Kristen

Day 2 in Paris,

Way better then the first day. I walked to the Arc de Triumphe and it took me a million years. I figured out how to use the metro. They have an excellent public transit system that can get you everywhere. I got it down pat now. I went to the Eiffel Tower using it and I meet the segway tourguide at the south leg and he was AMERICAN and could speak ENGLISH was sooooooooooooooooo happy about that.

The Segway tour was awesome. We covered so much ground and I saw soooo much of Paris. The segways were pretty tricky and it took me awhile to get used to it. They run by pressure in your feet. Thankfully, I didn't wipe out :) They go like stink--up to 15 miles per hour and those puppies have Michelin tires on them :) They turn on a dime too. I soooooooooooo want one.

The tour was soooo good because there were only 3 other Americans doing it, so it was such a small group. I saw the Ecole Militare (there are still bullet holes from WWII in the walls), Hotel des Invalides, Eglise Saint Louis des Invalides (Napolean's tomb is located there, and apparently he has 6 coffins placed strategically down below so to look at it you have to bend down, or bow to him--he's pretty vain eh?), the Musee
D'Orsay, Musee D'Louvre, Place de la Concorde, Grand Palais and Petit Palais, Palais de Chaillot, Pont Alexandre III (the best bridge in Paris) the Arc de Triumphe and Avenue de Champ Elysse.

The last part of my afternoon, I spent touring the Latin District. This is where my hotel will be if there is a next time:) and of course if someone comes with me because I doubt I would do it alone again.

I went and saw the

Notre Dame Cathedral. It was so beautiful inside and out. I walked around a bit more and saw the Panthelon and went into some cute shops.

I realized it was time to go back, when again ,I had to start warding off the creeps...I donno what it is becuase I walk really fast and ignore everyone, but seem to still find them. I haven't had a shower in three days you would think my smell would have scared em off:). But this guy was like walking really fast and following me everywhere....and was talking to me and trying to hold my hand EWWWWWWWWW. I had to go in a store to ditch him. I made it back to the Eiffel Tower to see it light up and then took the metro back to my divey hotel.

In the two days, I ate so many pastries...they are just sooo tempting...I had a chocolate croissant, and baggettes, and a cafe du lait. Oh, and on my first night I had expensive McDonlads.

The next morning went not so smooth. I think that everything bad that could happen, happens to me. I phoned the dickwads (shuttle service) to see if they were coming to pick me up in the right spot. I guess my "special instructions" were not enough to have them

understand where the hotel was because they were like the other address is in a different district, and they planned their route according to that one. But, we can come at 11 am...I'm like don't bother the flight leaves at 12:30 and its a 45 min ride to the airport, so its cutting er pretty close. I wrote the correct address down....for them, so I told them to read the sheet. I was surprised that I stayed somewhat polite on the phone cause I was turning GREEN.

I went back to the hotel to kick PLAN B into action. Of course, I had no plan B. I asked them to call me a taxi. The hotel guy said it costs 10 Euros just to call one, that I have to go wait at a taxi stand. Yep, I lugged the bags down the street to a stand and waited, and waited, and waitied. I finally, made it to the airport.

XO
Krissy