Paris, Part Two: Finally, A Friendly Place

Waking up the next morning didn't help my mood. There were only two showers in the whole place and they weren't even on my floor. And they sucked. I survived my shower without getting any odd foot infections, grabbed my things and got the heck out. Goodbye, Aloha Hostel. I had received instructions on how to get to my next place via HostelWorld, so I grabbed a metro and went. The second hostel, a South Korean run place, was on the Southern outskirts of the city. I managed to find the street it was on (without a map!) but the address given was wrong. Luckily, the girl that lived across the street seen be staring blankly and asked if I needed help. IN ENGLISH! I guess she'd seen a lot of backpackers and knew what to do. My place was right across the street from where I was standing.

I walked in to a friendly welcome from the girl who was in charge and she gave me my room and sheets. However, I was five Euros short of what I owed her for the stay and there wasn't an ATM anywhere near. She asked if I was going into the city, which I was, and told me to bring the money back that night. So I set out to explore Paris.

It didn't take long to gain command of the Paris metro. For its size, it is very easy to use. I rode the hour up to Montmarre, the “red light district” if you will, in the Northern part of the city. As I walked up the stairs to street level, a smile broke. I was standing face to face with the Moulin Rouge! I snapped a few photos and wandered off to find the next item on my list for the day, Sacre Cour. It took a little longer than expected to find the legendary church, but along the way I ran into another which was also beautiful, so I won't complain. When I seen the huge stairway, I knew I had arrived.

The trek up the stairs was a long one. Sacre Cour is the second highest point in the city, only to the top of the Eiffel Tower. The church is beautiful on its own. However, the real treat on the hill was the overlook of the city. It is so far North that, looking out, you can see the entire city and every single monument and attraction there. I spent about an hour at Sacre Cour and decided to head South to the Louvre. It took me an hour and a half to get there.

I didn't actually arrive directly to the Louvre, I had gotten lost again and ended up walking up to the garden in front of it, which was a nice treat. It was a very controlled and perfect garden, which was fitting for the grandeur of the Louvre. Another smile broke when I caught glimpse of the giant glass pyramid. These are my favorite moments, when I see a monument that I recognize. It's so surreal.

By that time, I had been walking all day and was exhausted. I headed down the street to the last stop on my adventures for the day, Notre Dame. This cathedral has been the most impressive structure I have seen to date. It took 200 years to build, and I understand why. It's sheer size was awe inspiring, the art was just the knockout punch. Not a single statue or pane of glass in that church was the same. Every single one was unique. Even inside the church, the effect was the same. Gorgeous art, gorgeous architecture.

I stopped at a fancy French restaurant for the fancy French dinner I wanted (which was amazing, it's good to have real food occasionally) and headed home. Everybody at my hostel was very friendly. So I ended up spending the rest of the evening sharing a communal guitar with a South Korean guy and a Finnish guy. My nights in Paris were slowly getting better!