Arrival in Paris

It was with much good fortune that we arrived in Paris at our appointed time. We learned afterwards that there was an air traffic control strike that resulted in 40% cancelled flights. So glad ours was not one of them.

With the successful arrival of not only us but our checked bags as well, we decided to spend the extra money to take a cab rather than taking the metro or bus so we would get an introduction to the city from a Parisian. We were not disappointed as he had an obvious love for his city and gave us a "lay of the land" as well as pointed out some major sites as we drove by. I even got a kiss on the cheek from him. French men do seem to cater to women! This was further evidenced by our hotel manager at Hotel Eber Mars who checked us into our room. He gave us multiple maps of the city with detailed instructions on how to use the bus and metro system to access the major Paris sights. Very helpful. Oh, and we can see the Eiffel Tower from our room!

Although extremely tired, hunger overruled our need for sleep so once settled we headed out to Rue de Cler in search of a good restaurant. Found one in Cafe du Marche. Something we noticed there was how conversational the French are with each other. Much more talking and less looking at smartphones and iPads - refreshing.

With our stomachs no longer directing our actions, we decided we would walk over to see the Eiffel Tower up close. What an iconic, city-defining site! A huge tree-lined grassy promenade provided nt ony great views of this beautiful structure but also a place for people to gather and picnic. Unfortunately, tours going up to the top were also a casualty of the strike with it closed until evening. By this time we were so tired by lack of sleep that we weren't even appreciating what was around us so we headed back to our room and got a couple hours of sleep.

When we awoke, it was twilight and headed back to the Eiffel Tower to see it lit up. It did not disappoint. Simply beautiful! Walked along the Seine River for a bit before we stood for a late night snack of bread, cheese, wine and that most wonderful French created dessert - Creme Brûlée.

One thing we are struggling with is that mentally we are ready to be on the Camino which is having some impact on how we are viewing our time in France. Tomorrow we hope to be more "in the moment" of París as we don't want to cheat ourselves of of the beauty of this iconic city. For this moment, I am still tired so calling it a day.

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