Wandering Paris

Our first day in Paris, we arrived via train in the early afternoon.  Before we even got to the hotel Kitty spied a park and we stopped by for a bit to let her run and play a bit. The weather was spectacular but I could not help but notice that Paris smells like pee. Cat pee to be precise. The whole city too, not just one area. I suppose it's to balance out all the ridiculous beauty of the city.

We eventually made it to our hotel in Montmarte. Here's a tip. Hotels are about 1/2 the price in Montmartre as other areas. The same holds true for cafe's. Yes, there are some really seedy businesses you might have to walk past but big dang deal. You don't have to actually go in, just keep on walking. We stayed right around the corner from the Moulin Rouge which is kind of a seedy business too, just with better PR.

View from our hotel window. Quiet neighbors.

Mark has been to Paris so many times that he really knows the city. It was fun to see him so excited to show Kitty and I his favorite parts. So on our first day, we spent the afternoon walking down the Champs Elysees and hanging out in the Tuileries gardens.

I walked around the city with my mouth hanging open, I think I was just flabbergasted at the care and effort put into making every bit of the city, beautiful. From beautifully laid out gardens, to boulevards with room for trees AND vehicles. Intricately detailed lamp posts and grotesques embellishing bridges. It was a bit overwhelming. Usually if I find something beautiful, its a forest or a mountain or a river valley. This might be the first time I have ever seen an entire city devoted to beauty. Even in the small streets, modest little shopkeepers seem to put an effort into the aesthetic of their space that is unlike any other place I have been. It's actually kind of refreshing to see that yes, humans can live in a densely populated area and it does not have to look a hot mess. It was just beautiful, the scent of cat pee not withstanding.

Not where we ate dinner, where we SHOULD have had dinner!

After dinner in the 6th arrondissment (big mistake, really overpriced for what you get. lesson learned) we went for a walk along the Seine. The canal boats who call Paris home were moored along the quay. As we walked by, I thought about how great it would be to bring the boat up to Paris for a bit. Then I thought about all that would entail from paperwork and expenses to unstepping the mast and trying to store it on deck and I relegated the idea to the "maybe someday, not a priority" file. Still, I can certainly see the appeal of buying a canal boat and traveling the canals of France and Europe for a bit. Then I realize that would mean unleashing Captain Perfecto to refit yet another boat and truthfully, I only have ONE refit in me so for now I shall just be happy with the few days we got to spend in Paris away from sanding teak and painting fiberglass.