Everywhere Else In Paris

It was another gloomy morning in Paris. The blue skies that I enjoyed in the other cities faded into the clouds. The sticky phlegm since Italy is more evident in my throat. It was one of those gloomy days. Perhaps its was the cold weather, perhaps it was the phlegm, or a big perhaps goes to the realization that it was my last full day in Paris. Tomorrow, I will head back to Amsterdam to spend the night. A day after, I’m flying back to Manila. My Europe trip is ending.

The Plan: Musee D' Orsay/Rodin Museum/Napoleon's Tomb

What Happened:  Basilique du Sacré-Cœur (Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Paris), Day Seine River Cruise, Mass, Tuileries again.

I decided to skip the museums even though some are covered by the Paris Museum Pass. I wasn’t leaning towards an art appreciation day. It was a blah day in Europe.

The morning began with an uphill walk to Basilique du Sacré-Cœur. Rode the metro and got off at Anvers station – which is just two stops away from my home base stop – Blanche Station. It is short walk going to the entrance of the basilica – a short uphill walk. The streets are lined with a lot of souvenir shops. Which reminded me that I needed to shop because my trip was ending.

It was a raining. People had their umbrellas out. 

Had to climb stairs to reach the basilica. The view on top supposedly offers a great view of Paris. Well, not today. It was foggy.

Pictures were not allowed to be taken inside. Said a prayer of thanks for keepin' me safe in my journey.

I was taking a bunch of less-enthusiastic shots that day. I wasn’t feeling quite friendly because of the weather. I mean, it would be a really kind stranger with an umbrella who would be kind enough to take my picture in the rain. I didn’t try. Boo hoo blah days.

My friend who I met in my Palaui trip told me where I could go to mass. It has been two weekends since I last heard mass. I can’t recall the name of the chapel but it is somewhere around the Arc de Triomphe, quite easy to find. Almost half of the churchgoers were Filipinos. I felt at home. It lifted my spirits in that Blah day.I got a little teary eyed when it came to the “peace be with you” part. I go to church with my family every Sunday. I miss home. In a way, I was looking forward to going back.

I had my lunch in the ever reliable McDonald’s. I had food in my tummy for less than €10. 

In this side of the world, they clean up their mess and put the trash in its proper place. Unlike here, where we are all senyoritos and senyoritas waiting for someone else to clean up the mess.

Thanks for putting your trash here

After lunch, I headed back to the Eiffel Tower - this is the starting point of the Seine River Cruise.

Eiffel Tower during the day

Because of the kind Pinoys in paris, I got the Seine River Cruise for free! Bwahaha! Kaching kaching in savings. 

 

Seine River Cruise is highly recommended to be done on your first day in Paris, at night. It is a good way to introduce yourself to the city. In my case, it became kind of a “farewell Paris” boat ride.

Our guide knows English, French, Spanish, Italian and German – well those were the languages that I identified.

The boats had this audioguide where you put this phone-gadget in your ear and somebody tells you the history of the place. I am so glad that I didn’t get audioguides during my trip. I am not fit to listen to someone or something all the time.

Boat view of the Notre Dame Cathedral

The cruise took one hour. I still had some time to run to Museum D’Orsay. But I wasn’t that lucky to have made it time. The museum was closed. I still wanted a picture.

The purple camera case in Museum D'Orsay

I decided to spend more time with the trees of Tuileries Gardens - which is just across the museum. I wanted to enjoy autumn. Nothin’ like it in the Philippines. I had to pass by this bridge with the locks of love. The third of its kind during my trip. I’ve seen similar locks in a path in Cinque Terre and in the bridge ofCologne.

More locks of love

A final glimpse of autumn.

So, there goes my last full day in Paris. The next afternoon, I'll be in my train ride back to Amsterdam.