Paris, first day

Welcome to my first day in Paris. I took the night train from Barcelona. As much as I like to watch scenery during train rides, taking the night train has several advantages. It allows you to combine the cost of accommodations and transportation in to one blow, plus, you don't "waste" an entire day on the train.

When you take the night train and have a Railpass, you have a few options. You can get a "bed" in a sleeping compartment for more money than I like to spend, you can get a seat for beans, or you can get a couchette for about $20. Getting any amount of quality sleep in a train seat is difficult without heavy chemical assistance. And if you're not going to sleep on the night train, that defeats half the purpose. Ergo, we come to the couchette. There are six couchettes in a closet-sized compartment. They fold down from the walls like shelves, three high on each side. There is room for six adults in a couchette compartment...if they are all lying down on their couchettes. Yes, if you are traveling alone you will probably be sleeping very close to five strangers. That's Europe, friend, so climb onto your shelf and behave yourself.

The first time I went to Paris was in 1998 with my mom, my sister, and our friends from Stuttgart (see earlier post). It was a big, impressive whirlwind (we were there for I think two days). We took the night train (more couchettes). Mom, Amy, and I went up to Sacre Couer in the evening. It's such a beatiful church, especially lit up. There are steps and terraces in front of the church that took out over the city. I remember when we were there, there were crowds of people sitting on the steps and enjoying the view. It's a very romantic place.

View of the city (it was a bit foggy this day, but you get the idea)

Friends

Sacre Couer