AGAIN another hour and a half commute to this area. What I found interesting this time is that I had to ride the bus to another train station altogether. This bus stop was at a bus terminal which multiple buses passed through. My bus ride took me on an expressway! It’s amazing being able to view the Eiffel Tower along the horizon. Once I got off, I went downstairs to catch my train on the metro. I had to ride that line for 18 stops and then exit the station altogether. Then I had to walk a couple of blocks before jumping on another line on the metro to head to Montmartre. I was lost. This part was frustrating for me because I felt I was not close enough to the area. I contemplated on jumping on a cab to head towards Sacre Coeur but the Uber ride estimated this to be around 18 euros. I figured a regular cab would have been over 20 euros and decided to save my money for later on when I would see my friend. After a frustrating 30 minutes of walking in circles, I walked into Printemps department store to use the WiFi. I had a migraine and decided to have a latte so I could calm down. After carefully examining Google maps, I walked out and found the metro line I had to take. 5 stops later I exited and saw a carousal. I made it!! What a relief!
I found the “wall of love” and joined the other tourists snapping away with pictures. I immediately knew the neighborhood had a distinctive feel and started going in and out of boutique shops and specialty stores. Once I found some stairs, I knew I had to hike upwards in order to get to the Sacre Coeur. Luckily I was heading in the right direction and found it in time to join the line forming. There were a ton of students around but I managed to walk in within a 10 minute wait. I was completely blown away by the huge mosaic mural inside on the ceiling. There was Jesus, extending his arms out! I was moved.
I stayed and prayed for about an hour before I decided to venture out again. This time when I exited, the line was wrapped around. I did some souvenir shopping for a bit. Unfortunately, it was nearing 7 pm and I knew I had to leave. I had to meet up with my friend and in order to see her at 8pm, I had to leave now. Another hour and a half later I made it back to my hotel and started packing my bag.
I let my friend know I was running behind schedule and checked out of the hotel. This time, I had to take the bus again, just like my first night here, and go back to the same metro line I used when I came in from the airport. 18 stops later I made it to the metro and rode that line for a while before transferring onto another line. I grew upset when I noticed I was heading towards the wrong direction. I had to jump off and make my way to the other side of the platform. I was frustrated because this train was taking longer than usual. It was now nearing 9:30pm. I was running behind BIG TIME.
My train finally came. I felt so bad rushing. Once off the metro I had to jump on a tram for 5 more rides. I noticed the familiar McDonalds and ran inside to connect to the wifi. I called my friend to let her know I was near. She seemed fine when I met her at her place. I quickly got ready for our night out.
We took the metro and got off at Opera. We made our way to Harry’s New York bar for some cocktails. It was nice catching up with her.
Me and my friend went next door to a piano bar. This place was crazy! Everyone was dancing and singing along. We stayed the rest of the night here because we didn’t want to leave.
I probably slept for an hour and a half. I was nervous about my flight again. I decided to play it safe and leave earlier than anticipated. I figured I’ll knock out on my flight home. I rode the tram, jumped on the metro and headed towards the airport.
Luckily everything went smoothly on my way back home. What a trip! I had some bumps on the road but overall I loved seeing my friends in Italy and Paris. I also got a chance to experience some new places. I’m a lucky girl…
No comments:
Post a Comment