After getting off the Chunnel Train and making our way to the Hotel Baltimore near the Tracadero. When we checked in the night before, the hotel receptionist said that in addition to arriving the day after the general elections, the weather forecast called for some of the most inclement, rainy weather Paris had seen all year.
As part of the Costco package, we got tickets to the Hop On’Hop Off buses that circulate the city. It took you to the major sites and you could get on and off the bus at certain destinations all throughout the city. The buses are double deckers and open air on the top level, allowing you to see the sights. Each rider is issued a set of earphones that plugs into a panel and provides audio guides to the various sites along the route.
We did one complete circuit on the main bus route without getting off to scout out all the sights. Unfortunately, the forecasted rain started to hit shortly after that and on all subsequent days, so we spent the rest of our bus time below decks hiding from the pelting rain. We managed to stay dry by ducking into and out of various museums and shops, including Au Printemps, the large French department store where I found the largest jar of Nutella I’ve seen in a retail store (I think it was 5 kg)
Retracing Steps
I wanted to hit the Musee d’Orsay, home to Impressionist and post Impressionist art. Retracing some of the steps in Paris, I took the picture on the left in 2003 when I visited the Musee d’Orsay and then a similar picture in 2012. We also hit Norte Dame, and the Lourve.
By the end of our Paris stay, I think we were ready to get home, as it was a packed 10 days of travel.
