles around the edges had ornate carvings and places for confessional. One confessional was glassed in and a priest that looked like the pope was facing us as he talked to a woman across a desk. At various times priests spoke to the congregation from the alter area. The strangest aspect was that you could buy coins commemorating Notre Dame. The click of the secular coin purchases dropping from the machine contrasted with the silence of religion. We chose not to pay to climb up for a closer view of the gargoyles. The gargoyles seemed to be inconsistent with the religious atmosphere – more like a Dracula thriller than piety.
Notre Dame
Seine River Cruise
For $11 Euro each, we decided to see the sights by river. The location at Pont Neuf was within easy walking distance from Notre Dame. The number of sites to see along the river were numerous and some of the sculptures on the bridges were impressive too. The cruise passes Notre Dame, the Legislative Assembly, the Louvre, the Orsay Museum, the Eiffel Tower and a number of other sites. Very pleasant spending time on the Seine.
Seine River Cruise
Sacre Coeur
The subway easily takes you to Sacre Coeur.. If you have a day pass on the subway, it also is good for the funicular to Sacre Couer, saving you quite a climb for the final ascent. This church parallels Notre Dame for beauty inside and out. The contrast of the loud clicking of tourist coin dispenser against the solemnity of the church was an even greater here. We also strolled the streets of Montmarte beside the church and viewed the many displays by local artist, who were all available to sell their works or create portraits on demand. At the end of the day, we headed back to our favorite Amandine café for crepes, an appropriate conclusion to our visit to Paris.
Sacre Coeur
Chamonix
Our trip to Chamonix was in 3 sections. The first two hours was a TGV high speed reservation train to Lyon. I was surprised that the country side was all agricultural with lots of yellow fields of mustard. The two hour trip covered over half the distance that day, but it took more than three hours for the remaining two sections. The French trains have plug ins, so I was able to use my computer for several hours. The second section covered to St Germain les Bains. It was very busy at first and quickly got in to mountainous territory. At one of the stops, the train changed direction and we had to change seats to remain facing forward. As we approached St Germain, large white peaks loomed in the distance, which we eventually realized was our destination in Chamonix. From St Germain the train was a cute small bright red coach with extra large glass areas for viewing. The train was truly a local run, with stop buttons to push if you wanted to get off along the way. We watched a young woman get off at one stop and kiss her waiting boyfriend, as tears streamed down her eyes. At the next stop, a school boy got off and disappeared down a path into the woods. Very picturesque. The mountains of Chamonix revealed a large glacier streaming into the valley and a sparkling range of white.
Aiguille du Midi at top left, Chamonix, France
View from Aiguille du Midi, Chamonix, France
Our accommodation at the MGM Ginabelle residences was great. It was facing the train station. The top floor unit had a separate bedroom and a pull out couch. There were two large sky lights that filled the rooms with light. The living room sky light and the kitchen sliding door both looked out at the Chamonix range. When the clouds cleared in the evening, you could see the
Aiguille du Midi and a faint light shining from the station at the top of the lift. The town was small and full of climbers, even though it was the off season. We wandered the quaint shops and streets, taking pictures of the excellent views of the mountains, the glacial river flowing through the middle of town and the alpine shops. There were a couple unusual practices at the lodging. One roll of toilet paper regardless of how many in your party or how long your stay – if you need more, go to town and buy it yourself. Secondly, when you check out, make sure to take your garbage with you to deposit in the outside garbage bins.
Aiguille du Midi, Chamonix range, France
We were up early the next morning and it was clear. There was no line up at the gondola and we purchased a day pass good for all the trams in the valley, which was a discount of about 25% over the two individual prices we were considering, plus another 10% discount for having a Eurail pass. Our gondola had two other pairs of tourists and there were about 15 – 20 climbers with full winter gear and pick axes. The trip to the first station, half way up, involved 3 towers. There was very little sway passing the towers. The second half of the ride had no towers. As you approached the top, the rock face kept getting closer and the wind howled, but again there was very little sway. The Aiguille is actually in two sections. When you step off the gondola, you walk over a bridge to the higher section. There you enter tunnels and you can see the climbers exiting the tunnels to begin their descent. An elevator whisks you to the highest platform. When the doors open, the wind at 25 mph and cold at -15 C blast you. I said, “Oh, no.” and the elevator attendant said “Oh, ya”. We laughed and entered the frigid world at 12,600 feet. We brought extra clothing and light gloves, but we began to get cold right away. Our thinking slowed and we started to be unable to distinguish whether we’d clicked the camera button and whether we were shooting pics or movies. After a very few minutes we retreated to the elevator. I noticed that I had no feeling in my index finger. We made our way back to the lower tower section and just missed the gondola down, which was a good thing. We discovered a heated café and several levels of observation decks where we enjoyed the views and delayed the desire to escape to the valley below. Then we made our hasty retreat. Back in Chamonix it was 30 degrees warmer and even though it was toasty, we took quite a while before we were ready to shed our winter clothes.
View from Aiguille du Midi, Chamonix, France
After lunch we took the short walk to the Montenvers cog wheel train. The cogs are used to raise trains up and down steep inclines. It went up about 4,000 feet to the back side of the Chamonix range where we reached the end of the Mer de Glace which is a 6 mile glacier that is rapidly receding. We took a gondola down to the glacier and then walked on stairs bolted to the mountain side for the final descent to man-made ice caves at the base. An amazing day in the Alps.
Mer de Glace, Montenvers Tram, Chamonix range, France
Canal Cruising
It's surprising how many canals there are to cruise in France. You
can easily captain your own boat. Many places give you brief
instructions and let you drive away in a barge a few minutes
later. With accommodation for 2 - 6 passengers and no crew,
this option is far less expensive than the traditional river cruises on
major waterways. Here's a list of some options:
