A final day in Paris

Sunday, December 21, 2008
Paris, France and travel to London, England

This fountain was just down the street from my hotel but for some reason on sunday it was full of bubbles.

Well today was my final day in Paris and really my final day on this trip. I booked myself on the 1813 (6:13PM) Eurostar train from Paris to London but had to be out of my hotel by 1100 so had the entire day to kill before I had to head out of town. This was good because there were a couple other things I wanted to take a look at. Getting around proved to be a bit more difficult as it was Sunday morning and there was no one working at the metro station I went to which meant I could only buy a ticket from the automated machine, but it only took credit cards and the machine did not want to read mine so I had to walk to the next closet station because someone was working there and eventually I did get a ticket.

Some of the decorations on one of the bridges crossing the Seine.

I took the metro to the train station I would leave to London from, printed out my ticket and then went looking for the left luggage lockers. At Gare du Nord (the train station) you actually have to go through some security and an x-ray machine before you can leave you bag. Once I got rid of all the excess weight I headed out to the metro again to see if I could get to where I wanted to go.

Like I said earlier, train stations in Paris kind of seem like mazes and making my way back to the correct train was actually not as easy as I thought it would be even with following the signs and asking for directions and all that kind of thing. But when I did find the train it was all good and I made it to where I wanted to go.

The Hotel des Invalides

Where was I going you ask? Well my first stop was the Hotel des Invalides. This “hotel” was built by Louis XIV (actually completed after he was dead but he ordered it) in 1670 to house injured and disabled soldiers. Construction was completed in 1676. It is now a museum. The Chapel is also home to several important tombs including that of Napoleon I (Bonaparte), his son Napoleon II and the heart of Sebastian Le Prestre de Vauban who was the designer of Louis XIV’s military fortifications.

The statue of Napoleon looking down on everyone.

I can’t lie I did not head into the chapel to see the tombs and I did not hit up any of the museums (I needed much more time and I don’t like to be rushed in museums) but I did enjoy the architecture. I even got chased by security because apparently I was wandering too far off the tourist path. I just wanted to take a picture of one of the faces on the building….eventually he said ok.

]

Here is the face I took a picture of.

Interesting to know as well that in 1789 a mob forced its way into the hotel and seized around 28,000 rifles before heading to the prison at Bastille, starting the french revolution.

So it is not a surprise that my next stop was also at the Bastille…or at least where the Bastille would have been. It of course was destroyed my a mob during the revolution and the only thing that remains is a traffic roundabout (I am not sure that is original). Something else you will find at the Place de la Bastille, lots of shops, so I went shopping. Oh yes, more shopping. It was fun. I spent more money.

The monument at the Place de la Bastille.

Once my shopping was done I found my way back to the train station, found some food and then made my way to the gate. First time I had been through any type of passport control since I left Istanbul and completely reconfirmed that UK immigration guys ask way to many questions.

Anyway, the trip was quite uneventful. A slight 30 minute delay before we were allowed to enter the Channel tunnel but other than that no issues. Once I arrived in London it was back to the Tube and out to Heathrow. One last night in a hotel and then home in the morning. It will be a long trip and it will be cold when I get there but looking forward to a home cooked meal…and my bed.

Julie

Stonehenge

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Salisbury, England

Well today I finally headed outside of London to see one of the sites I always wanted to see….Stonehenge. It was a short and comfortable 1.5 hour train ride to Salisbury where I hopped aboard the Stonehenge Tour bus. This bus takes you through Salisbury, Old Sarum, out to Stonehenge and back, all while giving some very interesting information about the sights around the area.

The only remaining waterway in town.

A few of the local sights in Salisbury. A really cute little town. All part of a visit to Stonehenge.

The rocks were just as amazing as I thought they would be although the site is not as big as I thought. It is just amazing that people were able to build this place without the help of cranes and that kind of thing. Really this is one of that places were architecture started and it just moved me to see it. I guess it still just amazes me that we have no idea what the site was used for. They say up to 40% of the existing site is missing due to rocks being removed by others passing by for other things. It still seems most likely that the site was used as some sort of a calendar. I could agree with that but it would be so cool if we could find out for sure.

It was a little bit cold and windy while visiting the rocks but that certainly did not affect my visit at all. I came well prepared. I almost pulled out a touque but was quite cold enough for that.

As amazing as seeing the rocks were though it was also so interesting to hear the stories of the early civilizations that were in the area, the burial hills that can still be seen and the other sites that were in the area. I had no idea that there was so much other stuff there other than Stonehenge. I really did not plan enough time to truly visit the area so I will certainly have to go back and check out the rest of the stuff. The burial hills were really neat though. They have found that pits were dug and someone was buried in it, often with prized possessions or even an animal. Then the hill was built up. At later dates other people were often buried in the hill. There are actually 5 different types of burial hills, all of which can be seen in the area.

I know, I know I look like a tourist but I actually do little to hide that fact while I am out and about. I have no problem with people knowing I am not from around here.

The area around Salisbury is home to 7 Military instillations including the Air Force’s testing facility. There were a few helicopters around. Lots of military towns in the area. In fact, these open areas were once a training site for allied forces as they prepared for the D-Day invasion of Normandy.

Not sure what he really wants to be done. If they remove the ropes and the security guards there will be nothing left of this amazing site in a few short years.

Unfortunately my day went from great to not so great after my visit to the rocks. I had gotten on a bus that would take me on a 2.5 hour trip from Salisbury to Avebury, which is also home to a rock formation. Unfortunately while I was on the bus I realized that I had left my travel journal on the tour bus. By the time I realized though I was too far to get off and go back to get it so I had to wait until we got to another bus station and then load another bus to get back to Salisbury. By this time the bus I actually left it on was back on the route but I checked with the driver of the second tour bus, and the lost and found to see if it had been turned it. Of course it had not, but they told me to wait so I could check the other bus but of course this bus never actually came back and I guess went to the bus depot so I never actually got to see it again. So basically I spent 3 hours trying to get to a bus that would never come and nobody seemed to see it. It is probably still sitting there.

The town square in Salisbury, at least that is what I am calling it. It was central and people always seemed to gather here.

I really tried to be positive about it so did check out a few other things in Salisbury while I waited for the bus to show up. There is a huge cathedral in town. Apparently it is the tallest medieval cathedral around (a couple that are taller were not completed during the medieval period so some people don’t count them). The cathedral survived World War II because it was used as a landmark during air strikes so bombers were told to avoid hitting it.

One a little newer than the other. Not sure if it was a replacement or if this was just a recent addition.

There are just a lot of really old buildings and churches… the city was built on five rivers and many canals but after a couple of cholera outbreaks and other water born diseases were discovered, many of those canals were covered over. Not much evidence of them anymore but still a great old city.

Reason number 400 that I was doing no driving in England. I have no idea what this says.

Some of the quaint housing in Salisbury. I love quaint housing, thus I love England because everything seems to be quaint here.

Anyway, I ended up heading back to London early because there were no more buses to Avebury and there was not much more to see once stuff started to close. I still hope that my journal will show up in the next couple of days and then I will head back to Salisbury to retrieve it and maybe see a few more things.

A couple of the original buildings and things you will see. Like a said a very cute little town but but by the end I was in no mood to visit. Hopefully there will be a return visit sometime soon.

Julie