On March 10th, I checked out of my London apartment to head for King's Cross station to see the infamous Harry Potter 9-3/4 platform. (I have to say that London's train system is pretty easy to follow and I felt very safe on it...no issues at all.) I arrived at the St Pancras International / King's Cross Underground station, then proceeded over to King's Cross (it's weird, it's the same underground/tube station, but separate train stations). Someone from the US was kind enough to take my picture with a Gryffindor scarf. If you know me, you know I'm a big kid at heart and love all the Harry Potter movies. I even went to Universal Studios Orlando--by myself--when they first opened the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in 2010. Full transparency, I was also out there for the Disney World International wine and food festival.
I then headed over to st. Pancras International to figure out how to find my train to Paris. St. Pancras is a bit intimidating. Also, Eurostar has a lot of security in place, similar to the airport, so you have to make sure you get there early. You then have to sit down and wait for them to announce your train's platform, then haul ass to it because you only have 15 minutes until the train departs (not easy with my 20-25 lb backpack). It's a bit nerve wracking to say the least. I treated myself to a solo First Class ticket so I didn't have to sit across from and face a stranger for 2 hours. I'm a social person, but I also need my alone time. Here's a picture of the food they served in first class, not bad!
At this point I still have a pretty bad cold, and I forgot that because the Eurostar goes through the Chunnel, there would be pressure. Not as bad as a flight, but I did deal with some discomfort during the two hour journey.
I arrived at the train station in Paris then made my way on foot to my apartment using Google Maps. Very cute place are along a canal, and here are some pictures of the views around the apartment, incl one from my kitchen window.
My first full day in Paris was spent mainly on the Big Bus tour taking in some of the major sights, and also to the Musee D'Orsay. Was hoping to see some Edgar Degas ballerina paintings, as I had done a report on him for French class back in middle school in the 80s, but alas, all they had were Degas sculptures because the paintings were just a temporary exhibition that I had just missed. Bummer. Oh well, apparently he has paintings all over the US, so no big deal.
Was very happy to finally see the Eiffel Tower in person. Coming to France is something I've wanted to do since I first started taking French in 8th grade, which was many moons ago. Sad that it took me so long to get here, but glad I finally came.
Needless to say, it's been since 1989 that I've taken any French language classes, so I've been struggling a bit. After the first day though, it definitely got easier. I just keep accidentally mixing up English and French and using both in conversation. :) They definitely appreciate it when you say bonjour and merci, and I do make an attempt to use other phrases. And if I can't do it, I let Google Translate do it for me! I actually had fun with my uber driver yesterday by typing in some phrases into the app and having it read it aloud in French. He was cracking up.
I have a couple more days in Paris, then head off to Brussels!
Post a Comment