Day 3 - Hop on - Hop Off

At 6am on a Tuesday morning the night receptionist at Hotel Royal Au Cardinal jumps on his pushbike and rides home through the semi quiet streets of Paris. The baker across the road has been baking croissants and baguettes since 2am and the proprietor of the brassiere across is getting ready to greet the first guests for petit dejuner.

At the same time in room 419, 3 aussie/swedes slowly wake up in anticipation of another day of exploring the city. Everyone had a good sleep even though mine (Peter) was interrupted after midnight by some telemarketer from Telstra trying to flog me a once in a life time internet broadband connection. The breakfast is taken at above named brassiere while watching the crazy traffic, parents taking their children to school and business people rushing past playing with their iPhones on their way to work.
We take the short walk up to Pont del la Tournelle and walk along the Seine River up towards the Notre Dame cathedral. Being early in the morning the lack of fellow tourists is very noticeable and it’s not until we arrive to the cathedral the crowds are starting to build.
Today we’re taking a hop on-hop off bus service around part of Paris. A one day ticket which takes you around many of the main attractions of Paris and you can get off or on as many times as you like during the day. Very convenient.

First stop for us this morning is the Arc the Triophe. We get off the bus where Champs Elyse's hits the huge roundabout surrounding the arc. We have decided to try and conquer the peak of the arc today. The 284 spiral staircase steps up to the top of the arc is a challenge for even the fittest of German school children let alone for the 3 of us but with vigour, bravery and passion we take on the challenge as per usual. ¾ of the way up we need to rest and to let 18 British students pass and before we hit the top no less than 27 Ukrainians have overtaken us.

But despite the lack of oxygen we eventually reach the top to be rewarded with spectacular views over Paris. I waste 10 minutes trying to work out the traffic rules in the roundabout underneath only to come to the conclusion out there are none.
Back down on the ground we get on the bus again. This time it takes us down towards the Eiffel tower and the surrounding areas. The bus driver is only to be admired as he navigates the traffic and the narrow streets. With sometimes only millimetres to spare and the frequent use of the horn he gets us safely down to the tower. We enjoy the peace of not being harassed by hoards of Eiffel tower key ring salesmen and enjoy the sight of other tourists not being so lucky. For 1 euro you get the bargain deal of 5 key rings in gold, silver or bronze. No doubt all made in China somewhere. Scarfs, umbrellas and hats are also popular items, all made in the same factory. There are definitely 15 sales people on the dozen here.

At the tomb of Napoleon it’s time to jump off the bus again. We need to recharge. Lunch is taken at a small restaurant where we are not allowed to sit indoors. Maybe our not so fashionable clothes or the not so faint scent of perspiration after climbing the arc is the reason or maybe something else. But we are still being served a lovely meal with accompanying wine. A memorable moment of this establishment are the restrooms where the path there resembles the climb of the arc and the temperature inside the restroom made Salme feel like she was already in Finland having a sauna.

A short walk up the road and we enter the Tomb of Napoleon I. Another huge complex of buildings with the church and its golden dome dominating the structure. As a fitting final resting place for the emperor his remains was brought back to Paris in 1861 from the island of St Helena to be laid to rest in no less than 5 coffins inside a momentous sarcophagus.

Huge marble plaques commemorating his military victories all over Europe covers the walls and 3 metre high status surrounds and guards his final resting place.

It’s now late afternoon and our legs and feet are crying out for some rest and we decide to make it a day. The bus takes us through the busy shopping district, past the Opera house and through the valved gate of the Louvre and back to Notre Dame. 15 minutes later we’re back in our room with feet up, drinks poured and with a content expression on our faces after another full on day of sightseeing.
Dinner is taken at a brassiere around the corner from the hotel. A simple menu consisting of Fois Gras, Fillets of tender duck, freshly caught salmon and a sausage made from tender strips of pork. A mellow Bordeaux wine harvested in 2006 goes well with this simple but nutritious meal. A cup of chest hair growing strong espresso ends the evening and as the bells in the Notre Dame cathedral rings one last time we drift off to sleep after yet another action filled day.