Written by Stephen Hall with Brett Schnitzerling & Glenn Harris
It was an early start for us having the roosters set for 5am. We didn't get to sleep till well after 12 so we weren't very impressed when the alarms went off but the prospect of Paris kept us going. The first train from Mol to Antwerp Centraal left just before six which we stumbled onto. There was a short period in transit but we passed the time with Starbucks and lollies. We boarded the train to Paris at 7.40 which passed through Brussels and arrived at 10am. The Thalys train service was comfortable enough and we were careful not to sit in the first class section.
As soon as we arrived we began hunting for a Hostel and a croissant. The three of us had crammed a days worth of clothes into one bag and Brett was well and truly over carrying it by the time we found the 'Vintage Hostel.' It was reasonably cheap, included breakfast and was central to the city centre. We dropped our bags at the lobby and found our way up to the subway. The train line has many different routes and stations only 3km within each other. Our first stop was the Champ Elysees where we took some photos and followed the hoards of people to the Arc d'Triumph. Most of the city is gray with many bland buildings but this street is beautiful and littered with top of the range fashion boutiques from D&G to Louis Vuitton. Traffic was chaotic but we managed to snap some photos with the Arc d'Triumph and continue our trek to see the Eiffel Tower.
We took too many photos and laughed the whole way there that it probably took longer than it should but it was well worth it when we were standing beneath the beautiful structure. The line was ridiculous so we just took pictures, fooled around and followed the tourists. Glenn & I had a race some pedal cars and got a few strange looks for having so much fun on a children's ride. Brett & Glenn were like little kids in a toy store when they saw the array of beautiful vehicles flying through the streets. Cars don't interest me in the slightest but I pretended to be impressed.
We were fairly exhausted after all the walking so the sight of a jam packed subway didn't excite us. People crammed into the tight carriages (which look a lot like the ones in the movies) and we found ourselves hugging strangers just to keep upright. Everyone burst out of the train at our stop to catch their breath and march off to do whatever it is they do. We slowly made our way back to the Hostel where we rested for a while and had a few drinks. A few drinks turned into a few more and we found ourselves talking to some interesting backpackers in the lobby. The Canadian & Chilean guys were far more friendly then the old uptight Australian woman. A few people had told us to checkout a beautiful spot called the 'Basillique du Sacre' Coeur' which overlooks the city close to the Hostel. We made our way there at 6pm and conquered the 6-7 flights of stairs (reminiscent of a straight Jacob's Ladder in Perth). The view from the top was absolutely breathtaking. Over 150 people sat at the top of the hill in front of the church enjoying the view and listening to an African man play guitar. Every few minutes someone would walk by selling 2 euro Heineken which we all accepted heartedly. The sun slowly went down over the 'City of Love' and we all had an incredible time making friends and having a laugh. Glenn and I were so caught up in it we neglected to notice Brett went AWOL for an hour. I managed to grab the guitar for a few songs but my fingers became blurry in front of my face and retired to continue my conversation with a new friend.
Glenn & Brett took off to go see the famous Moulin Rouge show while I stayed behind and watched the lights of the city and Eiffel tower from above. Eventually I made my way back to the Hostel but got lost and caught a taxi the last 3km home. I went to bed while Glenn & Brett stumbled in sometime later. It was an incredible night and we spoke about it excitedly before the lights went out.
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