In – Part 1 – of this blog last week, I discussed speaking French and free things to do.
Sorbonne
The classic Paris must-sees are –
Notre-Dame
Centre Pompidou
The Louvre
The Arc de Triomphe
Montmatre
St Germain-des-Pres
Jardin du Luxembourg
The Eiffel Tower
Musee d’Orsay
Versailles Palace
Montmatre
Moulin Rouge
Most guided tours include a night at the Moulin Rouge which can work out very expensive with a meal thrown in. We found there are a few cabaret shows and you don’t have to have a full meal. Don’t be suckered into the expensive options. There is a cabaret at half the price of the touristy ones.
The Louvre
There are two airports in Paris. Charles de Gaul and Orly. I arrived at Charles de Gaul and took a train into the centre of Paris. One snag was that the rail staff were all on strike. So I couldn’t buy a ticket to exit the station. I couldn’t figure out how to use the auto ticket vendors either. Thank God my husband was meeting me at the station. He had spare tickets and he passed one over to me so I could exit through the turnstiles or I may have had to do like a couple of other people and jump over with my luggage. When we left Paris, the train staff were on strike again, so we both took the Roissy which is actually a better option.
River tours of the Seine
My husband is a great planner and I leave him to plan things furiously. He does a good job and he seems to enjoy the planning as much as the holiday. He found us a self catering apartment via Loving Apartments in the Les Halles vicinity. Les Halles is located in the 1er arrondissement. Paris is divided up into arondissements or districts and each has a number.
The smaller the number, the closer to the inner city. It follows that the bigger the number the further out the district or arrondissement. The great thing about being in Les Halles – it was central. My advice is to try and base yourself as close to the centre as possible. Acommodation in Paris is not cheap. Most places are minuscule. Our little apartment was the size of a small garage for a car yet it had a double bed, dining table, a kitchen and a bathroom. We were amazed at how they managed to make an apartment in such a small space. But it had all we needed and we were out most days anyway.
One piece of advice for Paris. Pack old tired walking shoes. You may be visiting the style capital of the universe but the streets are littered with dog mess. And if you come from a country like Australia where you have to make sure your shoes are clean before coming through the airport, rather buy a swanky new pair of shoes and toss your old ones at the airport. Much easier.
Part 3 – next week talks on eating in France and my recommendations for things to do.
Go to – My Holidays and Trips – at the top of this page to read about other places we have visited. Or just click on – this link.
The Paris blog is done in 3 parts which I post weekly.
Eiffel Tower
Some say Paris is The City of Love. Others call it The City of Light. Paris is a lot of things to a lot of people. It’s also the biggest tourist destination in the world. Almost eighty million people arrived in France in 2011. Most of them in Paris. see more here We went in low season and there were more tourists in Paris than I have ever seen anywhere before. High season must be dreadful in Paris.
Arc de Triomphe
Paris skyline from Eiffel Tower
The French have a reputation for being rude so why would people flock there? Paris is steeped in romance and history which is evident in their architecture. The French make sure they enjoy the best food, clothing and life style. They resonate pure class. I don’t actually think the French are rude at all. I think it’s the visitors who are rude. Imagine a Russian arriving in China and insisting on speaking Russian? It wouldn’t happen. Yet people from English speaking countries rock up in France and make no effort to speak French or even ask if it is OK to speak English. I’m with the French on this one.
Sacre Coer
We first did a – Michel Thomas – basic French speaking course and found that if we tried to speak French first, the French people almost always spoke perfect English back to us.The Michel Thomas course was our second attempt at learning French. We did a proper course at a language school and after weeks we still couldn’t speak French. They focused too much on grammar and tenses and we never got to learn how to actually speak. Michel Thomas takes phrases and gets you to very basic French fast. Which is all you need.
The other thing we found helpful in understanding the French were Stephen Clarke’s books. They are written from the perspective of a Brit, but with a brilliant sense of humour. read about him here
There is so much to see in Paris. We stayed a week and we still never got to see all we hoped. Our plan was to take a tourist map and divide the city into parts which we walked each day making sure we included the main attractions.
It is possible to hire a bicycle and ride around Paris. What is handy as you can drop the bike off at bike stands they have all over the city. Read more about that – here. All the key attractions – except Versailles – are in the city. Paris is not an inexpensive destination but it is possible to cut costs. We discovered that on certain days, some major attractions are free.
Only thing with main attractions – free or not – you queue for hours to get in. An early start is vital. We got into the Musee d’Orsay for free but sharing space with thousands of people is no fun at all. Seriously, it can take nearly all day to get to see the Mona Lisa at the Louvre, coz everybody is doing the exact same thing.
George Pompidou
You have to really badly want to see something and then you need to know that you are seeing it at the expense of having time to explore other aspects of the city.
Next week in – Part 2 – I deal with must-sees and getting to and from airport and in a fortnight in – Part 3 – I talk on eating and my recommendations for things to do in Paris.
Go to – My Holidays and Trips – at the top of this page to read about other places we have visited. Or just click on – this link.
Find – Part 1 – and – Part 2 – of Croatia is the last two blog posts.
Peaceful mooring
Like many of our holidays, this holiday was sandwiched around a bit of boating. Our next destination was in the direction of – Zadar – where we were to collect our boat. Getting to the harbour was a minor challenge as the bus driver and his pal didn’t speak a word of English. But we showed them a map and luckily for us they dropped us off on the side of the road next to the harbour at Zadar. Kind as the driver and his friend were, they virtually chain smoked the whole way. Public smoking laws have a way to go.
View from the galley
We were a bit early for our boat handover so we had a bite at the harbour cafe. I’m not a language expert but I recognised a good few Russians at the harbour cafe. I got the feeling Eastern Europeans flock to Croatia for sun and sailing holidays. Once we got our boat, we shopped for food at the harbour supermarket and the next day we left to explore the coast and islands.
Everyone deserves to do this trip. Basically we went off and found island upon island. Some islands have shops, markets and cafes. When we weren’t boating, we swam in the ocean, tanned on the deck of the boat and relaxed with a glass of wine under the stars at night. We slept with the windows and doors open listening to water lapping at the side of the boat. One night we discovered what we thought was phosphorescence in the sea water. I was mesmerised and played with the water in my hands watching it sparkle. It was a magical and relaxing holiday.
Another peaceful mooring
Our favourite island was – Hvar. If you are not boating it is still possible to get to the bigger islands by ferry from the mainland. On Hvar we found a bustling market where we bought lavender oil, honey, fresh figs and yummy cheeses. Some must-sees recommended by other travel sites are – here and here.
There are 1185 islands off Croatia’s coastline. Some islands were smaller and finding food was harder. But then they were so peaceful and the remoteness was a big part of the attraction. We managed to anger a donkey when we dropped anchor next to his patch. He was most upset with us. Obviously not a lot of people came past.
The only advice I will give if you decide to go boating is to make sure you have maps. We didn’t get much from the boat hire companies. Here are links to a few of the boat charterers in Croatia – Bareboat and Sail Croatia
Sunset at Marina Agana
No matter how much time a person puts aside to travel there is always more to see and not enough time. We never got to see the capital Zagreb and the northern inland areas which are very different to where we were in the southern coast. But then we did get to see some of the most beautiful coastline and islands on earth.
Go to – My Holidays and Trips – at the top of this page to read about other places we have visited. Or just click on – this link.
Go to last week’s post to read – Part 1 – of this Croatian holiday.
Split
One of the – must-sees – is Onofrio’s Fountains. Naturally, enthusiastic tourist that I am, I took an obligatory sip of water. I looked up afterwards and saw birds sitting on the top of this fountain. I did wonder if I had just ingested bird droppings and promptly decided that fountain water wasn’t for me. Apart from walking the city flat and exploring, it’s also possible to go – kayaking – or laze in the sun on one of their – beaches.
Rubbing Gregory of Nin’s toe
Split
We stayed at a guesthouse just off the cobblestone streets of Dubrovnik our first and last few nights. The standard of this place was good. Breakfast is usually included and I would strongly suggest always having breakfast in-house as finding breakfast on the streets in Croatia is a huge problem. These people don’t seem to have much more than a strong cup of coffee to start the day. I also have to point out that vegetarians can expect to struggle to find food. I get so tired of moaning about the limited options at restaurants and cafes for vegetarians but I have to be honest, Croatia was one of the worst places I have been to in that regard. Atkins, Dukan and Paleolithic diet fans will have no problem.
We moored in Trogir a UNESCO town
After a day in Dubrovnik we took a bus up to Split where we overnighted next. As we got off the bus a hoard of people touting accommodation came rushing at us. We decided to go with a sweet looking little old lady and followed her through winding roads and alleys. She rushed us into a room and before we even knew it – she was gone. The room was dreadful. The beds were basic, the carpets and linen threadbare. The towels were stained. The bath taps leaked and the bath was well worn. We probably should have left but we had no idea where we were, where to start looking and it was only for one night, so we stuck it out. And it’s not like we got a cheap rate for this run down spot. Lesson learned. Don’t ever go looking for accommodation in that manner. Rather book in advance on-line.
Trogir – where we moored the boat for two nights
Split is the second largest city in Croatia. Much like Dubrovnik it has an old town, but it’s also a modern vibrant city. I managed to squeeze in a mini shopping session at H and M. And yes I did stroke St Gregory of Nin’s foot like many other people have. That poor foot is wearing away and is quite thin.
The city is dominated by the palace of former Roman Emperor Diocletian and the waterfront area with cafes and bars. Here – is a list of beaches in split.
You can also take a ferry to visit one of the many Croatian islands from Split. Find a link to the – timetables. A lengthy list of to-do’s is – here.
Next week is – Part 3 – and the final part of the Croatian boating holiday.
Go to – My Holidays and Trips – at the top of this page to read about other places we have visited. Or just click on – this link.
Most countries are blob shaped. Croatia is completely different. It has a long narrow strip of coast and then it takes a right turn and has another long thin piece of inland country. Which gives it a sort of upside down tick or crescent moon shape. This means that Croatia has two distinct types of vegetation and climate. Inland the weather is continental. There are lakes, bird filled wetlands and even ski resorts. The coastal area is decidedly Mediterranean and perfect for boating, water sports and working on your tan. Even the cuisine is different. Inland you can expect meaty stews and comfort food. At the coast it’s more like to be seafood, pasta and salad on the menu.
Steep steps to our accommodation in Dubrovnik
Croatia’s history is extremely important in order to get the people. It was previously part of communist Yugoslavia under Marshal Tito, who was a firm dictator. Croatia’s path to independence began in 1991 and culminated in a war that ended in 1995. Bosnia, Montenegro and Serbia are Croatia’s neighbours on the coastal side. One of the worst wars in human history happened there. It’s fair to say, people in this part of the world have had their share of hardships. And you can see it in the people. Croatians are not rude but they are reserved and disinclined to engage. English is not widely spoken, certainly not in the smaller places and not by older people. One gets the feeling that this is a country finding it’s feet after years of communist isolation and harrowing wars.
Greenie in doorway to our accommodation in Dubrovnik
The influx of tourists is still relatively recent. We did this trip in 2006 and found Croatia mostly unspoilt, unlike the Portuguese and Spanish coasts where ghastly high-rise concrete developments extend as far as the eye can see. Croatia is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful places on earth. Many of their old medieval cities are still relatively intact and are UNESCO world heritage sites. We never got to travel inland as we did a boating holiday. The Croatian coast is absolutely stunning. Beautiful blue seas, clear skies and a warm – but not hot – climate.
The capital of Croatia is Zagreb, which is inland. We flew directly into Dubrovnik which is probably their busiest tourist spot and one of their UNESCO heritage cities. It is a walled city and is an attraction all of it’s own. I recommend taking at least a day to walk around the walls, as well as in and about the cobbled alleys of the old town. Dubrovnik reminded me of Italy. Not surprising as Italy is just across the Adriatic Sea. There is a strong Roman influence. And the Romans are still coming. We noticed plenty Italian visitors who catch ferries across to Croatia.
Inside our accommodation in Dubrovnik
If you like historical architecture including squares, fortresses, palaces, monasteries, churches, synagogues and columns, then you will be in heaven. There is so much to see that I wouldn’t dare limit the must-sees. Here are a few recommendations from other on-line sites – meet Dubrovnik and Croatia travel blog.
Read – Part 2 – next week and the final – Part 3 – in a fortnight.
Go to – My Holidays and Trips – at the top of this page to read about other places we have visited. Or just click on – this link.
