During our annual tour in Germany March 2000, I had the opportunity to visit Paris France. We took the overnight bus tour from the base to Paris. Unable to sleep, I took a few benadryl's on the way. Unfortunately, they kicked in around the time we hit Paris at 7:00 a.m. So if I look a little drugged in the photos, it's because I was.
Our tour guide was one mean machine. Just not a friendly lady. In addition to that, it poured rain the two days we were there. Perri and I shared a hotel room, and it was perhaps the nastiest hotel room I've ever been in. The people were rude everywhere we went.
I'm not sure that I'll return to Paris. Despite the negatives, the trip up the Eiffel Tower was amazing, as was the Palace of Versailles. The highlight of the tour for me was a trip to the Louvre. Those three visits made the trip worth while. We also visited Notre Dame, Place de la Concorde, Napolean's Tomb, a perfume manufacturer (which we skipped) and a gift shop or two.
In the evening we took a cruise down the river Seine and checked out the Parisian lights at night. It was raining buckets. Perri and I looked at each other and said, How often will we be in Paris? So we sat out on the deck in the rain and enjoyed the view despite the rain. During our free time during the day, we checked out a little Paris Bistro and I ordered pastries and coffee and tea in my most unperfect French - I was thinking of my high school French teacher and wishing she were there! Another highlight was dinner in a quaint french restuarant, being serenaded by a performer named Christian, perhaps the only nice french person we met.
Glad I went, although Paris was my least favorite European city so far.
