One Day in Paris

(Editor’s Note: This is a post from Theresa and Jeff’s one day in Paris.  Their flight from Santiago, Chile to Johannesburg, South Africa had a stop in Paris.  The “invisible hand” has not received anymore stories for posting but will post them as soon as they do arrive.)

11:00 AM: Arrive at Charles de Gaulle, ride a bus from the airplane to the gate and then walk endlessly through immigration and customs. This requires an hour.

12:00 PM: Head into town on the RER, reaching Gard de Nord. Find a luggage locker. It sure wouldn’t be fun to have to haul that everywhere.

1:00 PM: From Gare du Nord, hike up the hill to Sacre-Coeur for a beautiful view of the city … a nice overview to get your bearings. Enjoy the beautiful church.

2:00 PM: Walk back to the Metro through the artsy neighborhood of Montmartre, full of cafes and galleries and numerous street vendors and artists. Grab a crepe and keep walking.

2:30 PM: Hop the metro to the Pere-Lachaise cemetary and pay your respects to Jim Morrison. And I’m sure lots of important French people too.

3:15 PM: Back on the metro for more, around to the south to the Catacombs.

3:30 PM: Get lost looking for the Catacombs because the map placed them two metro stops away.

3:55 PM: Discover the Catacombs. Discover that last entry is at 4:00 PM. Hustle in! Walk in eerie amazement through what must be millions of bones.

4:45 PM: Emerge from the Catacombs and feel completely lost. Amble until a metro appears.

5:30 PM: Gawk at Notre Dame, the facade, the gargoyles, the stained glass, the history. Judging by the crowd, a few people have heard of this church.

6:00 PM: After a loop around Notre Dame, walk along (Whats the island called?) till the end and (what bridge?). Marvel at the opulent hotels, towers and monuments along the way.

6:30 PM: Arrive at the Louvre. It’s closed anyway, but enjoy the plaza, then head down the Champs-Elysees toward the distant Arc de Triomphe, watching the sun set behind the Eiffel Tower. Grab a French baguette at a deli along the Champs-Elysees. But don’t eat it yet!

7:45 PM: Metro to the Eiffel Tower, and be sure to look for it all lit up on your left from the train. Find a bench to sit on, avoid the plastic Eiffel Tower hawkers, and enjoy your dinner and the view. Snap the classic romantic picture!

8:30 PM: Hightail it back to the Gare du Nord, grab the bags and get to the airport to catch the next flight!

There you have it … all of Paris in a day! (ok, maybe not all, as I hear it has a few more things to offer, but a damn good amount for one day)